Basic+Materials

The basic materials used in the shopfitting industry are: =**Solid Timber**:= See - Timber - The Material page =**Particleboard:**= " Particleboard manufacture was developed in Germany in the late 1940s and introduced to Australia in 1957 when Coreboard Ltd. (later purchased by Softwood Holdings Ltd.) established a plant at Mt. Gambier, S.A.. The expanding economy of the 1960s, the increasing availability of suitable raw material and the high acceptability of the product led to more new plants and a very high annual growth rate, some of it at the expense of hardboard and plywood. Wood-veneered particleboard was first introduced in 1961, by Westralian Forest Industries. WESFI. In the early 1970s particleboard surfaced with plastic laminates was introduced and in the mid-1970s a flooring grade was developed using water-resistant phenol- or tannin-formaldehyde resin". Published by  [|Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre] ,

It comes in a range of surface finishes from many manufactures Visit their websites to find the latest information on product types, sizes, colours and surface finshes. Carter Holt Harvey Tel 1300 658 828 [|www.chhwoodlogic.com.au] The Laminex Group Tel 03 9848 4811 [|www.thelaminexgroup.com.au] D&R Henderson Pty Ltd Tel 02 4577 4033 [|www.drhenderson.com.au] Gunnersons P/L: []

You should also download the file below for future reference on history and surface finshes:

=Plywood= Ply wood is manufactured board made from several (uneven number) layers of timber veneer laid at 90 degrees to each other. An uneven number of veneers is required to form balance in the sheet and keep the sheets flat and stable. Plywood – Standard Dimensions Plywood is available in a range of lengths, widths and thicknesses, basic sheet dimensions are

Length : 2700, 2400 and 1800mm Width : 1200mm

there are specif types and grades of plywood availabele to suit different tasks; For example:
 * Marine ply
 * Flooring grade
 * Ply bracing
 * Form ply for formwork
 * exterior and interior grades ( non structural)
 * Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) for building beams

In our sector of the trade we mainly use decorative veneerd plywoods of interior grade. interior applications where a high visula appearnce qualityis needed. Some typical applications include: Interior plywood must not for use in exposed, wet or damp conditions. Interior plywood may have either a type C or type D glue bond. these adhesive grades are not durable if exposed to wet or damp environments. They will however withstand conditions in fully protected interior non-structural environments. Type D bond interior plywood is recommeded for interior applications under normal conditions of humidity. Type C bonded plywood should be used in high humidity interior environments such as bathrooms or more generally in tropical regions. applications. Two face veneer grades are used for **exterior** and **interior** plywood: and For more information viste the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia website: [] or contact the organisation directly:
 * Interior Plywoods is **manufactured to AS/NZS 2270 it is for non structural
 * internal wall panelling
 * furniture and fitments,
 * door skins
 * ceiling linings.
 * Exterior **and **interior** plywood are **non structural** plywood and **must not** be used in structural
 * A grade designed for clear finishing
 * B grade designed for painting.

Engineerd Wood Products Association of Australasia "Plywood House" 3 Dunlop Street, Newstead, QLD Australia Downlaod this powerpoint on plywood:9 (by Young Ju Lee - Shopfitting student Nth Sydeny TAFE College 2010) Watch this video to see how plywood is made: media type="youtube" key="hH86eahxeq8" height="190" width="240" =Medium Density Fibre Board (MDF)= MDF is high water resistant and is also availabel in a fire resistant blend MDF is denser (600-800 kg/m³ ) than particle board (160-450 kg/m³). The main species of timber used for MDF is plantation-grown radiata pine in Australia but Hoop pine is also extensively used to produce the boards. As manufacturers are being pressured to come up with greener products, they have started testing and using non-toxic binders. New raw materials are being introduced. Straw and bamboo are becoming popular fibers because they are a fast growing renewable resource. Advantages of MDF: Disadvantages of MDF: For more information on MDF visit the following websites:
 * Medium-density fibreboard** (**MDF**) is an engineered wood panel product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibres, blending it with wax and urea f rmaldehyde resin binder, under high temperature and pressure. It is made up of separated fibres and ismuch more dense than normal particle board. The mass production of MDF began in the 1980s.
 * excellent substrate for veneers.
 * environmentally friendly product.
 * less expensive than solid timber
 * No grain so no tendency to split when face fixed
 * consistent density and material strength
 * easily worked
 * Heavier than plywood or particle board
 * Not water proof
 * Contains [|urea-formaldehyde] which may cause eye and lung irritation when cutting and sanding
 * Hard on blades and cutters
 * edge fixing can be a problem if screwing or edge fixing is not done properly. Board delaminates.

Wikipedia: [] Carter Holt Harvey Tel 1300 658 828 [|www.chhwoodlogic.com.au] The Laminex Group Tel 03 9848 4811 [|www.thelaminexgroup.com.au] D&R Henderson Pty Ltd Tel 02 4577 4033 [National University: (A bit dated but still ok)|www.drhenderson.com.auAustralian National University: (A bit dated but still ok)] [] = = =Plastic Laminate= Plastic laminate is thin board used in surface finishing particleboard, MDF or some other subtrat. It is made from layers of resin-impregnated (using melamine formaldehyde resins) paper laminated under high pressure and heat. It is available in a large range of colours and textures and surface finishes. It is highly water resistant and heat resistant. The surface tough and resists chipping and scratching. It is available in rnage of sheet sizes (2400 x 1200 is most common) and thicknesses (0.8mm vertical and postforming grades and 1.2mm for horizontal benchtop grades) Plastic laminate is available in a number of different grades including fire rated and chemical resistant and solid colour form. Follow the links below for technical information on Plastic laminate: = = =Adhesives= follow this link for a good rundown on types of adhesives used in the shopfitting industry: [] this document is from the website and is attributed. Adhesives General: [] Polyvinyl acetate: [] Epoxy resins: [] Contact adhesive: [] You will need to conatct adhesive manufacturesto obtain specific MSDS for each type of adhesve so below are some links to major manufacturers websites:
 * Laminex Industries**: [] - Download the PDF documents from the Laminex website to see the different forms and how they are made: []
 * Abet P/L**: []
 * Parburys Building Products**: [] distributor of Wilsonart decorative laminates
 * Formica** (part of the Laminex group): []

AV syntec: Bostik Adhesives: [] HB Fullers Ltd: [] Henkel PL: [] Holdtite P/L: [] Laminex industries: [] for PDF document Prochemsol P/L : [] resorcinal formaldehyde adhesive Titebond Australia: [] Westsystem Epoxy resin: []

watch this video on applying spray gade Contact Adhesive: media type="youtube" key="9erf0zNBI04" height="190" width="240"

=Abrasives=

Abrasive manufacturers [|3M Industrial abrasives] [|Norton] S[|IA abrasive] Other retailers: []

More information on basic materials, tools and joints can be found at the following website: []