5 Ways Of Processing ThermoWood Products To Ensure Quality Results

Since thermally modifying wood changes its strength properties, it becomes more susceptible to mechanical damage. This means that modified timber will require some more handling then your standard unmodified wood.

There are, however, a few things to keep in mind before you begin working on your projects.

You'll need to check the moisture content of the wood. It'll need to match the humidity of the location in which you're working. Depending on the size of the area that you're working in, conditioning could take several days, and if you're working outside, it could take weeks, or even months, especially in winter. So, prior to commencement, you'll need to make sure that this is taken care of.

If you're generating dust during the processing of your ThermoWood products, you'll need a respirator. The dust generated from modified wood is dry and fine, so special attention should be paid to the air-tightness of the dust removal system.

Although modified wood does require more care, because ThermoWood products do not secrete resin, the saw blades actually require less maintenance.

Now that we've provided a little background information, we're going to go over the similarities and differences when using five different processing methods. These are, sawing, planing, milling, sanding, and gluing.

Sawing

Sawing modified wood does not differ much from untreated timber. The only factor to be aware of is the size of your saw blades teeth. Since large teeth can chip the edges of ThermoWood products, it is reccomended to use fine-toothed blades, to make sure that no chipping occurs.

Planing

ThermoWood products, much like standard timber, can be susceptible to cupping (which is warping across the face of the board.) Because of this, it is reccomended to use narrow infeed rollers when planing, in order to avoid cracking the wood surface that you're working on.

If the convex face of the timber is facing down, you'll only need to use a single wheel positioned in the centre of the piece you're working on. However, if the convex is facing up, you'll need to use two narrow wheels that are positioned on the edges of the piece.

Since no resin is secreted from ThermoWood products, there is less friction that occurs in the infeed. This helps the planing go more smoothly.

But there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration to ensure that the planing goes as planned.

You may need to reduce the speed on the planing lines. The roller pressure and speed, as well as other parametres are completely dependent on the properties of the specific line and machine. So, you'll need to set the parametres separately for each product and machine.

For maximum results, it is reccomended to use material that has been cut parallel to the grain, or as parallel to the grain as possible. This will help minimise the loosening of the wood's annual rings.

You should also select the best face of the board you're using when planing, this will improve your results.

Milling

Milling ThermoWood products is similar to working with hard and brittle hardwoods. You'll need to plan your milling carefully before you begin. Tears and nicks can occur, especially when you're milling against the grain. So, take proper precautions and plan to perfection before you begin to achieve optimal results.

Sanding

There is no difference between sanding ThermoWood products and standard timber. In fact, most of the time sanding is not even required. After planing your ThermoWood products, the surface quality is most often very good.

Gluing

The gluing properties of ThermoWood have been tested with a variety of adhesives. These include:

• 1- and 2-component PVAc adhesives
• 1- and 2-component polyurethane adhesives (PU)
• Resorsinolphenol adhesives (RF)
• Emulsion-polymer-isocyanate adhesives (EPI)

PVA Adhesives

PVA adhesives should have a minimised water content. They may require longer pressing and drying times because of the reduced absorption rate of water into timber with ThermoWood products. So, this means that the glue will take longer to harden.

PU Adhesives

The curing process of PU adhesives requires water. The water can be asborbed from the wood being glued or the surrounding air. Also, surfaces that are being glued may need to be dampened.

RF and EPI

Tests have shown that both RF and EPI adhesives can be effectively used with ThermoWood products. These tests showed that the adhesives worked within the normal production parametres of ThermoWood products.

With all types of adhesives, special attention must be paid to the temperature and moisture content of the wood, as well as the cleanliness of the surface. You should comply with the instructions provided by the adhesive manufacturer.

ThermalWood Canada Is A Member Of The ThermoWood Association

One final point that should be made, is that ThermalWood Canada is a proud member of the ThermoWood association, with is the only governing body in the world for thermally modified products.

This means that when we talk about ThermoWood standards in posts and articles, these are standards in which we adhere to. The ThermoWood Association provides yearly audits to ensure that ensure that standards are being met.

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