Define the following terms in relation to timbre (i) Seasoning (ii) Conversion (iii) Preservation – NABTEB QUESTION

(i) Seasoning consists of drying out the free water and some of water from the cell walls, which on withdrawal causes the timber to shrink, with the object of reducing the moisture content to a level consistent with the humidity of the air in which the timber will be place. There are two principal methods of seasoning timber e. g Air seasoning and kiln seasoning.

(ii) Conversion: here, felled tree trucks are cut into logs by sewing off all branches and the logs are sown into timbers of marketable sizes using an axe or saw.

(iii) Preservation: It is a process of protecting timber from decay or insect attack for long periods of time, and in many cases, the length of life can be much increased by applying preservative liquids such as toxic oil, like coal tar creosote, water soluble salts, such as sodium fluoride and magnesium silico fluoride which are cleaner than toxic oils and odourless, and solvent-type of preservation which consist of toxic compounds dissolved in a solvent such as naphtol