Curious Words About Woodworking

Welcome to the SCRGeek woodworking dictionary.  This is not the all inclusive, all encompasing dictionary to end all others, but maybe, what you need will be in here.  And, it will grow over time... so check back for updates.

Some words here may have other meanings.  However, the definitions here are as they apply to woodworking.  Another good woodworking dictionary is here.

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-A-

• Adhesive - A compound that adheres or bonds two items together by surface attachment.  See the Glue Applications Quick Reference Guide for more information.
• Air Cleaner - A mechanized method, using air filters, for removing fine dust particles from the air in a workspace.  Also called an air scrubber or air polisher.
• Air Dried - Lumber stacked and stored (usually outside) and allowed to dry to equilibrium of the moisture content of the surrounding air.
• Annual Growth Ring - The layer of growth a tree puts on in a single year.  Growth rings can be seen in the endgrain.
• Apron - The support frame of a table used to attach the legs and table top.
• Arbor - A power tool's motor shaft which is used to attach blades or other cutting tools.
• Arts & Crafts - An intellectual movement in England and America in the late 19th and early 20th century.  The Arts & Crafts movement sought to revive and return to hand craftsmanship in reaction to mass production.
• Auger - A tool having a helical shaft that is used for boring a hole.  The tool tip is threaded to help pull it into the wood.  Waste material is excavated as the hole gets deeper.
• Awl - A marking tool, much like an icepick, often used scratch layout lines or to make starter holes for drill bits.  Various types include birdcage, round-point, brad, scratch, and chisel-point.  Also called a scratch all.

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-B-

• Back Saw - A woodworking hand saw with a rectangular blade.  Backsaws have a "stiffening" (usually brass) rib opposite the cutting edge.
• Ball and Claw - Decorative feet, typically on furniture with cabriole legs, that resemble a ball clutched in a claw or talon.
• Band Saw - An endless saw consisting of a toothed metal band that is driven around two or three wheels.  Thin blades facilitae free hand sawing; thick blades and a fence are used for resawing.
• Bar Clamp - A metal pipe with screw clamps and an adjustable stop mounted on one end.  One clamp side slides along the pipe for gross adjustments.  Fine adjustments and clamping pressures are made by the screw threads on the other end of the clamp.
• Bark - The outermost cell layers on tree trunks, stems, branches, twigs, and roots, formed by the cambium cells.
• Bead - A small, round, decorative profile, usually applied to molding or other edge work for visual appeal.
• Bee's Wax - Natures lubricant and furniture polish.
• Bench - The place where we take wood components to work them and turn them into furniture.  Alternately, a place to sit.
• Bench Plane - Colloquial term for a wide range of general purpose hand planes used for standard woodworking tasks like flattening, squaring, smoothing, and jointing.
• Bench Dog - A wooden or metal peg fitted into a matching mortise on a woodworking bench and used to allow clamping of wood components while they're being worked.
• Bevel - The end or edge of a workpiece that meets the face of another workpiece at an angle other than 90°.
• Bevel Cut - To cut the end or edge of a workpiece at an angle other than 90°.
• Birdcage Awl - A particular type of awl with a squared sides narrowing to a fine point, particularly good at and often used to mark starter holes for drill bits.
• Birds-eye Figure - Small, tight, swirly dots or "eyes" caused by wood fiber distortion.  Birds-eye is a naturally occurring wood figure pattern, most commonly in maple.
• Biscuit - A football shaped compressed wood fiber disc used for aligning and reinforcing mating woodworking joints.
• Biscuit Joiner - Tool for cutting the slots to accept biscuits.
• Biscuit Joint - The resultant joint when mating work pieces are aligned and reinforced with biscuits.
• Bit - Any of numerous hardened metal tools used for drilling, boring, cutting, etc., and used on drill, routers, and other hand and power tools.
• Blast Gate - A device for controlling the vaccuum air flow for a dust collector.
• Blind Joint - A method of joinery that hides or conceals the method of joinery.
• Block Plane - A small variant of a bench plane adapted for use with only one hand.  Block plane blades are typically bevel up.
• Board Foot - A unit of measure for lumber volume equaling 12" wide by 12" long by 1" thick.  Calculate board feet using the formula (width x lentgh x thickness)/144.  ex. a board, ten foot long (120"), one foot wide (12"), and 2" thick is (120 x 12 x 2)/144 or 2880/144 = 20, or 20 board feet.
• Bookmatch - A process of cutting veneer such that successive, "mirror image" sheets from the same flitch are laid side by side or bottom to top, like the matching covers of a book.
• Bore - A hole or passage made by a drill.
• Bow - A common wood defect that curves along the face of a board that usually runs from end to end.  See the article "Common Wood Defects."
• Box Joint - See "Finger Joint."
• Brace and Bit - .
• Brad - .
• Brad Awl - .
• Brad Point Bit - .
• Breadboard Ends - Usually found on table tops, breadboard ends cap the plank ends at right angles.  Their main purpose is to conceal the plank endgrain, but they also help contol warp, twist, and other ill effects of seasonal wood movement.
• Burl - A rounded outgrowth from a tree trunk.  When sliced, it yields highly figured veneers with wildly swirling grain patterns.
• Burr - .
• Butt Joint - A simple woodworking joint where one workpiece is joined perpenduclar to another workpiece.  Butt joints are doomed to failure unless reinforced with screws, dowels, biscuits.
• Branding Iron - .

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-C-

• Cabriole Leg - An 18th century carved and tapered furniture leg style that curved outward toward the top and inward toward the bottom.  The feet were often simple "ball" style or ornate "ball and claw" or "lion's paw" feet.
• Calliper - .
• Cambium - .
• Carbide - .
• Carbide Tipped - .
• Carcase - The basic box structure for a cabinet, case, chest, or drawer.
• Carpenter's Pencil - .
• Case Hardening - .
• Caul - A lenth of wood used to more evenly distribute clamping pressure during glue up. 
• Cell - .
• Chamfer - A bevel cut, usually approximating 45°, along the edge or end of a workpiece.  Chamfers are never cut through to the opposite edge.  Also refers to cutting the bevel.
• Chatter - Most often associated with hand tools, chatter happens when a blade catches on and "bounces" or vibrates rather then severing and slicing through the grain.
• Check - A lengthwise crack along the grain of a board.  Checking is caused by uneven drying.  Checks are most common at the ends of boards which dry faster than the middle.
• Chisel-Point Awl - .
• Chop - On a vice, the chop is a block of wood that acts as the "jaw" to clamp the work piece.
• Chuck - An adjustable mechanical device at the end of a drill that holds the bit. 
• Clamp - A device used to hold an object in a fixed position.  Some common clamp types include C-clamp, F-clamp, G-clamp, bar clamp, mitre clamp, sash clamp, and band clamp.
• Clear - Term used in grading lumber that deontes a board's face that is free of knots, checks, and other defects.
• Closed Coat - .
• Collet - A mechanical sleeve on the end of a router's shaft that clamps and holds a router bit.  Collets come in ¼", ½", and 8mm sizes to accommodate various size bit shafts.
• Combination Square - .
• Compass - .
• Compound Angle - .  See "Compound Miter."
• Compound Cut - .  See "Compound Miter."
• Compound Miter - A workpiece surface beveled or angled in more than one plane relative to other square surfaces.
• Concave - .
• Convex - .
• Cope and Stick Joint - .
• Cord - .
• Counterbore - A hole drilled to allow the head of a screw to sit below the surface.
• Countersink - A slight taper in a hole that allows the head of a wood screw to sit flush with the surface.  Also, refers to the tool to make such a cut.
• Cove - A concave edge treatment or moulding used as a decorative design element.
• Crook - .
• Crosscut - A cut in a board across or perpendicular to the grain.
• Crotch - .
• Cup - .
• Cure - The setting or curing of glues, paints, stains, or other coatings due to a physical or chemical change.
• Curl - .
• Curly Figure - An wavy or undulating grain figure or pattern across the surface of a piece of wood.  Also called tiger figure of fiddleback.
• Cutting List - A complete list of parts needed for a woodworking project, including quantity of each part and final dimensions.  Also called a cut list.

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-D-

• Dado - A groove cut across the grain in a workpiece.
• Deciduous - Of or referring to those trees that lose their leaves in the fall or winter.  These are the "hardwoods."
• Defect - .
• Deflection - .
• Dial Guage - A mechanical indicator for measuring very small amounts of movement, often used for setting up and aligning power tools.
• Dimensional Lumber - .
• Dovetail Joint - A woodworking assembly technique employing angled tabs, called pins and tails, that interlock with mating sockets.
• Dovetail Saw - A narrow kerf, fine cut (15 tooth/inch) saw used for cutting dovetails.  Dovetail saws are part of the backsaw family.
• Dowel - .
• Dowel Center - .
• Dowel Plate - A hardened steel plate with various size holes, usually ranging from " to " in " increments.  Small sections of squared wood are driven through to form accurately sized dowels.
• Dozuki - A centuries old design, Japanese backsaw (in principal).  Unlike western backsaws, a dozuki cuts on the pull stroke.
• Drawbore - .
• Drawer Stop - .
• Dressed Size - .
• Dressing - .
• Drill - Also called a drill motor.
• Drill Press - .
• Dust Collector - A great big vaccuum cleaner used for controlling the dust generated by woodworking machinery.
• Dust Frame - .
• Drying oil - Organic oils, such as tung oil or linseed oil that harden when exposed to air.  Drying oils penetrate as opposed drying on the surface.  Heavy metal salts are often added to speed they drying times.
• Dye - Dyes alter the natural color of wood by wicking into the cells, thus changing the cellular chemistry.  This is not the same as stains that use finely ground particulates that fill open pores.

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-E-

• Earlywood - See Springwood.
• Edge - Either of the two opposite narrower surfaces of a board, adjacent to the faces, and parallel to the grain.  In sheet goods, any side that shows the exposed core.
• Edge Guide - .
• Edge Joint - .
• Elbow - .
• End - Either of two cross-grain edges of a board.
• End Grain - The wood surface exposed after cutting across the grain of the wood.
• Epoxy Glue - A very strong two part glue.  See the Glue Applications Quick Reference Guide for more information.
• Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) - .
• European Hinge - .
• - .

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-F-

• Face - .
• Face Frame - .
• Face Veneer - .
• Featherboard - .
• Fence - .
• Fiddleback - .
• Filler - .
• Fillister - .
• Finger Joint - Usually found on boxes or drawers, finger joints are a method of machining corner joints that have slots interlaced with matching "fingers."  Significant glue surface creates very strong joints.
• Fittings - .
• Flat Sawn - .
• Flush - .
• Forstner Bit - .

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-G-

• Gentleman's Saw - Actually smaller than a dovetail saw, a gent's saw is a narrow kerf, very fine cut (16 to 18 tooth/inch) saw used for cutting dovetails.  A gent's saw is part of the backsaw family.
• Girth - .
• Glue - A compound that adheres or bonds two items together by surface attachment.  See the Glue Applications Quick Reference Guide for more information.
• Glue Joint - .
• Good One Side - .
• Grain - .
• Green Lumber - .
• Grit - .
• Groove - .
• Gum Pocket - .

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-H-

• Half-blind Dovetail - .
• Hand Plane - .
• Handsaw - .
• Hardboard - Also called Masonite.
• Hardboard - .
• Hardwood - .
• Heartwood - .
• Herringbone Pattern - .  Sometimes called Bookmatch.
• Holdfast - An accessory used on a woodworking workbench to fix a workpiece to the top or side of the bench while it is being worked.
• Hone (Honing) - .
• Horned Dado - .
• Hygroscopic - .

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-I-

• Infeed - .
• Infeed Table - .

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-J-

• Janka Test - .
• Jig - .
• Joiner - .
• Joint - .

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-K-

• Kerf - .
• Kickback - .
• Kiln - .
• Kiln Dried - .
• Knockdown - Projects built where the ability to take the project apart is integral to the design and assembly process.
• Knot - .

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-L-

• Laminate - .
• Latewood - See Summerwood.
• Linear Foot - .
• Lion's Paw - Decorative feet, typically on furniture with cabriole legs, that resemble a lion's paw.
• Linseed Oil - .
• Lumber - .
• Lumber Core (Plywood) - .
• Lumber Ruler - .

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-M-

• MDF - .
• Milk Paint - .
• Miter and Spline Joint - .
• Miter Box - .
• Miter Guage - .
• Miter Joint - .
• Miter Saw - The largest (20-30 inches) of the backsaw family.  Miter saws are used in conjunction with wooden or metal miter boxes to make cuts at specific angles.  Part of the backsaw family.
• Miter Slot - .
• Moisture Content - .
• Moisture Guage - .
• Molding (Moulding) - .
• Morse Taper - .
• Mortise - .
• Mortise and Tennon Joint - .

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-N-

• Nominal Size - .
• Non-piloted Bit - .

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-O-

• Ogee - .
• Old Growth - .  Also called Virgin Timber.
• Open Coat - .
• Outfeed - .
• Outfeed Table - .
• Oven-Dried Weight - .

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-P-

• Parallel Bar Clamp - .
• Particle Board - .
• Particle Board Core (Plywood) - .
• Phillips Head - .
• Pilot Bit - .
• Pin Router - .
• Pitch - .
• Pitch Pocket - .
• Pith - .
• Plain Sawn - .
• Planer - .
• Plate Joiner - See "Biscuit Joiner."
• Plate Joint - See Biscuit Joint.
• Plumb - .
• Plunge Router - .
• Plywood - .
• Pocket Hole - .
• Porous Wood - .
• Pot Life - See Working Life.
• Primary Wood - .
• Proud - .
• Pumice - .
• Push Stick - .

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-Q-

• Quarter Sawn - .

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-R-

• Rabbet - .
• Rack and Pinion - .
• Radial Arm Saw - .
• Radial Drill Press - .
• Radial Shrinkage - .
• Rail - .
• Raised Grain - .
• Raised Panel - .
• Rabate - The way the English say Rabbet... handy info depending on who wrote the book one is reading.
• Rake - .
• Ray - .
• Razor Saw - Razor saws typically have extremely fine pitched, crosscut teeth, and often have little or no offset.  They're used for the smallest of wood joinery like model building.  Razor saws are the smallest member of the backsaw family.
• Reaction Wood - .
• Rip Cut - .
• Robertson Head - See Socket Head.
• Rotary Cut Veneer - .
• Rotary Planer - .
• Round Edge Lumber - .
• Round-Point Awl - .
• Rough Lumber - .
• Router - .
• Rub Bearing - .
• Rule Joint - .
• Runout - .

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-S-

• Sand Paper - .
• Sanding Sealer - .
• Sap - .
• Sapwood - .
• Sash Saw - Slightly smaller and finer than a tenon saw, sash saws were used in window sash fabrication.  As 18th and 19th century tools, they've fallen out of favor with pre-fab window production. Sash saws are part of the backsaw family.
• Sawhorse - .
• Seasoning - .
• Scarf Joint - .
• Scrap Wood - .
• Scratch Awl - See "Awl."
• Secondary Wood - .
• Selects - .
• Set - .
• Set-offs - Project component parts that are squared, sized, and cut to length.
• Shaper - .
• Sheet Goods - Any of many man made wood products, including plywood, MDF, hardboard, etc., and produced and sold in 4' x 8' or 5' x 5' sheets.
• Shellac - .
• Shy - .
• Slab - .
• Sliding Dovetail Joint - .
• Snipe - .
• Socket Head - .  Also called a Robertson Head.
• Softwood - .
• Spade Bit - .
• Specific Gravity - .
• Spindle - .
• Spline - .
• Spokeshave - .
• Springwood - .  Also called Earlywood.
• Square - .
• Squeeze Out - .
• Stacked Dado - .
• Stain - Stains very finely ground particulates that are suspended in a solvent, and are used to alter the appearance of wood.  Stains are different from dyes as dyes alter the natural color of wood by wicking into the cells, thus changing the cellular chemistry. 
• Starved Joint - .
• Sticker - .
• Story Stick - .
• Style (Stile) - .
• Summerwood - .  Also called Latewood.
• Surfaced Lumber - .
• Surfacing - .

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-T-

• T-Slot - .
• Table Saw - .
• Tack Cloth (Rag) - .
• Tack Time - .
• Taper - .
• Taper Cut - .
• Tearout - .
• Tempered Hardboard - See Hardboard.
• Template - .
• Template Guide - .
• Tenon - .
• Tenon Saw - A medium sized saw used to cut angular miters or tenons for mortise and tenon joinery.  Typically with 13 teeth/inch, tenon saws are for fairly fine work.  Tenon saws are part of the backsaw family.
• Tension Wood - .
• Thickness Planer - .
• Through Dovetail Joint - .
• Toe Kick - .
• Toggle Clamp - .
• Tongue - .
• Tongue and Groove - .
• Torque - .
• Torx Head - .
• Try (Tri) Square - .
• Twist - .
• Tyloses - .

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-U-

• Underlayment - .

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-V-

• Varnish - .
• Vee Joint - .
• Veneer - .
• Veneer Core (Plywood) - .
• Veneer Saw - .  Part of the backsaw family.
• Vice - .
• Virgin Timber - See Old Growth.
• Viscosity - .

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-W-

• Wagonnwright - See "Wagonwright."
• Wainwright - A woodworker who specializes in wagon and cart building.
• Warp - .
• Wash Coat - .
• Winding Sticks - .
• Witness Marks - .
• Wobble Dado - .
• Working Life - See "Working Time."
• Working Time - The time after mixing a glue or paint that it remains usable.  Often used in reference to two-part epoxy or polyester glues.  Also called Pot Life.
• Wormholes - A colloquial term for the small holes in wood that are created by boring insects.  "Wormy" Chestnut is a good example.
• Wood - See Xylem.

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-X-

• X-Acto Knife - A hobbyist tool for making precise cuts, it features variously shaped, disposable, razor like blades mounted in a pen like handle.  The X-Acto brand of tools is owned by Elmer's (the glue company).
• Xylem - The cellular "woody" tissue of a tree.  Otherwise known as WOOD.

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-Y-

• Yardstick - A ruler or tape that is three feet long.

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-Z-

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Resources

"Glossary of Woodworking Terms.", and linked articles.  Sawdust Making 101.  2006. 
< http://www.sawdustmaking.com/GLOSSARY/glossary_of__woodworking_t.htm>.  (19 Mar. 2006).

"Interactive Woodworking Terms Glossary .", and linked articles.  Woodworking Magazine.  2006. 
< http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/glossary.asp>.  (19 Mar. 2006).

"WikiProject Woodworking.", and linked articles.  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.  2006. 
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Woodworking>.  (17 May 2006).

"WoodZone.com Glossary of Woodworking Terms.", and linked articles.  WoodZone.  2006. 
< http://www.woodzone.com/encyclopedia.htm>.  (22 Mar. 2006).

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