SOLAS Carpentry key terms

The label used to identify lumber for sale, such as 2x4, which is larger than the actual dressed dimensions after planing and drying.

Wood that has been planed or surfaced to a smooth, uniform size, so its actual dimensions are smaller than its rough or nominal size.

Wood sawn to size but not yet planed or surfaced, so it retains saw marks and full nominal dimensions and requires further milling before finish use.

A volume unit for lumber equal to one square foot of one-inch-thick stock, calculated as thickness in inches times width in inches times length in feet divided by twelve.

A length measurement of twelve inches along a board, used for pricing trim and moulding regardless of width or thickness.

The orientation of wood fibers along a board's length, which controls how it planes, splits, and finishes and guides cutting and fastener placement.

A cut made parallel to the wood grain, typically along the length of a board, usually performed on a table saw with the fence guiding the stock.

A cut made perpendicular to the wood grain to shorten a board, commonly done with a miter saw or handsaw and prone to tear-out on the exit side.

The narrow slot of material removed by a saw blade, whose width must be allowed for when marking cuts so finished pieces reach the intended dimension.

A joint formed where two pieces meet at an angle, each end cut at half that angle, most often 45 degrees for a 90-degree corner such as picture frames or trim.

An angled cut across the thickness or edge of a board rather than square across its face, used for chamfers, sills, and trim that meets at an angle.

A flat, angled cut made along the edge or corner of a board, often decorative and used to soften sharp edges or ease assembly.

A square groove cut across the grain on the face of a board, sized to receive the end or edge of another piece and commonly used in shelving and cabinet carcases.

A step-shaped recess cut along the edge or end of a board, forming an L-shaped profile that accepts another board, as in cabinet backs and drawer bottoms.

A channel cut along the length of a board, parallel to the grain, to hold a panel, spline, or tongue, as in cabinet backs and drawer bottoms.

A strong joint in which a projecting tongue on one piece fits into a matching rectangular hole in another, commonly pinned or glued for frames and furniture.

An interlocking joint with flared pins and tails that resist pulling apart, widely used in drawer boxes and fine casework because it handles tension well.

A butt joint reinforced by an oval compressed wood wafer glued into matching slots cut in both mating pieces, aligning them and adding shear strength.

A joint in which cylindrical wooden pins are glued into matching holes drilled in two pieces, aligning them and adding strength to a butt or edge joint.

A joint made by cutting a series of interlocking rectangular fingers on the ends of two pieces, often used to join short stock into longer lengths.

A joint that end-joins two pieces into one continuous length by cutting matching angled or stepped faces and fastening or gluing them together.

A joint in which two members overlap, each having a portion of its thickness removed so the joined surfaces sit flush or at a right angle.

Cutting the end profile of trim to match the contour of adjacent moulding so two pieces meet tightly at an inside corner, often done with a coping saw.

Decorative profiled trim, such as crown, base, or casing, installed to cover transitions and add visual detail to walls, ceilings, and openings.

Profiled trim installed at the junction of a wall and ceiling, typically set at an angle and requiring compound or spring-angle cuts at corners.

A vertical framing member in a wall, usually spaced at regular intervals such as sixteen inches on center, that carries loads and supports wall finishes.

A horizontal framing member at the top or bottom of a wall, called a top plate or sole plate, to which studs are attached and which ties the wall together.

A horizontal framing member placed above an opening such as a door or window to carry the load from above and transfer it to adjacent framing.

A short stud installed above a header or below a window sill to continue the regular stud spacing and support wall coverings and openings.

A spacing convention measured from the center of one framing member to the center of the next, commonly abbreviated OC, as in studs at sixteen inches on center.

A horizontal framing member that supports a floor or ceiling, spaced at regular intervals and sized to carry the expected live and dead loads.

A sloping framing member that forms the roof structure, running from the ridge to the wall plate and supporting roof sheathing and covering.

The horizontal framing member at the peak of a roof where opposing rafters meet, providing a nailing surface and aligning the roof slope.

A notch cut into a rafter where it meets the wall plate, creating a seat that lets the rafter bear flat on the plate and set the roof pitch.

The panel or board layer fastened over framing to enclose a structure and provide a base for siding, roofing, or subfloor, adding structural stiffness.

The structural layer of flooring laid over joists to support the finished floor, typically plywood or oriented strand board in modern construction.

A smooth, flat layer installed over the subfloor to provide a suitable surface for finish flooring, often plywood or a cementitious panel.

The violent ejection of stock back toward the operator by a spinning blade or cutter, prevented by guards, riving knives, push sticks, and proper technique.

A hand-held tool used to feed short or narrow stock past a saw blade or cutter while keeping fingers a safe distance from the cutting edge.

A metal plate mounted behind a table saw blade that rises and falls with it, keeping the kerf open and reducing the risk of kickback.

A stationary machine with a rotating cutterhead that flattens and squares the face or edge of a board, creating a true reference surface for further milling.

A machine that reduces a board to a uniform thickness by passing it under a rotating cutterhead, referencing the already-flattened opposite face.

A conical recess cut around a screw hole so the screw head sits flush with or below the surface, commonly used in woodworking and cabinetry.

A small hole drilled before driving a fastener to guide it, prevent splitting near board ends, and reduce driving torque in hard or dense materials.

A drill bit with a conical cutting head that cuts a tapered recess for a screw head, often combined with a pilot drill in one tool.

A device such as a nail, screw, bolt, or anchor used to hold building components together, chosen by material, load, and exposure conditions.

The seasonal expansion and contraction of wood as it absorbs and releases moisture, which changes across grain more than along it and affects joinery and panel design.

The percentage of water in wood measured relative to its oven-dry weight, which affects strength, stability, and how much a board will shrink or swell.

A controlled process of heating and circulating air around stacked lumber to reduce moisture content to a target level quickly and with fewer defects than air drying.

The upward bow along the length of a board, which should be oriented upward when used as a joist or stud so loads bear against it.