NSSCO Woodwork 6190 key terms

The alignment of wood fibres along a piece of timber. Cutting, planing and sanding with the grain gives clean surfaces, while working across it tears the fibres and leaves a rough finish.

The controlled drying of timber to reduce moisture content before use. Air seasoning is slow and cheap; kiln seasoning is faster and reaches lower moisture levels, limiting later shrinkage and movement.

The mass of water in timber expressed as a percentage of its oven-dry mass. Wood for indoor furniture is usually dried to about 8-12 percent so it matches the service environment.

The swelling and shrinking of timber as it gains or loses moisture. It occurs mainly across the width, so wide boards need allowance in frames, panels and joints to avoid splitting.

Rough, splintered fibres torn from the surface where a blade exits the wood. It is reduced by sharp cutters, shallow cuts, a backing piece and by planing or routing with the grain.

A manufactured board of thin veneers glued in layers with grain alternating at right angles. The cross-graining gives strength in both directions and limits shrinkage and warping.

A manufactured board with a core of softwood strips glued edge to edge and faced with veneer on both sides. It is light and stiff, used for shelving, doors and carcass panels.

A thin sheet of quality timber sliced or peeled from a log and glued onto a core board. It gives an attractive face and reduces cost, but edges must be lipped or banded.

A board pressed from wood chips and resin adhesive. It is cheap and uniform but weak in tension and swells badly if wet, so joints need care and edges must be sealed.

A smooth, homogeneous board of fine wood fibres bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It machines and finishes well for routed shapes and painted work but sags under load and swells when wet.

The chemical or physical process by which glue sets and develops full strength. Clamping time, workshop temperature and joint fit all affect cure, and the joint should not be loaded before it is complete.

A white woodworking glue supplied ready to use and setting by loss of water. It gives strong joints on porous timber, has moderate water resistance and needs clamping until set.

A finish built up by wiping many thin coats of shellac dissolved in spirit onto the surface. It gives a deep gloss on close-grained timber but offers little protection against heat or water.

A thin, fast-drying coating applied before the top finish. It stiffens surface fibres so they cut cleanly when sanded, fills minor porosity and reduces the amount of finish absorbed.

The number grading the size of abrasive particles on paper or cloth; a low number is coarse and a high number fine. Work through the grades in sequence to remove marks left by the previous one.

A marking and testing tool with a stock and a steel blade fixed at exactly 90 degrees. It is used to mark lines square across a face side and face edge and to check that corners are true.

The two adjacent surfaces planed flat and square to each other and marked with a symbol. All subsequent marking out and testing is taken from these reference faces.

A pair of straight, identical strips viewed along a board to reveal twist. The eye is drawn to any mismatch between the tops of the sticks, so the high corners can be planed away.

A tool with a sliding stock and a steel pin or knife that scores a line parallel to a face edge. The stock is pressed against the reference face so the line follows it exactly.

A gauge with two adjustable pins that marks both sides of a mortise or tenon in one stroke. The spacing is set from the chisel width so the joint fits without further measuring.

A long-bodied bench plane used to flatten and straighten long surfaces and to true edges. Its length bridges hollows so it cuts the high spots and produces a straight, flat result.

A step-shaped recess cut along the edge or end of a piece to receive another part, such as a back panel or door glass. It is cut with a rebate plane, router or dado head.

A stacked set of cutters mounted on a saw spindle to cut a wide groove or trench in one pass. It must be guarded and used with the work firmly held against a fence.

A shaped wooden or plastic hand tool used to feed narrow work past a circular saw blade or spindle cutter. It keeps hands a safe distance from the cutters and should be replaced when worn.

A steel plate mounted behind a circular saw blade that follows the kerf and prevents the cut from closing on the blade. It reduces the risk of kickback and must be correctly aligned.

The violent throwing back of work by a rotating cutter or saw blade when it binds or is fed wrongly. It is prevented by correct fence setting, a riving knife and feeding against the rotation.

A frame joint in which a projecting tenon on one piece fits into a rectangular mortise cut in another. It resists racking well and is used for rails, legs, doors and chair frames.

A short, reduced extension left on the top edge of a tenon. It fills the end of the mortise, stiffens the joint against twisting and increases the gluing area.

The flat face on a tenon or rail that butts against the adjoining member. It squares the joint, hides the gap and provides a gluing surface that resists racking.

A corner joint of interlocking wedge-shaped pins and tails that resists pulling apart in one direction. It is used for drawer boxes and carcass corners and is cut by saw, chisel or router jig.

A dovetail in which the pins and tails pass fully through both members so the joint shows on both faces. It is strong and decorative, common in drawer sides and box corners.

The box-like body of a cabinet or cupboard, made from sides, top, bottom and shelves. Its construction determines squareness, strength and how doors, drawers and back panels are fitted.

A joint between two boards glued along their long edges to make a wider panel. The edges are planed straight and square, then cramped together with the grain direction aligned.

A clamping device that holds parts together under pressure while adhesive cures or while a joint is assembled. Even pressure and correct alignment prevent gaps and distortion.

The headstock and tailstock points that hold a workpiece on its axis for turning between centres. They must be aligned and lubricated so the work runs true without burning or wobble.

A wide, deeply fluted turning tool used to remove waste quickly and bring a spinning blank to a cylinder. It is used with the handle low and the bevel rubbing to control the cut.

Turning a workpiece held between centres along its length to produce symmetrical shapes such as legs, handles and knobs. The grain runs along the axis and the tool works parallel to it.

A schedule listing every component of a project with its material, finished size, quantity and grain direction. It supports accurate ordering, economical cutting and reliable costing.

A diagram showing how components are laid out on each board to minimise waste and avoid defects. It considers grain direction, saw kerf and the need for an allowance on sawn sizes.

Extra material added to a calculated requirement to cover saw kerf, defects, machining errors and offcuts. It is usually expressed as a percentage and included in the costing.

A pictorial drawing in which the three axes are set 120 degrees apart and lengths are drawn true to scale along them. It shows a project clearly without perspective distortion.

A drawing method showing separate front, plan and end views arranged at right angles, each true to shape and size. It is the standard for working drawings and dimensioning.

A fully dimensioned drawing giving sizes, materials, joints, finishes and assembly notes needed to make an item. It must be clear enough for another person to build from without questions.

A written review of the hazards in a task, who might be harmed and how, and the controls needed to reduce risk. It is completed before work starts and reviewed when conditions change.

Items worn to protect the user, such as safety glasses, ear defenders, dust mask and suitable footwear. It is the last line of defence after guards, extraction and safe systems of work.

A system of hoods, ducting and a fan that captures wood dust at the machine and removes it to a collector. It protects health and keeps the workshop and cutters clean.