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An illustrated woodwork glossary. The terms

used in general Carpentry and joinery

Hint: Hit "Ctrl + f" to search this woodwork glossary page.

Right at present there are 54 separate pages in this section illustrating the terms below. If you

would like to browse from one to the other in sequence start at the woodworking page.

0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  " 

A

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Against the grain 

Working a piece of wood in the wrong direction so

that the shavings are taken off in a in a rough and

ragged fashion.

Air Dried Lumber 

In woodworking. The oldest method of drying outor seasoning timber. Allowing air to circulate

naturally around the lumber.

Annual Rings 

The annual growth rings in timber or lumber that

can be seen when the timber is cut across the grain.

B

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Barefaced Tenon 

A tenon having only one shoulder. Typically where

members with two different thicknesses meet.

Base Block  

Also called a skirting block. Mostly a plain

rectangular block to make a break between the

skirting board and the architraves around a door.

Base Molding 

Molding on the top of a baseboard

Base Shoes 

Used to cover the gap between the skirting and any

new floor covering in renovation work when the

skirtings are left in place.

Baseboard 

Also called a skirting board. A usually molded

board at the base of an internal wall to provide a

cover for the wall to floor joint and to protect the

wall surface from mopping or scrubbing of the

floor.

Beading 

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1.) A small half-round convex moulding.

2.) A row of half spherical bead bead shapes.

Birdsmouth Joint 

A joint at the base of an angled member that is

designed to stop it sliding.

Biscuit Joint 

Joints in wood and panel products similar to butt

 joints but made with oval lengths of a composite

material (biscuits) in slots cut with purpose made

power tool, a biscuit jointer.

Bolection Moulding 

A raised moulding, projecting proud of the face

frame to trim around timber panelling to walls and

doors.

Bridle Joint 

A joint between two members that is in effect the

opposite of a mortise and tennon joint.

Butt Joint 

The simplest of all woodworking joints. The

 jointing surfaces of each member has right angle or

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Cavetto 

A concave, quarter hollow shape

Chamfer 

A beveled edge connecting two surfaces

Cornice 

1). A molded projection that crowns or finishes the

part to which it is fixed.

2). A mould of wood or plaster that is fixed to

cover the internal walls to ceiling joints. US.

Crown mold.

3). The exterior trim to a structure mostly at the

meeting of the wall to the roof. Mostly masonry as

in classical architecture but also timber.

4). The moulding forming the top member of a

window or door frame.

Cover Batten 

A flat moulding that is used to cover the joints in

sheet or flat panel material.

Crown Mold 

1.)A moulded board, often quite large and ornate

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that is fixed to cover the internal walls to ceiling

 joints.

2.)A moulding serving as the finishing member of a structure.

Cupping 

The tendency in some sections of timber to dry out

in a curved shape following the lines of the growth

rings.

Cyma Recta 

A type of ogee with the concave part is uppermost

Cyma Reversa 

A type of ogee with the convex part is uppermost

Cyma, Ogee 

A moulding with double curvature. combining

ovolo and cavetto.

D

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Dado 

1.) The middle part of something. The middle

portion of a pedestal between the base and the

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cornice.

2.) A rectangular groove or trench cut across the

grain of a board or plank.

Dado Head 

A woodworking machine cutter head that consists

of two circular saw blades separated by cutter

blades of varying widths for cutting dados.

Dado Paneling 

Wooden panelling from the base or baseboard to

the dado

Dado Rail, Chair Rail 

A moulded rail set normally around chair back 

height to protect wall surfaces.

Dentil Mold 

In woodworking and masonry. A carved mold

consisting of regular square tooth-like blocks.

Double Tenons 

Two tenons side by side. Used for jointing wider

members.

Dovetail Joint 

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A type housing or keyed joint where one member

has a wedge shaped end set into a similar shaped

recess. This page defines:-Common Dovetail, Lapped Dovetail, Half 

Lapped Dovetail, Secret Dovetail 

Dowel Joint 

Joints in wood similar to butt joints but made with

short lengths of round section timber of various

standard sizes (dowels) and corresponding drilled

holes.

E

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Egg-and-Dart 

Hand carved or machine made egg shapes

alternating with V-shapes

F

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Fillet 

An angled strip separating two surfaces, or

between the fluting

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Finger Joint 

A factory method of joining random lengths of 

timber into standard long lengths. Used to produceflooring and mouldings.

Fluting 

Usually half-round grooves. cut into the surface of 

a column in regular intervals.

Framing Scarf Joints 

End joints for heavy framing members

G

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Green Lumber 

Lumber that has not been seasoned.

Grounds 

Wooden or pressed metal battens fixed to rough

wall surfaces to give an even fixing for wooden

panelling or plasterboard etc.

Gunstock Style 

A door style that reduces in width, typically wider

at the bottom where the door may be paneled and

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then reducing at the top where it may be glazed

H

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Halving Joint 

A half lap joint where two pieces are lapped over

each other. Can be Corner Lap, "T" lap or Cross

Lapped.

Hammer Key Joint 

An end joining technique where a hammer shaped

tenon is set into a similar shaped recess. Often used

in conjunction with wedges to pull the joint tight.

Hardwood 

1.) A tree with broad leaves belonging to the

Angosperms.

2.) Wood cut from a hardwood tree. Typically with

hard close grain and with characteristics of strength

and durability

Hardwoods List 

The commonly used hardwoods in woodworking

Haunched Tenon 

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A tenon that does not run through the full width of 

the member, but it has a cut down section, the

Haunch that allows the use of external wedgefixings. Used typically at the corners for doors and

windows etc.

Heartwood 

The wood at the centre of a tree. The oldest and the

best quality

Housing Joints 

Joints that have one member, usually with a plain

end set into or housed into another member. Used

in joinery and carpentry.

On this page also:- Through Housing, Stopped

Housing, Dovetail Housing. 

J

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Joinery 

A woodworking and building trade concerned with

the heavier aspects of construction with wood.

Framing and joining timbers in a structure.

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K

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Kiln Dried Lumber 

In woodworking. A method of seasoning timber

using heated kilns to dry the timber to the required

moisture content.

Knot 

A hard cross grain mass of wood that is formed in

the trunk of a tree where a branch grows. They can

weaken the timber or disfigure the surface.

L

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Loose Tenons 

A tenon joining two mortised members.

Loose Wedged Tenon 

A tenon running through a mortise with extra

length to allow for a small mortise and a wedge at

right angles to secure the joint. Typically in large

heavy joints.

Lumber Timber 

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Wood from trees that has been converted into

usable sections for the woodworking trades

M

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Medullary Rays 

Cells or ribbons of tissue in a tree that extend from

the pith to the bark to move food horizontally in

the tree.

Mitre Joint 

A joint between two members at an angle to each

other. Each piece is cut to exactly half of the

 joining angle. Mostly the angle is 90 degrees so

each piece is cut at 46 degrees.

Also on this page:-

End Mitre, Face Mitre, Rebated Mitre,

Tongued Mitre, Bastard Mitre 

Mortise and Tenon 

A method of joining two members, with a recess,

the Mortise in one of the members and a narrowed

shouldered piece the Tenon to the other one.

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N

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Notched or Cogged Joints 

Heavy carpentry floor and roof framing joints.

O

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Ovalo 

A slightly recessed quarter round to a corner of a

larger piece.

P

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Parting Bead 

A small rectangular section that has a half round on

one end. Used to separate the sashes in a sliding

sash window.

Picture Rail 

A rail fixed between the dado rail and the cornice

to hang pictures from.

Pith 

The central core of a log, soft with no strength and

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seen as a fault in timber.

Q

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Quad 

A quarter round bead.

Quarter Sawn 

Wood logs sawn into quarters to maximise the

quality of the finshed planks.

Quirk  

The slight recessing of a mould like an ovalo

R

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Raking Mould 

A sloping mould made to a profile that will neatly

match up against a horizontal mould.

Reeding 

Repeated rows of small beading. Used on deckingboarding.

S

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Sapwood 

The wood between the heartwood and the bark of a

tree. Not as resistant to decay as heartwood.

Saw Milling 

The act of sawing wood in an industrial

application.

Sawmill

A factory where where logs of wood in the rough

are sawn into usable sizes for the construction and

woodworking industries.

Sawyer 

A person with the trade of sawing wood

Scarf Joint 

A method of end joining members. From ply the

solid timber.

Scotia 

A wooden molding with a concave face that is

fixed to cover the internal walls to ceiling joints.

UK and Australian terminology.

Scribed Joint 

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A joint between two mouldings that has one or

them cut to the shape of the other. Usually this is

done with a coping saw, hence it's alternative nameof Coped Joint in North America.

Seasoning Lumber 

In woodworking. A method treating timber to dry

out excess moisture and bring it to the required

moisture content.

Shakes 

longitudinal splits in a log or or piece of timber.

Often caused by hasty or poor seasoning.

Slab Sawn 

Lumber or timber sawn vertically straight out of 

the log. This is the cheapest way of sawing up logs

into planks

Slip Feathered Tenon 

A wide tenon with loose tongues or slip feathers

set into the shoulder to give more strength to a

standard mortise and tenon joint.

Softwoods List 

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The commonly used softwoods in woodworking

Softwoodwood 

1.) An evergreen tree or pine tree.

2.) Wood cut from a softwood tree. Typically with

wide and open grain.

Stub Tenon 

A short tenon set into a shallow mortise that does

not go the whole way through the the member.

Also known as a Blind Tenon. 

Stump Tenon 

A tenon with a partly recessed shoulder. Used in

heavy framing as an alternative to a double tenon.

T

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Timber Defects 

Faults that affect the strength and looks of timber.

Tongue And Groove Joint 

The main joint used to join solid timber floor

boards. Also now used for joining many man made

products.

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Tongued Joint 

A type of narrow housing joint, using a thin tongue

rather than the full thickness of the timber as in astandard housing joint.

Tree 

A perennial plant with a woody structure that is

exogenous. That is it grows on the outside, a small

amount each year. The source of wood.

Tusk Tenon 

A strong load bearing joint for trimmers in heavy

floor framing.

Twin Tenon 

A tenon joint with two separate tenons, one above

the other. Typically used in wide door rails where

the rail is too deep for a standard Mortise and tenon

 joint.

Twist 

The tendency in timber for the edges to move out

of parallel

W

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Wainscot 

A wooden panelling from say 900 to 1500 high (3

ft to 5ft) to the bottom of internal walls.

Waney Edges 

Edges or corners of sections of timber that

encroach into the area of the bark.

Winding Sticks 

A pair of straight battens that are used to sight

across to determine if a piece of timber or a frame

is twisted or not.

With the Grain 

Working a piece of wood along the grain so that

the shavings are taken off in a smooth fashion.

Wood Grain 

In Joinery, the direction of the natural fibres in

wood. The lines by which the wood can be split

and by which it is sawn out of the log to make

useful timber.

Woodworking 

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The practice of making something out of wood. A

manual or machine skill.