Dimension of screw shank size.
Larger numbers refer to larger shanks. Normally followed by a dash and the
number of threads per inch if threaded.
AC
Air Cleaner. Usually located high
in the center of a shop, the Air Cleaner removes the very small particulates
that the Dust Collector misses.
Arbor
The part of the table saw to which
the blade mounts.
ATB
Alternating Top Bevel. A set of
saw teeth where the tips are cut at an angle (think bats ears) in an alternating
pattern. Usually associated with crosscutting blades.
Beadboard
A board with one or two lengthwise
beads milled into it. Often used as wainscoting or porch ceilings.
Bevel
To chamfer an edge at a specific
angle.
Big Box
Any of the large, chain "Home
centers"
Biscuit
A small piece of compressed, over
dry wood used as a floating tenon. The grain is oriented at a 45° angle and
it is widely used where a standard mortise and tenon joint would be. Common
sizes are #0 (small), #10, #20 and #FF.
BLO
Boiled Linseed Oil. You don't boil
it, you buy it that way.
Borg
Large Impersonal Chain Store
Box Joint
A square profile joint used on
production of boxes and various type. This joint is almost as strong as a
dovetail due to the large glue area, but can be gand cut on a continuous
basis for high volume production. AKA: Finger Joint
BS
Band Saw. A saw with a long
continuous blade for re-sawing or cutting outside curves.
BS
Belt Sander. A tool with an
abrasive belt used by many to ruin projects. Because the sander is so aggressive
it will often create more damage than it will cure. Best use is for rough
contouring.
CAD
Computer Aided Design (Drafting)
Caul, Clamping Caul
Board clamped across a panel glue
up to hold the panel flat.
CCA
CCA (chromium-copper-arsenate) is
used on lumber prepared for ground contact. This is being phased out due to
arsenic leeching. Sawdust should be treated as HAZMAT.
Chuck
Portion of a drill or lathe where
the bit or material is held.
CMS
Compound Miter Saw. A saw used for
crosscutting moldings and other items. Not normally accurate enough for
making frames.
Collet
Portion of a router where the bit
is inserted and held.
Combo
A blade that has both crosscutting
and ripping teeth. While producing neither as well as a dedicated rip or
crosscut blade, it will produce acceptable cuts for most uses.
Cooperage
Barrel/cask making
Counterbore
A flat bottomed hole as created
with a Forstner bit. Compare: Countersink
Countersink
A hole with a beveled lip to match
the bottom of a flathead screw. Compare: Counterbore
Crapsman
Slang corruption of Sears brand
"Craftsman", used derogatorily.
Crosscut
Cutting across the grain of the
wood, as to length. A crosscut blade will have more ATB (Alternating Top
Bevel) teeth (typically 60-80) whose tips cut across the fibers of the grain
producing small, fine dust and a smooth finish.
Dado
A furrow cut in a board across the
grain. Often used to receive the end of a shelf.
DAMHIKT
Don't Ask Me How I Know This.
(I've made this mistake!)
DC
Dust Collector. A must have in
most shops. Sometimes equipped with a cyclonic preseparator (cyclone) to form
a two stage system. Use 5 or 1 micron filter bags for best results.
Dovetail
A type of joint used extensively
on drawer fronts characterized by a trapezoid shape that resists pullout
better than any other joint.
DP
Drill Press. A motor driving a
spindle via a series of belts and pulleys to allow variable speeds. The head
of the drill is on a spindle where the drill can be moved vertically, usually
with spring return.
DVM
Digital Volt Meter. Tool for
measuring voltage and (usually) other electrical values that displays the
results numerically.
Fan Belt
Drive belt for a saw.
FAS
Firsts and Seconds. Quality
designation for lumber.
Feather Board
A device on a saw or other cutter
to hold the stock in contact with the fence/table. Comprised of multiple
slots cut comb-like into the end of a board and then attached the saw so that
the tips of the tines place pressure against the stock as it is fed.
Flat Sawn
Wood cut tangentially from a log
Flathead
Screw head designed to sit flush
in a countersunk hole.
Grit
A measure of the coarseness of an
abrasive such as sand paper. The higher the number, the finer the grains. The
number is the number of grains per inch
Groove
A furrow running the length of the
board with the grain.
Hardwood
Wood from a deciduous tree. Oak,
balsa, etc. The terms HARDWOOD and SOFTWOOD do NOT refer to the firmness of
the wood.
HP
Horse Power. By definition 746
watts. (About 7A on a 110V line, 3.5A on a 220V feed). Some tool vendors play
fast and loose with this "specification"
HSS
High Speed Steel. Material used to
make inexpensive, short lived cutters (blades and router bits)
IIRC
If I Recall Correctly
IMHO
In My Humble Opinion
Infeed
The portion of a tool ahead of the
cutter where the raw stock is inserted or placed.
Jatoba
A Brazilian hardwood (AKA
Brazilian Cherry) characterized by a deep orange to flame red color. Tight
grained and usually knot free it is handsome replacement for "old
growth" cherry. Dense and hard, it machines well with sharp carbide
cutters.
Jointer
A tool for dressing the edges of
lumber prior to assembly into larger panels or projects.
Joist
Horizontally running board on edge
for strength. Typically used for floors or ceilings.
Lap Joint
A method of attaching two pieces
of wood where half the thickness is removed from both pieces to form a joint
with the same thickness as the original stock.
Lath
Horizontal rough cut wood strips
about 1" wide and only about 1/4" thick. Mounted to the studs with
gaps between to allow plaster to ooze between and hold when hard. Made obsolete by sheet gypsum board.
Lathe
A tool for rounding and shaping
wood. Used to make bowls, spindles, legs and other decorative items.
Link Belt
Drive belt for a saw made up of
separate links. Will not normally acquire a 'set' if the saw is not used for
an extended time.
LOML
Love Of My Life
MDF
Medium Density Fiberboard. Used
for furniture and trim that will be painted. Machines well, if dusty. Doesn't
hold screws well.
Minwax
Brand name of finishing products.
Miter Fence
The sliding fence used for cross
cutting on the table saw. Usually the fence can be adjusted for various
angles (miters) of crosscut.
Mortise
A non-round shallow or deep hole
in the face grain of the wood. Compare: Tenon
MS
Mineral Spirits. Used as a general
solvent in the shop for dilution of finishes and cleaning of
brushes/equipment. A light wipe down will reveal glue spots and show the
color of the wood after finishing.
Outfeed
The portion of a tool after the
cutter where the machined stock is removed.
Panhead
Screw head designed to sit atop
the material. Often used in metal work as a "sheet metal" screw.
Phillips Screwdriver
Name for patented cross (+) shaped
screwdriver that is self centering. Comes in numerical sizes, #0 (tiny) to #2
(large). Occasional in larger sizes.
Pipe Dope
Adhesive for plastic plumbing.
Planer (Thicknesser)
A tool for finishing lumber. It
will flatten crowned or cupped boards and produce a smooth, ready to sand,
surface. It will produce wood of a uniform thickness to prepare it for
additional operations.
Pocket Screw
A method of attaching face frame
(and outer) members where a jig is used to drill a pilot for a screw at an
acute angle. This is used extensively in kitchen cabinet construction where
the screw pockets will not be visible and where speed of construction is more
important than project longevity.
Polyurethane
A liquid plastic coating used to
seal and finish wood. Diluted 50%-50% with MS forms a "wiping
poly". Used where a durable finish is needed.
PVA Glue
Carpenters Yellow Glue. A glue
that bonds stronger than the wood itself, used for general gluing of
woodwork. Not suited to wet applications as it is water soluble.
Quarter Sawn
Wood cut radially from a log
Rabbet
A furrow on the edge of a board. A
one sided groove.
Rail
The horizontal ends of a cabinet
or door frame.
RAS
Radial Arm Saw. A saw with the
blade and motor mounted above the work surface and used primarily for
crosscutting. Largely replaced by the CMS.
Red Oak
A strong, coarse grained wood used
extensively for trim in Craftsman type homes and when quarter sawn in mission
style furniture. Red oak is porous to the point that it cannot be used for
tight cooperage.
Rip
Cutting lumber the long way. With
the grain. Rip blades have fewer square top (chisel) teeth (typically 24) and
large gullets. This is because a rip produces long strands of shavings
Riving knife
A riving knife is similar to a
splitter, it is a European thing and it does bevel with blade but it also
raises and lowers with the blade.
ROS
Random Orbital Sander. Used for
general finish sanding. The doubly circular motion of the sander produces a
smooth finish on most woods.
ROTFLMAO
Rolling On The Floor Laughing My
Arse Off
Router
A cutting tool, handheld or table
mounted, with a cutter located on the end of the shaft of a high speed
(25,000 RPM) motor. Used for making profiles, pattern cutting, dovetails,
etc.
S4S
Surfaced Four Sides. Indicating
that the lumber has been planed smooth on all four sides.
SAB
Select and Better
Scraper
A tool used for smoothing. Used
almost exclusively prior to the invention of sandpaper and still capable of
producing smooth, flat finish or removing glue squeeze out.
Scroll Saw
A saw with a fine wire or narrow
flat blade. Used to cut intricate shapes and inside contours. The blade has a
short, up-and-down stroke like a sewing machine.
Shank hole
The shank hole is to allow the
shank part of a screw, that area with no threads on it, to move effortlessly
through the wood. Notice that bits for pre-drilling screws have a narrow part
on the end, then a wider part, then some will have a tapered part, the last
is the countersink for flatheaded wood screws, the middle is the shank area
and the narrow part is for the threads.
Shaper
A larger machine capable of
cutting moldings and other shapes be means of a set of interchangeable
cutters. Similar in operation to a table router, a shaper is designed for
continuous use for making moldings and trim.
Slotted Screwdriver
Name for screwdriver for screws
with a single slot cut in the heads. Cannot be effectively used in power
drivers due to the tendency of the bit to slip out.
SLR1E
Straight Line Ripped one edge
Softwood
Wood from any of several
coniferous trees, pine, fir, etc.
Spline
A method of joining two boards
along their edges with a thin rectangular strip as the spline insert.
Stile
The vertical side of a cabinet or
door frame.
Stud
Vertically mounted board for
compressive loads in walls.
SWMBO
She Who Must Be Obeyed. From PBS's
"Rumpole of the Bailey".
Tapcon
A trademark for a screw fastener
for attaching wood to concrete.
Taper Jig
A device for cutting tapers on the
table saw.
Tenon
A projecting end grain tongue of
wood usually inserted into a mortise.
TPI
Teeth or Threads Per Inch. Often
used in reference to band, scroll, or jig saw blades. Number of threads per
inch in a machine screw or pipe thread.
Trunnion
In a table saw, it is the
attachment point of the saw arbor to the underside of the table. This is the
primary adjustment point for aligning the saw blade to the miter slot.
TS
Table Saw. A type of saw with the
motor mounted underneath or behind and the blade projecting up thru a slot in
the top or table.
Zebrawood
Exotic hardwood characterized by
naturally occuring stripes in the seasonal growth rings.