Wood Terms - A Lumber Glossary from A - Z

Kiln Dried

The groove left in a board when cut by a saw blade.

The blade on a crawler used to clear unwanted vegetation in preparation for planting tree seedlings.

When a work-piece is thrown back in the opposite direction the cutter is turning.

Lumber that has been dried in a kiln (See Kiln).

A central, vertical post extending from the bent plate or girt to the junction of the rafters at roof peak.

• Variegated colors of rich violet-brown to almost black
• Usually straight grained
• Uniformly fine textured
• Works well with hand and machine tools
• Used for inlays, marquetry, oyster veneering and bandings.

A form of warp characterized by abrupt deviation from straightness or flatness due to either localized grain distortion (as around knots) or to deformation by misplaced stickers.

Unit of weight or force equivalent to 1,000 pounds.

A short diagonal timber placed between the horizontal and vertical members of the frame to make them rigid.

A design feature that allows a piece of furniture to be easily disassembled by the use of special hardware or joinery.

A branch or limb embedded in a tree and cut through in the process of manufacturing. Knots are classified according to occurrence, quality, and size. In lumber, the size classifications are: Pin knot, one not over ½-inch in diameter; Small, a knot larger then ½-inch but not over ¾-inch; Medium, larger then ¾-inch but not over 1 ½-inch; Large, over 1 ½-inch in diameter.

• Encased Knot – A knot whose rings of annual growth are not intergrown with those of the surrounding wood.
• Intergrown Knot – A knot whose rings of annual growth are completely intergrown with those of the surrounding wood.
• Loose Knot – A knot that is not held firmly in place by growth or position and that cannot be relied upon to remain in place.
• Pin Knot – A knot that is not more than ½ inch in diameter.
• Sound Knot – A knot that is solid across its face, at least as hard as the surrounding wood, and shows no indication of decay.
• Spike Knot – A knot cut approximately parallel to its long axis so that the exposed section is definitely elongated.

Two or more knots grouped together as a unit with the fibers in the wood deflected around the entire unit.

Hydraulically operated loading boom whose mechanical action imitates the human arm.

Comparatively coarse paper particularly noted for its strength; unbleached grades are used primarily as a wrapping or packaging material.