Wood Terms - A Lumber Glossary from A - Z
A complete "Woodipedia" of lumber terms for experts & amateur woodworkers alike.
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Wood Terms that Start with "N"
| Lumber Glossary Term | Definition |
| N1E | Nose One Edge |
| Nail Gun | A mechanical device for driving nails into an object by the force of compressed air. |
| Nail Set | A short shaft of metal with a narrow blunt point used to set nails below the surface of wood by placing the blunt end on the nail head and striking the other end with a hammer. |
| Nail Staining | Caused when the metal bleeds around the nail hole. |
| Machine Burn | Burn marks on the surface of converted wood as a result of poor sawing or machining. |
| Nanoindentation Hardness | A hardness measurement conducted at the nanometer scale. Nanoindentation hardness uses an extremely small indenter of a hard material and specified shape to press into the surface of a specimen with sufficient force to cause deformation. |
| Natural Regeneration | Renewal of a forest achieved either by natural seeding or from the vegetative reproduction of plants on the site. |
| Naval Stores | A term applied to the oils, resins, tars and pitches derived from oleoresin contained in, exuded by, or extracted from tress chiefly of pine species or from the wood of such trees. |
| NBM | Net Board Measure |
| Main Line | In cable yarding, the line used to bring logs to the landing. |
| Net Annual Growth | Increase in volume of trees during a specified year. Components of new annual growth include the increment of net volume of trees at the beginning of the specified year that survive to the years end, plus the net volume of trees reaching the minimum size class during the year, minus the volume of trees that died during the year, and minus the net volume of trees that become rough or rotten trees during the year. |
| Net Board Measure | Content of lumber when calculated from measurements of actual dimensions, including tongue or lap. |
| Net Scale | Actual amount of merchantable wood contained in a log as opposed to the gross scale, which includes defects. |
| Nominal Size | The rough-sawn size of a piece of lumber. When purchasing planed lumber, it is sold by its nominal, rough sawn size. Usually expressed in terms of the nearest inch regardless of actual surface, or net sizes (i.e. – 2x4 is the name for a rough cut piece of about 2x4 inches. It is then finished by planning and sometimes sanding it down to its actual dimensions). |
| Non-Commercial Species | A tree species in which small size, poor form, or inferior quality is typical. These species do not normally develop into trees suitable for conventional forest products. |
| Non-Piloted Bit | A router bit without a guide bearing. |
| Nonpressure Process | Any process of treating wood with a preservative or fire retardant where pressure is not applies. |
| Northern United States | Consists of the following States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nebraska. |
| Notch | To make an undercut in a tree, preparatory to felling it in a given direction. This is also known as a box or an undercut. |
| Number One | Top-grade logs, such a number one peeler, or a number-one saw log. |
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