DIY Network

WEB-EXCLUSIVE: Woodspeak -- A Basic Woodworking Glossary Don't know a mortise from a tenon? Here are 30 basic woodworking terms to get you off on the right foot.

(Continued from page 1)

	Four bookmatched veneers used in creating the top of an occasional table. The chalk mark helps in keeping track of the proper alignment.
	The finished occasional tabletop with veneers of walnut burl.

Bookmatched -- A term in veneering, where successive pieces of veneer from a flitch are arranged side by side. A properly done bookmatch will resemble a mirror image of the opposite side. (A flitch is a group of veneer slices stacked in sequence -- matching the exact sequence in which they were cut.)
As seen in: Wood Works, episode 206, Burl-Veneer Occasional Table

Burl -- Bulges and irregular growths that form on the trunks and roots of trees. Burls are highly sought after in fine woodworking for the spectacularly patterned veneers they yield -- such as in burled walnut.
As seen in: Wood Works, episode 206, Burl-Veneer Occasional Table

Caul -- A plate or pad (often scrap wood) used as a spacer between clamp jaws and the item being clamped. Cauls distribute pressure and prevent clamp jaws from forming an imprint on the wood.

Chamfer -- To remove the sharp corner of a section of wood and produce a smooth, beveled edge.

advertisement

The dovetail joinery used to secure the corners of hanging bookshelves is very strong, and the contrasting woods forming the joints creates visual interest.

Dovetail joinery; dovetail joint -- A widely used and respected technique for joining two boards in which alternating slots (or tails) and protrusions (or pins) -- each resembling in shape the v-shaped outline of a bird's tail -- are snugly fitted together, thus increasing the gluing area. Dovetail joinery produces a joint that, even without glue, can be difficult to pull apart. This is regarded in woodworking as one of the strongest and most reliable forms of wood joinery.
As seen in: Wood Works, episode 103, Blanket Chest,
and: Wood Works, episode 110, Hanging Bookshelves,
and: Wood Works, episode 602, Contemporary Dovetail Bench

Fixture -- A woodworking aid for controlling the tool or locating the work-piece for added safety or accuracy. Similar in function to a jig. The main difference between fixtures and jigs is that fixtures are usually a stationary aid, brace or support. I jig, on the other hand, may be designed to move or slide as it is used. (See also jig.)
As seen in: Wood Works, episode 613, Jigs and Fixtures Tour

The striking grain of this Australian lace wood forms a figure known as medullary ray-fleck pattern.

Grain -- The size, alignment, and color of wood fibers in a piece of lumber -- creating the distinctive and sometimes highly contrasted pattern on the surface of the cut boards.

Hardwood -- Generally speaking, wood harvested from broad-leafed trees. Some of the more commonly available hardwoods are oak, ash and poplar. There are also more exotic and spectacular hardwoods available from specialty wood suppliers.
As seen in: DIY Woodworking , episode 101, (Wood Selection)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5