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Laminate

A thin plastic materiel used to cover a board. The most common use of laminate is for counter and table tops. It is often referred to by the brand name Formicaฎ.

Latewood (Summer Wood)

The portion of a tree’s rings that forms after the earlywood and is often characterized by smaller cells and a higher density.

 

Linear Foot

A measurement of the length of a board.

 

Lumber

Logs which have been sawn, planed, and cut to length.

 

Lumber-Core Plywood

Plywood where thin sheets of veneer are glued to a core of narrow boards. Lumber-core plywood differs from regular plywood in that regular plywood is made up of successive layers of alternating grain veneer.

 

Lumber ruler

A tool resembling a ruler with a handle at one end and a hood at the other which is used to calculate the board footage of a piece of lumber.

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Medium density fiberboard (MDF)

A special type of tempered hardboard characterized by a very fine, smooth finish. MDF is used in cabinet making.

 

Miter-and-spline joint

A joint with two mitered surfaces connected by a spline. (see spline)

 

Miter gauge

A tool that slides in a slot on a power tool such as a table saw, router table, bandsaw, etc. A miter gauge can be adjusted to different angles and is used to slide the stock past the blade.

 

Moisture Content

A measure of the amount of water in a piece of lumber.

 

Mortise

A rectangular hole cut into a piece of wood to accept a tenon. (see tenon)

 

Mortise and Tenon joint

A joinery technique where the tenon from one board fits into the mortise of another.

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Nominal Size

The rough-sawn size of a piece of lumber. When purchasing planed lumber it is sold by its nominal, rough-sawn, size. For example a 2"x4" is the nominal size for a board whose actual dimension is 1.4" x 3.25".

 

Non-piloted bit

A router bit without a guide bearing. (see piloted bit)

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- O -

Ogee

A decorative molding profile with a S shape.

Old Growth (Virgin Timber)

Old, naturally established trees often characterized by dense straight grain and a lack of knots and defects.

Open Coat - related article

A piece of sandpaper with abrasive particles that are spread out to prevent clogging. See also - closed coat.

 

Outfeed

The side of a power tool where the board exits. (see infeed)

Oven-dried weight

The weight of a piece of lumber that has been dried, under high temperatures, in an oven until it is devoid of all water.

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Particleboard

A type of manufactured plywood that is made from ground up and glued scrap wood. Particle board is very dense, heavy, and flat.

Particleboard-core plywood

Plywood that is made by gluing a thin layer of veneer to a piece of particleboard.

 

Phloem

The inner part of a tree's bark that delivers water and other nutrients.

 

Photosynthesis

A process that plants use to synthesize nutrients from water and minerals using sunlight.

 

Phylum

A class or group of plants. Phylum is a botanical term used by botanists to classify plants.

 

Pilot Bit (Pilot Bearing) also Piloted Bit

A router bit fitted with a bearing above the cutter which rides on the edge of a board or template keeping the bit a fixed distance from the edge. (see Non-piloted bit)

 

Pin Router

A router that is fixed above a table with its bit point down. A pin in the table is aligned with the bit and used to route the workpiece.

 

Pitch Pocket - Related Article

A pocket of resinous sap confined within the grain of many conifers.

Pith - Related Article

The soft core in the center of a tree trunk.

 

Plain-Sawn Lumber - Related Article

A method of sawing lumber where the log is cut tangential to the growth rings. Also called flat-sawn when referring to softwoods.

 

Plate Joint

A butt joint that is reinforced with a football shaped "biscuit". The biscuits are usually made from compressed pieces of wood, usually birch. When a biscuit comes into contact with glue in the joint it swells creating a tighter joint. Also called a Biscuit Joint.

Plunge Router

A router mounted on a spring loaded base. The router can be turned on and plunged down into the workpiece.

 

Porous Wood

Wood with larger than normal pores and vessels

Pot Life

See Working Life 

Pulp Trees

Small trees and saplings that will be ground to produce paper. Lumber farmers often over-plant their acreage and remove smaller trees for pulp as the crop matures.

Pumice

A fine abrasive powder that is made from volcanic ash. Pumice is used with a a felt block in woodworking to rub out (polish) a finish. (Pumice is also the gritty additive in Lava soap.)

 

Push Stick

A tool used to safely push a board through a table saw or other power tool.

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- Q -

Quarter-sawn

A method of cutting lumber where the annual rings are relatively perpendicular to the face of the board. Quarter-sawn lumber tends to be more dimensionally stable than other forms of lumber, such as plain-sawn.

 

Queen Anne - Related Article

A style of furniture that was first made popular in England during the rule of Queen Ann. It was used almost exclusively by early colonial cabinetmakers. The Cabriole Leg is one of the primary characteristics of the Queen Ann style.

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