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Common Carpentry Terms - A to Z
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Common Carpentry Terms - A to Z
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1.
A collar beam is a type of roof timber that is used to stop the rafters from spreading. Fixed horizontally to rom the bottom of a triangle, with a seat cut angle cut on each end, it is usually bolted for strength. If the rafters are long, they may have joists at the bottom to keep the bottoms from spreading, and collars bolted higher up to do the same job.

2. 'Firring' strips are taper cut, whereby the width decreases from one end to the other. Easiest way to cut them is on a table saw using a special jig.

3.
Tapered square fingers used to join material length ways, often used in manufacturing moulding to join short lengths together and minimise waste.

4.
A pocket hole is drilled at an angle to allow a butt joint to be screwed together; Can be used to fix two pieces together flush, at angles, end to end, curved and many more; Extremely useful type of fixing.

5.
Refers to the amount of time it takes for timber to dry. Timber is air dried, and every inch of thickness typically takes one year to dry. One season equals one year.

6.
Timber that has been stacked and dried naturally by exposure to air.

7.
Or toe nailing, skew nailing is the method of fixing timber together at an angle when you cant fix through the back.

8. Structural carpentry work like timber framed houses, walls, roofing and floor joists for example all fall under framing carpentry.

9.
Works like a hand plane but is used to form and smooth curved surfaces as opposed to flat. The tools body is in the shape of two handles and the blade is fastened in between. Spoke shave blades are available shaped concave, convex or straight.

10.
Another type of chuck that Routers use. It accepts a certain size of cutter, the most common for site use being 1⁄4 and 1⁄2 inch.

11.
Resin flakes that have been dissolved in alcohol and are then used as a decorative and protective coating for fine finishing timber.

12. A template is either a preformed shape laid onto timber several times when making repeat cuts or a power tool guide. Common uses are as guides for plunge routers.

13.
A piece of vertical framing lumber, typically either 2x4 or 2x6, used to construct walls.

14.
The chuck will hold a drill bit or router cutter that will be spinning in the tool. Two examples are lathe & drill chucks.

15.
A thin layer of wood is glued to another. Expensive timber can be replicated cheaply by using cheap timber with a thin expensive veneer.

16. Table saws have a gap round the blade to allow the angle of cut to be adjusted without cutting the table. A blank insert called a zero tolerance insert closes up this gap so that the workpiece is supported all the way up to the blade, allowing neater cuts.

17. Means the angle of rise in degrees from the horizontal, used for staircase and roof construction.

18. Hand planes are used for smoothing out and flattening the rough or uneven surface of timber, and reducing the thickness. When using a plane always go 'with the grain'. This is the same principal as shaving your face, planing against the grain can result in 'tearing' instead of cleanly cutting the timber. There are lots of different types of hand planes.

19.
A length of tape or thin flexible metal, marked at intervals for measuring; an essential on site measuring tool for carpenters.

20.
A miter box is a device used to guide a hand saw at 45 degrees. Used for cutting perfect mitres on moldings like architraves, skirtings and Coving/Cornice.

21.
Barge boards are those attached to the outer common rafters on a gable roof. Where they meet with the fascia and Soffit boards a box end is formed.

22.
A saw machine with a very fine blade used for delicate cuts, in thin material.

23.
Pegs which are placed into holes in the workbench that work with the vise to hold wide material firmly in place.

24. Is a term used when two adjoining timbers are not flush with each other, one being below the other. The opposite of proud.

25. The pitch line of a staircase is the point from which the handrail must be at least 900mm above (in the UK). This is obtained by laying a spirit level or straight edge onto the nosings of the treads.

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