Glossary - www.woodworkshop.co.uk

Glossary of terms

This is where you can find out what all the terminology used in this website means.
This is an ongoing task, as customers ask for explanations of words we will add them to the Glossary.

Air dried	This is the way boards are stored outside to allow the moisture to evaporate out of the wood before it goes into the kiln
Ammonia Fuming	This is how we achieve a permanent colour change to Oak. By putting the finished piece in an air-tight tent before the finish is applied and then exposing it to ammonia fumes, the tanning in the Oak reacts with the ammonia and changes light coloured Oak to dark brown. This process also works on other woods but to a lesser extent.
Book-matched	Using 2 consecutive boards, side by side, and joining them in the middle to show a mirror image of the grain.
Burrs	These are the rounded bumps that grow out from the sides of a tree, usually near to the bottom of the trunk. We would normally cut burrs into thin boards and use them as decorative inlays. The most commonly used burrs are Elm and Oak
Cock Beads	Often made in a contrasting wood as shown here. A rebate is formed around the drawer front and a thin strip of wood is used to fill the rebate. It is mitred at the corners and protrudes in front of the drawer face, usually with a round-over moulding on the edge.
Cross Banding	This is a way of using the same wood as the furniture is made from to give an unusual edging by setting the grain in the opposite direction.
Crutch Wood	A board taken from the tree just where the first of the branches are formed. It is distinctive for the Y shape grain.
Ex	This is a way of saying what size the wood will start at before it is planed down. So, Ex 3" x 3" will normally finish up about 2 ³/4" square. However if the wood is in long lengths this will reduce the size further as more wood will have to be removed to achieve a straight board.
Inlay
Kiln Dried	The process where wood is artificially dried to reduce the water content to make the wood stable in a centrally heated home.

Mother of Pearl	We buy this in small tiles between 6mm and 12mm wide by 40 to 50mm long. that we inlay into a top Etc. This gives a beautiful and interesting inlay that will enhance any piece.
Rails	These are the supporting pieces of wood that run horizontally in the construction of the framing.
Under construction Secret compartments and drawers	We are getting quite a few hits from people looking for information on secrets so we will show you an easy one. (click here to find out more) If you would like to learn more about secrets we can cover them on the advanced course.
String Line	These are contrasting fine coloured wood lines that are inlayed into a top etc. normally light into dark or dark into light.