354 Glossary
starved joint: A wood joint that lacks a
suffi cient amount of glue to make a strong
bond. (7)
stay: A mechanism used to hold a lid in an
open position and prevent it from being opened
all the way. (9)
steam bending: A process in which solid
stock is steamed or boiled in hot water to
soften the wood cells. Softening the cells makes
it possible for the wood to be stretched or
compressed into a different shape. (7)
steel square: A measuring and layout tool
with two arms of unequal length that meet at a
90° angle. (4)
steel wool: A bundle of long, fi ne steel
shavings. Used in woodworking as an
abrasive. (8)
stick shellac: Shellac in stick form. Used
to fi ll imperfections around knots and other
defects. It is available in a variety of colors. (8)
stock cutting list: A form that lists all
the pieces to be cut for a project, showing
the number of pieces, their rough size, and
materials information. (3)
stop block: A block attached to the fence on
a power machine. Its purpose is to control the
length of cut. (6)
substrate: The material to which a veneer
or plastic laminate is applied. (7)
surface hinge: A hinge that is mounted on
the face of a door and on the frame. (9)
surfaced lumber: Lumber on which one or
more surfaces have been smoothed. (1)
surfacer: A stationary power machine used
to machine stock to exact thickness. Also called
a planer. (6)
Surform® tool: A tool similar to a fi le that
allows for rapid removal of waste material on
wood stock. (4)
T
table saw: A power saw mounted in a table.
It has a circular blade that projects up through a
slot in the table. (6)
tack cloth: A piece of cheesecloth or muslin
fabric treated with a sticky oil. Used to pick up
small particles from the wood surface prior to
the application of fi nishes. (8)
tang chisel: A chisel with a solid, tapered
tang (point) that is fi tted into a handle. (4)
tape measure: A measuring tool with the
measurements marked on a fl exible steel strip.
Used for measuring longer lengths of wood
stock. (4)
taper: A gradual and uniform narrowing
in size from one end toward the other of a hole,
cylinder, or rectangular piece. (6)
technical education: Education that
prepares people for a specifi c occupation. (11)
template: A piece of cardboard, metal,
hardboard, or other material used as a guide
to cut work, transfer a pattern, or check the
accuracy of work. (4, 10)
tenon: A projecting piece of wood designed
to fi t into a mortise (groove or slot). (6)
test marketing: Producing a small number
of products and selling them to a select group
in order to determine whether the product is
likely to be successful. (10)
thickness: In lumber, the distance that is
perpendicular to both the width and length. (3)
thinner: A liquid for reducing the
consistency of a fi nishing material, such as
paint. (9)
toenailing: Driving nails at an angle. (7)
toggle clamp: A clamp that consists of
a lever and a pivot. One end of the clamp is
attached to a bench or fi xture. The other end
holds the workpiece. Several styles are available,
including straight-line, hold-down, squeeze-
action, and pull-action. (7)
tool rest: A device for holding or
positioning tools to perform cutting operations.
An example is the tool rest on a lathe. (6)
trammel points: A layout tool used to scribe
large arcs and circles. Two trammels slide along
a beam. One trammel has a point that acts as a
pivot. The other trammel holds either a point or
a marking pencil. (4)
try square: A measuring and layout tool
with a ruled blade set at 90° to the handle. Used
to lay out and square smaller pieces of stock. (4)
V
varnish: Durable, water-resistant fi nishing
material composed of gums or synthetic resins,
a vehicle (usually linseed oil or tung oil), and a
thinner (such as turpentine). (9)