| Term |
Description |
| Cardboard |
A
thin, stiff paperboard made of pressed paper pulp or sheets of paper pasted
together. Used for playing cards, greeting cards, etc. Corrugated containers
are not made of cardboard. |
| Carriage |
The
sawmill device on which a debarked logged is placed which moves the log back
and forth through the saw blade creating slabs, cants and lumber. The log is
also turned on the carriage before making the next cut. |
| Case
hardening |
A
drying defect characterised by the presence of compression stresses in the
outer zone and tensile stresses in the core. It occurs when rapid drying has
caused permanent set of the outer zones of a piece of wood. |
| Case
Hardening |
A
defect in the lumber caused by improper drying. Case Hardening is caused when
a board is dried too fast. The outer layers in a case hardened board are compressed
while the inner layers are in tension. |
| Casein
glue |
An
adhesive, primarily for internal use, prepared from casein, sodium silicate,
lime, soda and other compounds. It was used largely in plywood manufacturer,
has some resistance to water but is not waterproof, ages well and can be made
resistant to mould. |
| Cathedral
cut |
A
variation of the crown cut method of slicing veneers. The growth rings are
exactly parallel to the slicer, producing on the face of the veneer an inverted
'V' figure resembling the spire of a cathedral. |
| CCA |
Copper
chrome arsenate, a wood preservative |
| Cell |
The
smallest, microscopic, structure in wood. |
| Cellulose |
The
carbohydrate that is the principal chemical constituent of wood and which forms
the framework of the wood cells. |
| Chamfer |
A
beveled cut along the edge of a piece of furniture. (Usually 45 degrees) |
| Check |
A
lumber defect caused by uneven shrinking of the wood during drying. A checked
board has splits which develop lengthwise across the growth rings. |
| Check |
A
separation of fibres along the grain forming a fissure, but not extending through
the piece from face to face. Checks commonly resulting from stresses built
up during seasoning. They run radially, across the growth rings. |
| Checking |
A
lumber defect referring to the separation of wood fiber across the annual growth
rings. Splitting of the wood in logs or lumber, often the result of drying. |
| Chemically
protected lumber |
Lumber
treated with anti stain chemicals to protect it in transit. |
| Chipboard |
A
paperboard, thicker than cardboard, used for backing sheets on padded writing
paper, partitions within boxes, shoeboxes, etc. |
| Chisel |
A
wedge-like, sharp-edged tool used for cutting or shaping timber. |
| Choker |
Short
length of flexible wire, rope, or chain used to attach logs to a winch line
or directly to a tractor. 1) Noose of wire rope for hauling a log. 2) Short
length of wire rope that forms a noose around the end of a log to be skidded
and is attached to the skidding vehicle or to the butt rigging in a wire rope
logging system. |
| Chord |
Either
of the two outside members of a truss (a) connected and braced by the web (b)
members. The term also applies to beam flanges or the perimeter members of
a plywood diaphragm. |
| Chromated
Copper Arsenate (CCA) |
The
most commonly used chemical for pressure treating lumber. |
| Circular
sawmill |
The
traditional sawmill uses a circular saw (large version of hand held power saw).
Circular saws are thicker (larger kerf) than band saws and produce more sawdust.
Logs can be cut moving on the carriage in only one direction, then the carriage
returns and turns the the log for the next cut. |
| Classification
of Lumber Sizes |
Strip
Under 3/4 inch thick and up to 3 inches wide
Batten
3/4 inch and under 1.5 inches thick and from 1 to 3 inches wide
Boards
3/8 inch to 1.5 inches thick and 3 inches and over wide
Planks
and Scantlings
Over 1.5 inches and up to 4 inches thick and over 6 inches wide
Heavy
Scantling or Flitch or Baulk
Over 4 inches thick and/or over 6 inches wide
Deal
Generally, European softwoods, between 2 and 4 inches thick and >9 inches wide. |
| Clean
and bright |
The
freshly manufactured appearance of lumber as it comes from the planer. |
| Clear |
1.
Lumber or logs that are free or practically free of defects. First quality
lumber or log. 2. A select grade of lumber. |
| Clear |
A
board which is free of defects. |
| Clear
span |
The
clear horizontal distance between the supports of a load bearing member |
| Clearcut |
To
harvest all trees from an area of forest land in a single cut. |
| Close-
grained wood |
Wood
with narrow, inconspicuous growth rings. The term is sometimes used to designate
wood having small and closely spaced pores, but in this sense the term "fine
textured" is more often used. |
| Closed
canopy |
The
description given to a stand when the crowns of the main level of trees forming
the canopy are touching and intermingled, and form a barrier to light penetrating
the forest floor from above. |
| Closed
Coat |
A
piece of sandpaper with a surface completely covered with abrasive particles.
This type of paper tends to clog easily with sawdust and is generally not used
for woodworking. See also - open coat |
| Co-Gen
Operation |
Refers
to the production of usable steam and electricity using a particular kind of
fuel (for example, woodchips, oil, coal, hydro). |
| Coach
screw |
Similar
to a wood screw except larger and with a hexagonal head so that it can be turned
with a spanner. |
| Coarse-grained
wood |
Wood
with wide conspicuous growth rings in which there is considerable difference
between earlywood and latewood. The term is sometimes used to designate wood
with large pores, but in this sense the term "coarse textured" is more often
used. |
| Codominant
trees |
In
stands with a closed canopy, those trees whose crowns form the general level
of the canopy and receive full light form above, but comparatively little from
the sides. In young stands, those trees with above average height growth. |
| Collapse |
The
flattening of single cells or rows of cells during the drying or pressuretreatment
of wood. Often characterised by a caved-in or corrugated ("washboarded") appearance
of the wood surface. |
| Collar
tie |
A
horizontal board that connects pairs of rafters on opposite roof slopes. |
| Collet |
In
a router, the sleeve that grips the shank of a bit. |
| Column |
A
free standing axially loaded compression member, usually vertical. |
| Commercial
thinning |
A
silviculture treatment that "thins" out an overstocked stand by removing trees
that are large enough to be sold as products such as poles or fence posts.
It is carried out to improve the health and growth rate of the remaining crop
trees. As compared to "juvenile spacing." |
| Common
Grade Lumber |
Lumber
with obvious defects. |
| Composite
lumber |
See
"engineered wood products." |
| Compound
Cut |
An
angled cut to both the edge and face of a board. |
| Compression |
A
state or condition of being pushed or shortened by a force. |
| Compression
failure |
Deformation
or fracture of wood fibres across the grain resulting from excessive compression
along the grain. |
| Compression
Failure |
Localized
buckling of fibers and other longitudinal wood elements resulting from excessive
compression along the grain. It may also develop in standing trees due to bending
by wind, snow, or internal longitudinal growth stresses, or it may result from
stresses induced in the tree after it is cut. In surfaced lumber, compression
failures may appear as fine wrinkles across the face of the piece. |
| Compression
seat |
A
fabricated or cast metal bracket into which timber structural members abut,
used to joint timber compression elements to other structural members. |
| Compression
Wood |
Reaction
wood that forms on the lower side of a leaning softwood tree. |
| Compression
Wood |
Abnormal
wood formed on the underside of branches and inclined boles of softwood trees.
It is characterized by excessive longitudinal shrinkage and has physical properties
that are different from those of normal wood. |
| Compressive
Stress |
The
total compression force (force acting on a body which tends to shorten a dimension
or reduce the volume of the body) divided by the cross-sectional area of the
body upon which the force is being applied. |
| Comprssion
wood |
When
an actively growing softwood stem is tipped from the vertical, it almost immediately
begins producing wood on the underside of the leaning stem that is different
from normal. Stems tipped as little as several degrees from the vertical may
begin producing abnormal cells within several hours of the change in stem orientation.
This wood, known as compression wood, is of interest because its properties
are considerably different from, and much less desirable than, normal mature
wood. In fact, compression wood has many of the same properties as juvenile
wood. |
| Concave |
An
inward-curving shape. (I.E. A spoon) |
| Concentration
yard |
A
large lumber storage and reload facility. |
| Conditioning |
The
exposure of a material, such as wood to the influence of a predetermined condition
in the surrounding atmosphere for a specific time period or until a required
relation between the atmosphere and the material is achieved. |
| Conditioning
treatment |
A
treatment applied to equilibrate the moisture content of wood to a particular
value. |
| Conifer |
Tree
that is a gymnosperm, usually evergreen, with cones and needle-shaped or scalelike
leaves, producing wood known commercially as softwood. |
| Construction
and demolition (C&D) |
Though
lumped together to refer to wood waste produced by construction or by demolition,
the products can be quite different. Construction wood waste can be clean dimensionally
cut lumber such as board ends or cutoffs. Demolition wood waste is often contaminated
with nails, sheetrock, paint, etc. Markets for C&D are limited by how "clean"
and free of contaminants the wood is. Some businesses specialize in processing
and disposing of C&D. |
| Continuity
strap |
A
piece of flat steel fixed over a butt joint between timber beams to provide
a continuos tension connection. |
| Contract
orders |
Block
orders covering multiple shipments. |
| Convergence |
The
coming together of futures market price and the cash market price at the expiration
of a contract month. |
| Convex |
An
outward-curving shape. (I.E. My belly :-) |
| Cope-and-stick
joint |
A
method of construction raised panel doors where the tongues of the rails (horizontal)
connect to the grooves of the stiles (vertical). |
| Coppice |
Forst
regeneration by sprouting (vegetative reproduction) from stumps or roots. |
| Corbel |
A
length of timber laid horizontally on the top of a column to transfer loads
and to provide a seat for beams. A compound corbel includes several lengths
of timber instead of one. |
| Cord |
A
unit of measure often used for firewood stacked 4' long x 4' high x 8' long. |
| Cord |
Stacks
of hardwood 4' high by 4' wide by 8' long. It is the measure by which firewood
is customarily sold , sawdust is sometimes sold, and small diameter logs sometimes
bought. One cord is the equivalent of 128 cubic feet, 4.7 Cubic yards. The
weight of a cord varies if it is green (freshly cut), seasoned (partially air
dried), or dry (KD or kiln-dried). |
| Cord |
Unit
of measurement equalling 128 cubic feet true measure. |
| Corduroy |
To
build a road by cross-laying it with saplings or small poles |
| Core
Stock |
A
solid or discontinuous center ply used in panel-type glued structures such
as furniture panels and solid hollowcore doors. |
| Corrugated
containers |
Containers
made with corrugating medium and linerboard. |
| Corrugating
medium |
The
wavy center of the wall of a corrugated box which cushions the product from
shock during shipment (see flute). This layer can contain up to 100% post-consumer
recycled fiber content without reducing its ability to protect the product. |
| Count |
The
nominal thickness, width, and length used in determining board footage for
invoicing purposes. |
| Countersink |
A
tool that allows you to drill a hole so that the head of a screw will sit flush
with the face of a board. |
| Creep |
Increase
in deformation following prolonged loading. |
| Cripple |
A
cut in an unseasoned joist, bearer or stud designed to reduce movement in a
floor or wall as the structural timber seasons. |
| Crook |
A
lumber defect where there is an edgewise warp effecting the straightness of
the board. |
| Crook |
1.
A lumber defect referring to a deviation from a straight line drawn end to
end along the narrow face of a piece of lumber. 2. Abrupt bend in a tree or
log. |
| Cross
cut |
to
cut across the grain. |
| Cross
grain |
An
arrangement in which the fibres and other longitudinal elements of a piece
of wood deviate from a line parallel with the edges of the piece. |
| Cross-cut |
To
cut a piece of lumber perpendicular to its length. |
| Crosscut
(crosscutting) |
A
cut made perpendicular to the grain of a board. See - Ripcut (Ripping) |
| Crotch |
In
lumber, a piece of wood taken from the fork of a tree. Crotch Veneer is highly
valued for its figuring. |
| Crown |
The
live branches and foliage of a tree. |
| Crown
cut |
A
method of slicing veneers whereby the average inclination of the growth rings
to the wider face is tangential or less than 45 degrees. This method is also
known as flat cut. |
| Cunit |
A
pulpwood measurement, equaling 100 cubic feet of solid wood. |
| Cunit |
Unit
of Measurement usually applied to roundwood for pulp manufacture. 1 cunit =
100 ft3 true measure |
| Cup |
A
defect in the lumber where the face of the board warps up like the letter U. |
| Cup |
A
concave curvature across the grain or width of the a piece of timber. |
| Cup |
A
lumber defect referring to a deviation from a straight line drawn edge to edge
across the face of a piece of lumber. |
| Cure |
To
change the properties of an adhesive by chemical reaction (which may be condensation,
polymerisation, or vulcanisation) and thereby develop maximum strength. |
| Cut |
A
reference to a sawmill's output, as in "cedar cut",or "a daily cut of one million
feet." |
| Cut
to length (CTL) |
New
timber harvesting equipment allows loggers to fell trees, delimb them, and
cut them to market length specifications before loading them on forwarders
bound for the landing. CTL equipment is a recent trend in logging operations. |
| Cwt |
Short
for hundredweight, a transportation term for a hundred pounds. |
| Dado |
A
rectangular channel cut partway into a board. |
| DBH
(Diameter breast height) |
The
diameter of a tree at breast height (4.5 Feet above ground) together with the
estimated height of the usable logs in a tree is used to determine the volume
of lumber likely to be yielded in a log depending on the log scale used (Scribner,
Doyle or International Rule). |
| Decay |
The
decomposition of wood by fungi. |
| Deciduous |
Trees
that shed their foliage annually. Commonly referred to as hardwood. |
| Deciduous |
Term
applied to trees (commonly broadleaf) that usually shed their leaves annually.
Also known commercially as 'hardwoods'. |
| Decking |
Timber
used in surfacing parts of bridges and other structures subjected to vehicular
or pedestrian traffic. |
| Defect |
An
abnormality in a piece of lumber that lowers its strength and commercial value
such as a check or knot. |
| Deflection |
The
amount of sag in a shelf, floor, joist, or counter caused by the weight it's
supporting. |
| Dehumidifier
kiln |
A
kiln working on the heat pump principle. Moisture evaporated from the timber
by a flow of warm air is condensed on the evaporator coils of a refrigeration
unit and drained away. The refrigerant is compressed and passed through condenser
coils, re-heating the air stream. |
