• F

Face Cord

Unit of measurement frequently used for firewood measuring 4' high x 8' long and as deep as one length of firewood (18-30"). See Cord.

Face Frame

In cabinetmaking a face frame is a flat frame attached to the front of a carcass. The face frame is used to conceal the exposed edges of the plywood panels used to build the carcass.

Face Veneer

High quality veneer that is used for the exposed surfaces on plywood.

Face, Best

The widest surface of a board with the least number of defects is sometimes called the best face or select face. When the meaning is clear from the context it is often simply called the face.

Faceplate Turning

The process of turning a project on a lathe such as a bowl, cup, vase or other piece with a hollowed-out center. Faceplate turning enables this hollowing because unlike spindle turning, the workpiece is usually only supported on one end during operations.

Faces

1. The four surfaces of a board that are approximately parallel to the grain. 2. The two widest surfaces of a board. Also called sides.

Fan-back Windsor

A late 18th century Windsor side-chair with a back that consists of a fan-like array of long spindles capped with a comb. A structurally weak but aesthetically pleasing design.

Featherboard

A piece of wood with thin "fingers" that hold a board against a fence or down against the table of a power tool, usually a table saw or router.

Felling

The act of cutting or harvesting a standing tree.

Fence

A straight guide used to keep a board a set distance from a blade or other cutters.

Fence Extension

A special, shop-made extension that is attached to the fence of a table saw, jointer or other piece of machinery and used to extend its length or height for specialized operations or to provide additional workpiece support. The use of such an extension often improves the accuracy of the cut as well as the safety of certain operations.

Fence Straddler

A unique, adjustable safety de-vice that has been designed to straddle the rip fence on a table saw and serve as a pushing device during rip cuts. The fence straddler is especially useful when cutting strips that are too narrow to permit the use of a push stick or push block.

Ferrule

A metal collar on the handle that keeps the wood from splitting when the tool is used with a mallet. Some tools have an external, visible ferrule while others have an internal ferrule.

Fettle, Fettling

Tuning a plane or other hand tool. From "getting it into fine fettle."

Fiber saturation point

The condition when wood cell walls are fully saturated with bound water but the cell cavities are empty of free water.

Fiddleback

A decorative wood figure caused by wavy grain. Fiddleback veneer is prized for it's character and often used for musical instruments.

Fielded panel

A decorative panel with edges thinned to fit a groove by means of a wide shallow Rabbet. Jackplane Fielding consists of a plain bevel, thinning toward the edge. Conventional Step Fielding consists of a beveled rabbet, thinning toward the edge. The uncommon Parallel Step Fielding consists of a flat rabbet.

Fielding Plane

See panel-raising plane.

Filament

A slender fiber or hair used in a brush, commonly called a bristle.

Filler

A substance that is used the fill pores and irregularities on the surface of material to decrease the porosity before applying a finishing coat.

Filler Stick

A type of wax-based wood putty in stick form. It comes in a variety of colors. Frequently used to fill nail holes after a finish has been applied.

Fillet

A flat section on a molding used to separate a section of the molding.

Filling

The process of packing the pores of open-grained wood with filler to create a smooth surface.

Fillister, Filletster

A rabbet plane with a fence and depth stop.

Fillister, Moving

A fillister with an integral, non-adjustable fence

Fillister, Standing

A fillister with an adjustable fence.

Fine Setting

The setting of a plane iron (blade) that will make a shallow cut. Opposite of Rank Setting.

Finger Joint

Long tapered fingers used to join material lengthwise, often used in manufacturing molding to join short lengths.

Finger Lap Joint

A very strong corner joint in which a series of square or rectangular "pegs" are formed on one workpiece to mate with interlocking, matching recesses on the adjoining piece. Finger joints are most often used in drawer and box construction, and are sometimes called a box joint.

Finial

The topmost portion of the wedge on a wooden plane and portion that is struck by a mallet to drive the wedge in place

Finial Tip

An exposed tip of the pin of a butt hinge that has a fancy turned shape.

Finish

A finish is a coating that applies and dries on the surface of the wood to provide protection. If it doesn't dry it is not a finish.

Firmer Chisel

A stronger chisel than the slender Paring Chisels. It is made with a plain rectangular cross section, i.e. without beveled sides. The full name for a beveled edge chisel is actually "Beveled Edge Firmer Chisel". This is half-way between paring chisels and mortising chisels in terms of robustness.

Fish Eyes

Small, round depressions in a finished surface. Frequently caused by contamination of the finish with silicones.

Fishtail

A gouge or chisel with a straight, narrow shank that flares out at the end to form a "fishtail" shaped tool. The narrow shaft of the tool allows for clearance in tight areas.

Fix

A term to describe attaching something to something else, giving a narcotic injection or having and animal spayed or neutered. It is not a word to describe REPAIRING anything!

Fixture

A special aid or device that is used to guide a workpiece through a cut or help position stock accurately for a specific operation. Fixtures are most frequently used for repetitive operations or in production situations where precision is critical, often providing the added benefit of improved operator safety. As opposed to a jig, which holds a tool, rather than the stock.

Flagging

Split ends at the tips of brush filaments.

Flame

This word is sometimes confused with 'tiger' grain. Flame is the exposure of medullary rays when the tree is quarter sawn. All woods have medullary rays but only a few are prominent such as white oak, beech, sycamore and lacewood.

Flat

A finished surface with no gloss.

Flat-Grain Wood

Another name for plain-sawn wood, particularly softwood. (See plain-sawn.)

Flat-sawn, Flat-cut Lumber

In softwoods, a method of sawing lumber where the log is cut tangential to the growth rings. It produces the arch grain in the boards on both sides of the center and the center cut will be a quarter-sawn piece of wood. Also called plain cut, slash cut or bastard cut.

Fleam

Bevel angle on crosscut saw teeth. Greater fleam angles lead to sharper points on the outside of each tooth.

Flex

When applied to coated abrasives, flex refers to a pattern of pre-bent lines in the backing. Flex increases the life of a coated abrasive by making it more able to withstand repeated bending.

Flint

A natural mineral abrasive used to make sandpaper. It is rather soft compared to synthetic abrasives.

Flitch sawn (through-and-through sawn)

Sawed lumber retaining the original waney bark edges of the log. Preferred for resawing chair parts because pieces can be aligned with the growth rings.

Float, Planemekers

Similar to a narrow file with a wooden handle, generally used in wood plane making. Bed Float for cleaning up the beds of bench planes. Edge Float for cleaning the bed and breast sides of molding plane escapements. Side Float for working on the sides of escapements. Skewed Float for working into the corners of planes with skewed beds.

Flush

When two adjoining surfaces are perfectly even with one another. See Proud and Shy.

Flute, Fluting

A concave detail running linearly along a piece of wood, opposite of a bead.

Foam Brush

A brush that substitutes a single piece of sponge like plastic foam for the individual filaments of a standard brush.

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RD Glossary by Run Digital