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Ball Pein Hammer

A hammer with a rounded end opposite the striking face for shaping metal.

Claw Hammer

A metal hammer with curved claws opposite the striking face to pull nails.

Cross Pein Hammer

Similar to a Ball Pein Hammer with a straight peinning face at right angles to the handle

Hack Saw

Sturdy frame saw fitted with metal cutting blades.

Half Overlay

In frameless cabinet construction the box is typically made from 3/4 inch thick stock. A half overlay is commonly used in the middle of a run of cabinets where the doors share a common single partition wall. This hinge will allow the door to cover up half of the partition wall (or approximately 3/8"). Not to be confused with 1/2 inch overlay which will allow a door to cover up the cabinet or face frame by 1/2 inch.

Half-Blind Dovetail

A dovetail joint where the cut does not go all of the way through the board. The ends of a half-blind dovetail are concealed. (see through dovetail joint)

Hammer

A striking tool consisting at its most basic of a weight on a stick.

Hammer Drill

See Hand Drill.

Hand Drill

A small drill for use with one or two hands. Can be reversible, have variable speed, and a variable clutch which limits the torque applied for driving screws. Can be corded or cordless. Hand drills that vibrate back and forth for driving drill bits into rock or concrete are called hammer drills.

Hand Plane

See Plane

Hand Saw

See Saw.

Hand Scraper

A very simple scraper that consists of a steel blade that is held in your hands. The arris on the long side has a small burr turned up by a burnisher. It is this hook that shears the wood fibers when the tool is used.

Hanger bar

The adjustable rod which holds the guard, the thrust bearing and the lateral guides of a bandsaw.

Hardboard

A type of manufactured board similar to particle board but with a much smoother surface. A common brand of hardboard is Masonite.

Hardpoint saws

Hand saws with hardened teeth that only an oilstone (or diamond hone) will touch. The teeth cannot be re-set without breaking. Commonly associated with modern, inexpensive consumer-grade saws.

Hardwood

Any angiosperm that has its seed contained in an ovary such as a fruit or nut. This term has nothing to do with the hardness of the wood. Usually broad leaf deciduous trees. See Softwood.

Haunch

The part of the whole timber beyond the shoulder which is let into another timber

Headsaw

In a sawmill, the large band saw or circular saw used to size the log into lumber.

Heartwood

The inner core of a tree trunk or stem that no longer conducts sap. Heartwood is not alive, but it does serve as a skeletal support for the living tree. Sometimes heartwood is decay and/or insect resistant.

Heel

1. Of a bevel, the part furthest from the edge. 2. Of a plane, the part opposite to the front (or toe). 3. Of a saw, the end nearest the handle.

Herringbone Pattern

In veneering, a hearing bone pattern is formed when successive layers of veneers are glued up so they form a mirror image. Usually this pattern slants upwards and outwards, like a herringbone.

Hewing Horse

Low, heavy beam with short horns for holding wood while hewing planks for boat building.

High Spots

Areas of the board that are thicker or wider than the rest of the board.

High-back Windsor

The English equivalent of an American Comb-back Windsor

Hogging Off

Making deep, rough cuts in wood with a plane, removing large quanitities of material quickly.

Holdfast

L-shaped piece of metal designed to sit in a bench-dog hole and hold down a workpiece on top of a workbench. Tap the top to tighten, tap the back to loosen.

Hollow auger

Tool used to form cylindrical tenons, such as on the ends of rungs.

Hollow grind

A slight concavity across the width of a bevel caused by the grinding on the rim of a turning grindstone.

Hollows and Rounds

The simplest types of molding planes. The hollow plane has a concave profile. The round plane has a convex profile.

Hone, honing

The second step in sharpening, between shaping (grinding) and polishing. Grits with 800 - 1,200 mesh are employed. Honing which is done by hand removes the fine "wire edge" or burr that is formed during filing, grinding or shaping of the cutting edge on a coarse stone.

Honeycombing

Checks in the interior of a piece of wood, usually caused by casehardening during rapid drying.

Honing bevel

The narrower sloping surface formed by honing.

Hook Angle

The angle of the blade's cutting edge as it relates to the centerline of the blade

Horned Dado

This is caused by the outside blades of a stacked dado head cutting deeper than the chipper blades.

Horsehair

A natural filament used in brushes. It is usually blended with other filaments. When the percentage of horsehair in a brush becomes too large the quality of the brush is degraded.

Hot Finish

A finish that contains solvents that will attack other finishes. Lacquer is a hot finish. Hot finishes should not be applied over cold finishes. (See cold finish.)

Housing

The shallow mortise or cavity for receiving the major part of a timber end, usually coupled with a smaller deep mortise to receive a tenon tying the joint together

Hue

Technical name for what is commonly simply referred to as "color."

Hygroscopic

The tendency of wood to absorb and excel moisture as humidity levels change.

Mallet

Large hammer of various weights for striking other tools, such as chisels. See Mallet for various types.

Piano Tuning Hammer

Also not a true hammer, a lever (wrench) used by piano tuners to turn tuning pins.

Sledge Hammer

Heavy hammer with two flat faces for driving large spikes, splitting wedges, or demolition work

Veneer Hammer

Not a hammer in the technical sense, a heavy plate used to smooth down veneer after applying it to the substrate.

RD Glossary by Run Digital