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Shy

A term for an adjoining object being below the object it is next to. This means a little below the surface. See Proud and Flush.

Sides

The two widest surfaces of a board, also called faces.

Sighting angle (Off-set angle)

The angle between a sighting line and two specified points, usually the centers of both front legs or both rear legs. Needed in order to locate a sighting line when you are working with rake and splay angles.

Sighting line

A line across a flat surface (such as a Windsor chair seat) that indicates the leaning direction of an angled cylinder (the resultant angle), usually a chair part or drill shaft.

Sighting point

Any specified point on a sighting line.

Silex Filler (paste filler)

A product made by mixing boiled linseed oil with powdered silex and driers. Used to fill the pores of open-grained wood. Usually comes as a paste that must be thinned before use. Silex is a natural mineral. It is a form of silica derived from quartz.

Silicon Carbide

One of the hardest synthetic abrasives used for wood finishing. It is produced in an electric furnace by combining silicon and carbon. Its chemical formula is SIC. Its most common use in wood finishing is in wet-or-dry sandpaper.

Siphon-Feed Gun

A spray gun that uses atmospheric pressure to deliver liquid from the cup to the nozzle.

Size

A mixture of hide glue thinned down with water and used to seal wood or other materials such as canvas and leather. It seals the material and prevents bleed through or stain penetration. Other binders such as starch or thin varnish can be used to size materials and fill pores.

Sizing

In lathe turning, the process of making a series of initial cuts (usually with a parting tool) to the approximate final depth along the length of your turning. These sizing cuts are usually made for each bead or cove and serve as a "benchmark" or guideline to follow as you proceed with your shaping cuts.

Skew Chisel

A turner's chisel with an angled cutting edge and a symmetrical bevel. Often termed #2 sweep. Used to take fine cuts, especially beads and tapers. Notorious for "catching" -- going out of control leaving a rough screw-like pattern on the turned surface.

Skew-back saw

A saw which has the back of the blade cut in a concave curve. This makes the saw slightly lighter (but more susceptible to kinking), and is preferred by some craftsmen.

Skewing cut

Using a drawknife, spokeshave, chisel or plane at an angle, as opposed to perpendicular to the cutting edge. This lowers the effective cutting angle, resulting in a finer surface.

Skitter

This occurs usually when the cutter meets the edge of the workpiece. bounces, lands, bounces and so on. It leaves widely spaced marks on the surface. Some woodturners have tools designed to create this effect for decorative purposes.

Slab

A broad flat piece of wood cut directly from the log, often with bark on both edges.

Slab Sawn

Refers to cutting boards directly from a tree, it will produce one quarter-sawn board and several flat or rift cut boards.

Sled Foot

Bottom rail in stretcher-type workbench base that rests on the ground and legs mortise into the top of it.

Slicing cut

Shifting an tool's edge from one side to another during a cut. This has the same effect as "skewing."

Slick

A wide bladed and long handled chisel pushed by hand to create flat surfaces

Sliding Dovetail Joints

A sliding dovetail joint is similar to a tongue and groove joint except the tongue and grove are matching dovetails.

Slip On Hinge

A concealed type hinge where the two parts of the hinge are fastened together by slipping one half on to the other and then tightening a screw.

Slippery Slope

Slang for the addictive nature of hand tool use and collecting.

Slipstone

A small whetstone that is rounded or tapered.

Slope

Angle of a seat from front to back.

Slouch

Angle of a seat back, from vertical.

Smooth Plane

A plane 9 or 10 inches long used to smooth the surface of a board. (Stanley #3 or #4)

Snap Closing Hinge

This type of hinge will have a design feature to help pull the door in and keep it shut when the door is brought within a few inches of being closed. Sometimes called self-closing.

Snipe

When planing or jointing stock, a snipe will occur if you allow the workpiece to "droop" because of improper setup when it is fed into or out of the planer or jointer. Snipes usually appear at the ends of the stock and can be prevented by keeping the workpiece parallel and flat on the table surface at all times. Properly adjusted roller stands at the infeed and outfeed sides of machines can also help to support the stock and prevent snipes.

Snipebill

A molding plane for cutting deep quirks and grooves.

Socket

A round mortise made with a drill, into which a spindle or rung is inserted.

Softwoods

Generally lumber from a conifer such as pine or cedar. The name softwood does not refer to the density of the wood. There are some hardwoods, such as Balsa, which are softer than some softwoods, like Southern Yellow Pine.

Sole

The part of a plane that glides over the wood.

Solvent

A liquid used to dissolve other substances. Sometimes it also refers to a liquid used to hold small particles such as pigments in suspension without actually dissolving them. The solvents of finishing products usually evaporate leaving only the other ingredients to form the final film. Popular solvents for wood finishing products are: turpentine, mineral spirits, naphtha, benzine, alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and toluene. While it is usually not thought of as such, water is actually a solvent.

Soss Hinge

A specialty concealed hinge used for inset doors. Requires mortises into the door and cabinet for the bodies of both hinge halves.

Sound

A term referring to a board which has no or very few defects which will effect its strength.

Soybean Oil

Also called soya oil. It has properties similar to linseed oil and is often used in paint.

Spacer

A block clamped or otherwise attached to the table saw rip fence to enable the safe crosscutting of several pieces of stock to an identical length. The use of such a block is necessary to keep the workpiece from being thrown by becoming wedged between the fence and blade.

Spade Bit

These are an inexpensive bits for boring larger holes, suitable for general use, they get their name from their shape.

Specific Gravity

The ratio of the weight of wood to an equal volume of water. The higher the specific gravity, the heavier the wood.

Spelching

Tear-out at the end of end-grain. Generally caused by planning, shaping or routing along end-grain. Commonly avoided by using a backer or sacrificial piece of wood at the end of the cut, or by climb cutting.

Spermatophyte

Plants that reproduce by seeds. This includes almost all plant species.

Spindle

1. The threaded arbor on a shaper that holds the cutters. 2. A slender, cylindrical chair part that supports the back and arm-rest bows of Windsor chairs. Some authorities say that all spindles are turned (never shaved) but others disagree. Also, a vertical member mortised between horizontal rails in the back-rest of some post-and-rung chairs.

Spindle gouge

A turning gouge sharpened with a "fingernail" cutting edge. Used for cutting beads, coves and balusters.

Spindle Turning

The process of turning a project that is supported on both ends between centers on a lathe. As opposed to face plate turning.

Spirit Stain

A wood stain that uses alcohol for its solvent.

Spiriting Off

The final step in French polishing. A clean pad dampened with alcohol is used to remove the lubricating oil from the finished surface.

Splat

A flat, thin board, usually mortised vertically into the center area of the backs of English Windsors. Splats are often sawed with elaborate shapes and interior cutouts -- called "fretwork."

Splay

A term to describe the angle at which something slants out to the side (side to side). See Rake. Often specified in degrees more or less than perpendicular.

Spline

A thin wood strip that is set into mating grooves in two joined pieces of stock. The grain direction of the spline is perpendicular to the joint to strengthen the joint. Splines are most commonly used in mitered corners of picture frames and for joining stock together edge-to-edge for tabletops and similar projects.

Spofford brace

A simple bit brace that utilizes a split steel chuck tightened with a wing bolt.

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