terms used in Furniture Making

Astragal

A symmetrical moulding used to cover the gap where a pair of doors meet.

Cabinet Maker

A craftsmen who makes cabinet furniture in a workshop and onsite. Working principally in wood but may also use other materials including: metal, glass, plastics and ceramic. There are further specialisations e.g. Chair and table makers.

Carcase

The body of a piece of cabinet furniture comprising; base, top ends and back.

Carpenter

A woodworker who works as part of a team constructing and fitting out buildings.

Cornice

A feature moulding that defines the top of a cabinet.

Dovetail

An historic woodworker’s joint comprising ‘pins & tails’. Possessing a high tensile strength once glued the joint requires no mechanical fasteners.

Entablature

An architectural term describing a frieze carved into or applied with carvings.

Frame & Panel

An historic method of construction used by cabinet makers and joiners to allow solid wood panels in frameworks to shrink and expand without splitting. The panels became decorative by moulding and carving e.g. fielding and linen-fold panelling.

Figure

The way a log is sawn into boards causes different patterns of vessels to be displayed. Curl, crown cut and quarter-sawn are terms used to describe figuring.

Frieze

A wide horizontal section below the cornice, often made of figured decorative wood.

Grain

The micro-structure of wood resembles a bunch of drinking straws called vessels. The length of the vessels is the grain direction. Wood is 20 times stronger along the grain than across.

Hardwoods

Have more complex structures and slower growing than softwoods. Timber from deciduous trees, that lose their leaves in winter. Indentation hardness varies widely e.g. soft balsa wood is classified a hardwood.

Heartwood

The inner core of the tree generally darker, harder and stronger than the sapwood.

Joiner

A craftsman woodworker who typically makes doors, windows and staircases in a workshop.

Laminating

Gluing multiple veneers of wood of wood together to form very strong and stable furniture components.

Mortice & Tenon

A key woodworking joint: Mortice: A slot cut into one piece (French literally means the grave). Into which is fitted the Tenon: A matching shaped protrusion cut into the second piece (Tenir to hold).

Panel products

A wide ever-evolving range of Man-made boards developed to reconstruct wood into stable strong and convenient size panels. Plywood, MDF and chipboard re the most commonly used.

Plinth

The plain or moulded bottom parts of a cabinet, jutting out or set under the carcase.

Pilaster

Vertical members fitted to a cabinet to add rigidity and/or a decorative feature.

Sapwood

An outer layer surrounding the heartwood generally lighter in weight, colour and durability. Sapwood of oak and walnut are prone to woodworm.

Softwoods

Are faster growing and simpler structures than hardwoods. Indentation hardness varies widely e.g. a dense hard timber yew is classified a softwood.

Solid wood

Real woods like oak, ash, elm and pine that have naturally grown on trees unlike but often used with panel products, which are man-made re-constructions.

Steam Bending:

Heating wood in a steam chamber to cause the fibres to allow wood to be bent without breaking, usually around a shaped former. Steam bent wood is stronger than cutting curves out of boards where ‘short grain’ forms weak points.

Texture:

The size of vessels varies in each species of timber: Ash and oak have bands of large vessels forming a coarse texture. Maple has tiny vessels forming a fine texture.

Vessels

The fundamental structure of hardwoods: Tubes that grow into annular tree growth rings, sized according to the seasons and climatic conditions. Vessels shrink and expand according to changes in relative humidity (hygroscopic) informing the basis of all furniture design and development of panel products.

Glossary of timbers used by furniture maker

Ash

Fraxinous excelsior
From the Latin word excelsus meaning lofty. This European timber has a high tensile strength with distinctive open grain generally white with darker colour heartwood. A popular wood for chair and table making particularly steam bending.

Black Walnut

Juglans Nigra
A rich fine texture North American hardwood that has become very popular for contemporary cabinet making.

Beech

Fagus Sylvatica
A tough tight grain, fine texture general chair frame making timber.

Boxwood

FSemprovirens
Buxus is Latin for ‘box’ and ‘flutes’, the timber was used to make both items. ‘Semper’ is Latin for ‘always’ and ‘virens’ is ‘green’. The premier wood for chisel handles being highly impact resistant with a fine texture.

Birch

Betula Pubescens
A tough white consistent timber primarily from Scandinavia used for premium quality plywoods and chair framing.

Cedar of Lebanon

Cedrus Libani
A distinctively scented softwood used for clothes drawer bottoms and wardrobe linings being naturally moth repellent.

Cherry

FSemprovirens
Buxus is Latin for ‘box’ and ‘flutes’, the timber was used to make both items. ‘Semper’ is Latin for ‘always’ and ‘virens’ is ‘green’. The premier wood for chisel handles being highly impact resistant with a fine texture.

Elm

Ulmus
Procera Bands of vessels form distinctive annual growth rings in this rare beautiful timber.

Holly

Ilex Aquafolia
A silky white native timber traditionally used for inlays and turned ware known as ‘treen’

Oak American Red

Quercus Rubra
A popular hardwood dues it’s a complex structure and pleasing warm colouration.

Oak American white

Quercus Alb
A very popular hardwood with cabinet makers, consistent, straight-grained, hard and strong.

Oak

Quercus Robur
Latin for robust English oak is the most cherished timber by furniture makers and joiners. Complex structure producing wonderful patterns and colours particularly in ‘wainscot’ oak panelling due to the prominent ’medullary rays’.

Lime

Tilia Cordata
The classic woodcarvers timber, because it can be carved in almost any direction like hard cheese. Creamy white colour. The favourite timber of the incredible woodcarver Grinling Gibbons, who used it to carve a lace cravat for Horace Walpole, who famously wore it to a ball in the 18th Century.

Maple

Acer Sapindaceae
A very hard creamy white, fine-textured hardwood. Used by cabinet makers and for bowling alleys and sprung floors.

Mahogany African

Khaya Ivorensis
Used by chairmakers after South American mahogany imports stopped. Always stained as the natural colour is an unappealing pink.

Mahogany South American

Sweitenia Macrophylla
The supreme mahogany a joy to work with, full of life and character that is enhanced with professional polishing.

Walnut

Juglans Regia
Latin Regia meaning Royal palace. Another classic cabinet and chair makers timber fine texture with a warm brown hue.

Wenge

Millettia Laurentii
A very hard west African timber, strikingly dark straight grained and strong.

Sycamore

Acer Psuedoplatanas
Clean timber historically used for dairy products. A lovely timber to work with due its consistent fine texture.

Teak

Tectona Grandis
Latin meaning great. The ultimate durable timber from South East Asia, particularly Burma. Used for premium quality nautical furniture, heavy and strong with a distinctive camphor-like smell.

White ebony

Diospyros Malabarica
A remarkable white timber with striking black streaks running through each piece. Used by cabinet makers to create ‘Wow-factor’ cabinet furniture.

Yew

Taxus Baccata
Highly figured hard timber with orange colour heartwood and creamy white sapwood that mellows to a conker like colour. The finest softwood for Windsor chairmaking.