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Glossary of Woodworking Terminology (E-I)

An extensive glossary of woodworking terminology encompassing woodworking tools, types of wood and terms used in our free woodworking plans.

Ear Muffs

A form of hearing protection where a large headphone-like device covers the ears to keep out loud noises.

Ear Plugs

Small, specially-designed pieces of foam that are inserted into the outer ear canal. When they expand to fill the canal, excessively loud noises are muffled.

Featherboard

A featherboard is used on a table saw or router table to hold smaller pieces of stock against the blade or bit to insure a clean cut.

Fir

A type of tree from which many softwoods are cut. The most commonly used variety is Douglas Fir.

Grit

The number of abrasive particles found per square inch of sandpaper. This term is used to differentiate between coarse and fine grades of sandpaper.

Hammer

The most basic tool in woodworking, used for driving and removing nails from stock. See also Claw Hammer

Hardwood

An assortment of woods, usually harvested from deciduous trees, that are used in woodworking. Most fine furniture are made from some form of hardwood such as oak, maple, walnut, mahogany or cherry.

Hearing Protection

Devices such as ear muffs or ear plugs will protect your hearing when implemented properly while using loud power tools.

Heartwood

The more established, harder portion of the stock harvested from the center of the tree's trunk.

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