How Good Is Your Carpentry Vocabulary?

In carpentry, what would an "Allen key" be used for?

To secure a specific form of fastener

"Allen keys" are used to tighten and loosen a specific type of fastener with a hexagonal head. These are often used in carpentry, especially on parts of wood that are presented because they look neater than screws.

To open a wooden door

A special key that is used on a wood drill

None of the above

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When a carpenter asks you to pass the "plane", which tool is he looking for?

One that can drill holes

One that can shape wood under the carpenter's own power

A carpentry plane is an important tool for a carpenter. It has a blade which can be set to take off large pieces of wood or for finer work. It is used to shape wood or to remove thin layers, for example from the bottom of a door that might be jamming.

One that can finely sand wood to a beautiful finish

None of the above

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What is a "level"?

A particular type of wood drill bit

A type of sanding disk

A tool to make sure something is straight

There is no point if a piece of wood a carpenter is trying to make a shelf out of is not straight. Even when he hangs a shelf, he would use a "level" to determine that it is indeed hung straight. This small tool has a liquid viewer where if you line up an air bubble in a particular area, you know a shelf is indeed level.

None of the above

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Of the options below, which of these would best describe a "band saw"?

A manual saw which cuts wood under power from an operator

A saw used by two operators

A small saw for cutting small pieces of wood

A mechanical saw with a blade in a continuous loop

A band saw has a continuous looped blade that is able to cut large pieces of wood. To do this, the wood must be fed toward the blade as it spins.

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Can you tell us what "anchor bolts" are in carpentry?

Large drill bits

Massive fasteners similar to screws

Large nuts and bolts driven into concrete to provide support

Often, a solid base is needed when making large wooden structures. Here, supports take the form of "anchor bolts" which then will hold structural pieces in place.

None of the above

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Do you know what a "batten" is?

A small strip of wood

A "batten" is a small strip of wood that a carpenter will cut to size. It is then used to cover a joint that is used between two pieces of siding. Basically, it is used for aesthetic purposes.

A wooden mallet

A chisel

None of the above

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What is a "tread" in carpentry terms?

The under part of a carpenter's boot

The horizontal part of a wooden stair

And all along you thought a stair is just a stair. Well, no, because the horizontal part of it, the place where you put your foot is known as the "tread"!

A special wood nail

None of the above

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In carpentry drawings, do you know what a "side elevation" is?

The front view of a building

The rear view of a building

The top view of a building

The side view of a building

Carpentry drawings or plans, especially when it comes to building a wooden house, are extremely important. These show the exact layout of the building from every possible angle, including the side.

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When building a wooden home, where would you find the "rafters"?

Part the floor

In the roof

"Rafters" are the large wooden structures that form part of your roof. Typically, they form a V-shape. In some houses, ceilings are left out to show off the rafters and extend the overall height inside.

In the foundation

None of the above

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If timber has "bowed," what has happened to it?

It has dried out.

It has warped out of shape.

The last thing a carpenter wants is lumber that is "bowed," especially longer planks. It can be corrected, however, usually through the process of steaming and bending it back into place.

It is too wet to work with.

None of the above

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From the options below, which best describes a "plumb bob"?

A tool to find a point directly below a starting point

Sometimes, a carpenter will need to know a point exactly below another, and at varying lengths. To find them, simply use a "plumb bob". This is a simple device consisting of a string and a weight and easily used.

A specialized chisel for shaping small pieces of wood

A nail tack

None of the above

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What would the term "slabbing" refer to in carpentry vocabulary?

When a piece of lumber snaps

Drawing a house's floor plan on a ready laid deck

"Slabbing" means taking a floor plan for a wooden house, drawing it on the already finished slab and identifying where the walls would be after framing by drawing chalk lines to represent them.

Sanding large pieces of wood using an industrial sander

None of the above

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What is the "grain" of a piece of wood?

The length

The thickness

The direction the fibers of the wood run

The way the "grain" of a wood runs is important to know. To get a better finish for a piece that you need to chisel for example, you would chisel with the grain.

None of the above

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To shape wood, which of these would you use?

Hammer

Drill

Saw

Chisel

A chisel is a woodworking tool used to shape wood. It has a sharpened beveled metal tip to remove pieces of wood and is guided by a carpenter who holds onto a small handle.

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In wooden stair construction, what is a "stringer"?

The part of the stair your feet will climb up

The vertical part of the stair that supports the horizontal section

While the part where your foot lands on a stair is the "tread", the "stringers" are vertical pieces of wood that support the "treads" and the "risers". This gives stairs their strength.

The handrail

None of the above

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If you were using a "brace and bit," what would you be doing?

Hammering

Gluing

Drilling

If you were using a "brace and bit," the chances are you were living in a time before electrical hand-held tool or you just like antique tools. A "brace and bit" is an old-school drill. To drill into a piece of wood, a carpenter would crank a handle which would engage gears to turn the drill bit.

Varnishing

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What would you do with a "caliper"?

Measure and mark

"Calipers" are tools with two arms that are used to mark and measure accurately while working with lumber. It looks a little bit like a compass that you would use in math class.

Hold two pieces of wood in place

Support an upright piece of lumber

None of the above

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From the options below, which best describes "countersinking"?

Turning a screw in and out seven times to ensure it fits properly

Drilling three holes and picking the one most accurate to your requirements

Using a specialized drill bit to ensure a screw will sit flush with a piece of wood

The overall finish of a piece of a wood such as a table or desk is of utmost importance. And where screws will be showing, it is usual to use a countersink bit to ensure the head of the screw also sinks away in the wood, providing a flush and neat finish.

None of the above

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In carpentry drawings, do you know what a "rear elevation" is?

The side view of the building

The top-down view of the building

The back view of a building

A "rear elevation" is simply the drawn plans for the back of a wooden house. These are crucial for carpenters in the building trade.

The front view of the building

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Which of these tools would you use to put a nail into a piece of wood?

Hammer

But you knew that, right? Well, I hope so! Hammers come in all shapes and sizes with a claw hammer the choice of carpenters. Why? Well, it can easily pull out any nails that might have bent while they were pounded into wood.

Screwdriver

Drill

Chisel

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Can you tell which of these best explains "veneer"?

Thin hardwood glued on a cheap board

Outfitting your kitchen with new countertops and cupboards can be expensive. Often, instead of using an expensive wood for countertops, carpenters can save their clients money by using thin sheets of an expensive wood glued onto chipboard, for instance. This is known as "veneer".

A special sanding method to bring out the wood grain

A type of wood joint

None of the above

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When two wooden panels are "flush," they are?

The one on the left is higher than the one on the right.

Perfectly joined

When two wooden panels meet perfectly, they are said to be "flush", if not the lower one is said to be "shy" while the raised one would be "proud".

The one on the right is higher than the one on the left.

None of the above

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Which of these would you use for delicate cuts while sawing?

Hand saw

Fret saw

Fret saws are for fine saw work while cutting thin pieces of wood. Fret saws have a large, U-shaped body and a very small, thin blade.

Bandsaw

Table saw

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What is a "dowel"?

A short, round piece of wood of varying circumference

Dowels are round pieces of wood of varying circumference. They are used to plug holes, join pieces of wood together and for many other purposes in carpentry.

A square piece of wood with dimensions of 2x4

A triangular shaped piece of wood

None of the above

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Do you know what an "awl" is in the carpentery world?

A pointed woodworking tool

An "awl" is a very simple instrument used in carpentry to punch a small hole in wood. This can then be used to set a nail or screw, making it easier to hit them or turn them into the wood.

A carpenter's apron

A part of a wood lathe

None of the above

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If a carpenter is sawing a piece of wood as a "cross cut" he is ...

Sawing across the grain

Sometimes, a carpenter will choose to "cross cut," which means cutting through the grain of a piece of wood. This effectively rips the wood fibers, and using a saw with finer teeth makes the task a little easier.

Sawing with the grain

Sawing against the grain

None of the above

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Any idea what "green lumber" is?

Lumber that is ready to use

Lumber that is too dry

Lumber that has not dried sufficiently

For lumber to be in prime condition, ready to use, it needs to dry out sufficiently. Just think about it, a tree is filled with water and sap, it cannot be used straight after it has been cut down. It needs to be dried out. Lumber that is not sufficiently dry is known as "green lumber".

None of the above

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When smoothing a piece of wood, which of these would you use?

Sander

The easiest way to beautifully finish off a piece of wood is to give it a light sanding. This is easily achieved by using an electric sander. There are many options to choose from, but a mouse sander is the best for small, detailed work.

Plane

Calipers

Plumbline

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Can you tell us what type of wood product is made from compressed and glued wooden particles?

Balsa wood

Chipboard

This specially manufactured building board is formed from compressed wood and glued wooden pieces. It is often used as a partition.

Kerto

None of the above

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Any idea as to what "beading" would refer to in carpentry terms?

A decorative piece of wood

"Beading" is simply using a small piece of wood as a decorative piece. With a half-round profile, "beading" is used mostly to give an ornamental edge.

A joint used to combine two pieces of wood

A special varnishing technique

None of the above

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If a carpenter uses "filler," what has he done?

Glued two plywood boards together

Covered up chips, old nail holes or where screws used to be

"Filler" is a friend of a carpenter, especially when repurposing an old piece of wood. Once he has taken out older screws or nails, filler is used to fill up the holes and then sanded for a clean finish.

Used a plug and screw in a thick wooden wall

None of the above

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Can you tell us what a "dovetail" is in carpentry lingo?

A special type of saw

A chisel

A type of carpentry joint

A dovetail joint connects two pieces of wood at a right-angle. The two pieces fit together using opposite joints which look like dovetails and which slide together.

None of the above

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In what form of carpentry is a "speed square" most useful?

Framing

A "speed square" is a carpenter's tool that is triangular in shape. It is essentially a try square, combination square and framing square all in one.

House construction

Sculpturing

None of the above

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Any idea what a "story pole" is?

A wooden board with plans drawn on it

A 2x4 marked with increments on it

A "story pole" is a marked 2x4 that is used to determine the height of a landing when constructing stairs. It also shows exactly where risers should be placed.

A wooden flag pole

None of the above

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In carpentry drawings, do you know what a "front elevation" is?

The front view of a building

When it comes to building a wooden house, carpentry plans and drawings are extremely important. These show the exact layout of the building from every possible angle, including the front.

The top view of a building

The back view of a building

The side view of a building

FINISH QUIZ

How Good Is Your Carpentry Vocabulary?

About This Quiz

About This Quiz