Fasteners are hugely important to woodwork, and screws are the most flexible of them all. Nevertheless, there are many types to pick from. This glossary contains all of the key phrases relevant to woodworking screws that you need to be aware of. Gaining an understanding of these words will help you choose the optimal screw for your task.
Most Common Terms
Being familiar with the definitions provided in this glossary will give you the confidence to attempt complex woodworking projects. Even the most skillful craftsmen may sometimes stumble upon a term or strategy that they do not know, so it is advisable to consult this glossary before beginning your next undertaking so that you have all the information necessary and are confident to finish any carpentry job.
Bolt
A screw that can be inserted into a nut or pre-drilled hole with a complimentary thread. Bolts have threads cut into them that correspond to the threaded openings in something else. Bolts that are smaller in size and used to put on items such as knobs and pulls are known as “machine screws” and have Phillips/slotted heads.
Button
Wooden buttons that are twisted, known as screw hole buttons, are used to fill screw holes that have been get counter sunk, thereby covering the visible screw heads. Buttons are raised up above the surface, instead of flat top plugs, which are cut down and smoothed until they are even with the surface. Also sometimes called “dome top” plugs.
Cap
Screw caps are thin disk-like sheets utilized for covering screws that are visible. The screws are sunk into the surface so they are even with it, and the caps are attached using the sticky adhesive on the back. Real wood veneer is accessible as well as a variety of melamine shades. Screw caps are easy to install and have the benefit of a face grain which aligns (if they are created with genuine wood veneer), however they won’t be completely flush with the surface.
Cap Nut
A T-shaped nut with a broad, flat-topped head. Used with Connector Bolts to assemble knock-down furniture. Cap nuts are somewhat comparable to T-nuts, although they lack prongs and generally have a more appealing appearance.
Connector Bolt
A screw that has a low-height top, typically with a decorative exterior, is commonly used with a matching “cap nut” or cross-dowel to put together pre-manufactured furniture and secure cupboards or independent pieces of furniture.
Counterbore
A cavity is bored so that the screw is placed well under the encompassing surface, usually to fill the gap with a stopper, or with putty. The size of the counterbore hole should be exactly the same as the diameter of the plugs you plan to use.
Countersink
A concave-shaped opening that permits a screw with a flat top to lie even with the encompassing area. Also denotes the conical drill bit used to form the hole. In terms of countersink bits, one can find either ones that are just for the countersinking aspect or ones that have a pilot bit included.
Decorative Screw
This refers to screws that are made out of either solid brass or any other type of metal with a highly polished surface that will be visible to some degree once they are installed. Often offered in various finishes to match your hardware.
Dome Top Plug
Wooden plugs that have been shaped are used to cover up screw holes that have been countersunk, keeping the head of the screws from being seen. Dome-top pins stick above the surface while flat-top pins are cut off and sanded until they are level with the surface. Also sometimes called “buttons.”
Dowel Screw
A screw without a head that has been threaded on both sides with coarse wood. Dowel screws are used for linking pieces of wood together in an unseen manner, such as for connecting balusters and rails. A hanger bolt is comparable, but is designed for disassembling, with a machine thread on one side.
Drive Type
This is a description of the kind of screwdriver or driver bit which would be used to secure a screw. Some examples of different types of drives are Square drive, Phillips head, Stardrive, and Square-X drive. Also referred to as a “depression,” which refers to the shape of the cavity in the head of the screw.
Exterior Screw
Screws are assembled with the intention of them being able to sustain exposed conditions and avoid rusting. Screws on the outside could be made with materials that are resistant to corrosion, such as stainless steel, or they could be coated to be corrosion-resistant. Be certain the screws with the coating have a designation of being suitable for outdoor use – not all coatings are intended to bear the elements.
Euro Screw
This type of screw is small and has a wide, coarse-grained thread. It is used in the 32mm framework throughout Europe and it is used to join hinges and drawers by putting it through 5mm diameter openings.
Face Grain Plugs
Used to cover up any exposed screw heads that need to fit in with the grain of a surface. A special plug cutter is used to remove a portion from the surface side of the board to produce face grain plugs. A regular plug made from dowel material tends to present darker visible end grain, whilst face grain plugs lead to a better grain alignment and even stain absorption.
Flat Head Screw
A screw head that is shaped like a bugle and has a flat top that is embedded into, or going below, the surface of the material. Be aware that this phrase is occasionally used inaccurately to refer to a slotted screw head.
Flat Top Plug
Wooden plugs that have been twisted are employed to fill in sunken screwholes, masking the visible screwheads. Flat-top pins are cut off and made even with the surface, unlike dome-top pins, which are left sticking out from the surface.
Hanger Bolt
A bolt without a head has two ends that are threaded. One end is pointed and has coarse wood screw threads, while the other end is blunt and has machine screw threads that fit a threaded nut. This phrase is frequently employed when connecting items made of metal or which may be detached later, to a wood substructure in a knock-down assembly.
Hardware Mounting Screw
The phrase is referring to the small screws typically used for attaching door hinges, knobs, handles for drawers, and drawer slide hardware. Often accompanying the device, usually in a corresponding colour or design.
Head Type
This is talking about the shape of the screw head and not the type of drive. A variety of head shapes exist for both practical and aesthetic purposes. For instance, a washer-head screw has a sizeable flat surface which contributes to its power, while a trim-head screw has a tiny opening to make it suitable for use in completed woodworking projects.
Knock-Down Fitting
Any item that needs to be taken apart again in the future, either because it is very large or needs to be transported frequently, can be put together with hardware. An oft encountered occurrence in the woodworking shop is the utilization of bolts and cross dowels to link up the trestle of a wooden workbench.
Lube Finish
Wood screws with a low friction finish can go in much easier and faster with little effort. The lube finish replicates what woodworkers previously accomplished with the use of soap, but without the associated mess.
Machine Screw
A type of fastener, generally small in size, that is utilized for attaching components such as knobs and pulls. The product typically has a combination of a Phillips head and a slotted head, making it easier for the user to install.
More Wood Screw-Related Terms
A
- Abrasive (n) – A material used to smooth wood or finishes (for example, sandpaper, steel wool, or pumice).
- Acetone (n) – A colorless liquid solvent commonly used for cleaning surfaces and the removal of paint and finishes.
- Adze (n) – An axe-like tool used to shape and surface wood and lumber.
B
- Backsaw (n) – A hand saw with a rigid rib along the back of the blade, opposite the cutting edge, to prevent bending and allow for more stable sawing.
C
- Cutting list (n) – An all-inclusive list of the materials needed to complete a project, including the names of the necessary pieces and the dimensions of each piece, sometimes with a diagram of the boards needed.
D
- Dado (n, v), Dados (pl), dadoing (v) – A trench that is cut across the grain of a board, consisting of three sides.
E
- Edge lap (n) – A notch made in the edge of a board halfway across its width. Two edge laps are combined to form an edge lap joint.
F
- Face (n) – The widest side of a board, measured across the grain.
G
- Gouge (n) – A turning or carving tool with a curved edge, chisel-like.
- Grain (n) – Characteristics of a wood piece that refer to its texture, figure, or porosity.
- Groove (n) – a three-sided trench cut into a wood board that is made along the grain.
H
- Hacksaw (n) – A handsaw, often used for cutting metals, that has a handle at one end and holds at both ends.
I
- Infeed (n, v) – The point at which a piece of wood is fed into a machine, such as a saw, planer, or jointer; can also refer to the act itself.
- Inlay (n, v) – To insert smaller pieces of wood into grooves that have been cut into a piece; may also refer to the material being inserted.
J
- Jack plane (n) – A general-purpose plane, usually considered medium-sized.
- Jig (n) – A device used to aid in the process of doing repetitive tasks consistently.
- Jigsaw (n) – A powered, vertical, reciprocating blade, used for cutting different materials depending on the type of blade used.
K
- Kerf (n) – Excess wood removed by a saw blade between the wood piece and the offcut.
- Kickback (n), kickback (v) – The reverse action seen in woodworking machines when they throw a workpiece back towards the operator. This can happen when the wood gets caught between a rip fence and a blade but can be prevented by using splitters.
L
- Laminate (n) – Thin layers of resawn wood or plastics, such as Formica, that have built up by being glued together.
M
- Marking gauge (n) – An adjustable device that marks layout lines parallel to wood edges using a steel pin or knife.
N
- Notch (n) – A dado that has been cut into the edge of a piece of wood. Part of the edge of a lap joint if it extends halfway into the wood.
O
- Offcut (n, adj) – Debris or discarded lumber created during the cutting process.
- Open-grained (adj) – Coarse-textured wood due to the presence of large pores in the grain.
- Orbital sander (n) – A sander that uses the motor’s energy to create minute circles, which allows the sandpaper to abrade a surface.
P
- Panel (n) – A large wood surface that is oftentimes created by gluing several boards together edge-to-edge.
- Pilot hole (n) – A hole drilled into a workpiece that is used to guide a fastener, ensuring the fastener is driven in the proper direction; it can also clear some offcut wood to prevent splitting.
- Pilot-bearing guide (n) – A bearing attached to a router bit, which allows the bit to follow an existing edge’s shape; free-moving.
R
- A rabbet (n, v) – A trench cut into the edge of a board that is made up of two sides.
- Rabbet joint (n) – A basic joint for box building, allowing for more strength than a butt joint by adding an extra gluing surface that protects against racking.
- Racking force (n) – Refers to the twisting force on an assembly, such as a door, cabinet, or chair. These are typically any forces that press on your project at a degree other than 90 degrees.
S
- Scales (n) – A handle of a knife made from wood.
- Shank (n) – A shaft of a bit or cutter that is held in place in a tool by a chuck or collet.
- Shear forces (n) – The effect of gravity and the weight of objects on the shelving part of a cabinet. This force comes from one direction and is often parallel to the case piece sides.
T
- Table saw (n) – A stationary arbor-driven circular saw that is housed below the table in which the workpiece is cut.
- Tambour (n) – A sliding door that is set in a track and uses narrow strips in a loose tongue and groove, attached to a piece of cloth.
- Taper (n) – A cut that gradually angles along the edge of a board, rather than running parallel.
V
- Veneer (n, v) – Any thin sheet of wood that can be used to cover lesser cuts of wood, to construct plywood, and in applications such as lamination and marquetry.
W
- Wedge (n) – A small, cut piece of wood that is secured into a cut slit at the end of a projecting piece of wood known as a through-tenon.
- Winding sticks (n) – Used to identify the flatness of lumber, these are two straight wooden sticks laid on opposite ends of a board and sighted across.
- Woodworking (n, v) – refers to an activity or hobby that involves building and working with wood to craft an object; this does not include home or building construction.
