If you have had enough of wondering what certain terms mean when looking up information on sawmilling or even forestry, we have you covered. Here is a glossary for some of those words for letters H through to Z.
H
Hardwood – A word used for mostly broadleaf trees that are very often deciduous which includes elms, oaks, ashes and maples.
Head rig – When a log goes through a machine to be tuned into flitches and cants that is a head rig.
Heartwood – The core inside a tree is the heartwood.
Husk – The circular saw mill head saw framework is a husk.
K
Kerf – When a cut is made by a saw into a piece of wood that is the kerf.
Knot – Where a branch melds into the body of the tree is a knot.
L
Live Sawing – This is a method of cutting. You cut halfway down a log on the sawmill then flip it 180 degrees and saw more until the log is done. It is also known as through and through or slab sawing.
Loader – The equipment used to move lumber and logs onto a transportation vehicle.
Log – Lengths of a tree cut into pieces of 8 feet or more.
Lumber – When the wood has been processed it is referred to as lumber.
M
MC (Moisture content) – How much water in the wood is called moisture content. A living tree has a moisture content of more than 75%.
P
Planer – The smooth surface on wood is created by a machine called a planer.
Porosity – How many pores hardwood has is referred to as its porosity.
Pulpwood – When wood is cut with the intention of it becoming wood pulp to be used as fiberboard, paper and such it is referred to as pulpwood.
Pruning – When trees, dead or alive, need to have some branches and such removed it is called pruning. It produces better quality wood that is knot-free.
Q
Quarter sawing – A sawing method that creates quarter-sawn lumber.
R
Rip-cut – When a cut is made following the same direction as the wood grain it is called a rip-cut.
S
Sapling – Trees that are small, usually below 30 feet.
Sapwood – In a growing tree, the sapwood is the outer part that stores nutrients and carries water.
Saw guide – When a band saw or circular saw needs steadying this is a saw guide.
Sawline – The mark where you can see the wood has been cut is the sawline.
Saw mill – May refer to the machine used to do the cutting of logs, or to the facilities where you can bring wood to be cut or buy it.
Seasoning – This is the process of drying out lumber or wood whether naturally or artificially.
Slash – After you have logged, pruned and performed any other forestry operations the items left on the ground like bark, branches and such are called slash.
Stand – A group of trees that are in the same area and are similar in age and condition are called a forest stand. A pure stand has 80% of the trees of the same species, and a mixed stand describes the rest.
T
Timbers – Logs and cants that are used to build with.
Top saw – On a head rig the upper part of the two circular saws.
Treated wood – When wood has been preserved chemically.
V
Veneer – These are thin wood sheets often used in plywood and for making furniture.
W
Windfall – When a tree has been broken or uprooted by the wind it is referred to as windfall. It can still be put through a sawmill and used.
