The Woodworker & Woodturner – August 2019

TECHNICAL A-Z of timber terms & jargon

68 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking August 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.com

Buttons

Buttons are traditionally made from wood

but today there are a number of other options

available. However, the key function of a button

remains the same whatever the material might

be. They are used as fixings that allow two,

unglued adjoining surfaces to move under

pressure. The most common example will

be fixing a solid wood table top to a sub frame.

Because the top is a wide, single or joined piece

of wood it will want to move across the grain

slightly. When fixed with buttons this movement

is accommodated. If a permanent, possibly

glued fix is made, the top will most likely split.

Buttress

There are two types of buttress we might come

across. The first will be a mechanical structure

that helps to maintain the stability of a wall. Think

of a church buttress and how this is built to make

sure the wall which it supports stays in place.

The other buttress we might observe are those

found around the bases of trees. These act in

the same way; providing stability so that the

tree can reach for the light and therefore grow.

Cabinetmaking

The definition of cabinetmaking is simply ‘the

craft of making fine furniture’, and the definition

of furniture is a self-contained, free-standing

piece – not something that is built in. When

it becomes part of the fabric of a building,

that’s joinery. Historically, to call yourself a

cabinetmaker, you’d have been a time-served

apprentice under a master craftsman. With

so many changes to the way we work over

the last half century, finding a master craftsman

has become difficult. Too often someone with

little or no idea claims to be something they

are not. At the very least a college course or a

number of years working with a specialist might

substantiate a claim. So, if you’re looking for a

cabinetmaker, check out their credentials, or,

if you want to become one, research the route

to a qualification.

Callipers

I use callipers for a variety of jobs in the workshop.

The most easily recognisable ones are the simple

examples that can be used to measure internal

or external dimensions. Some have sprung

heads and winders for fairly accurate readings

and others are more basic. The fine measuring

callipers, like Vernier gauges, can measure to

parts of a millimetre. I use mine to check screw

sizes and also find the right sized drill bit to bore

the appropriate pilot hole.

Butt
The butt is the base of a tree trunk nearest
to the stump from whence it was cut.

Butt hinge
Probably the most common and simple hinge
we use and one that has been around for a long
time. The butt hinge comes in a wide range of
sizes and materials for every conceivable job.
There are variations on the theme that include
‘rising’ butt hinges that lift the door as it opens
creating clearance; ideal if the adjacent floor
is sloping upwards, and some that can have
the hinge pin taken out so that one part can
be demounted without taking the hinges off.

Butt joint
A simple joint that may join end- or side-grain
pieces of wood together. As long as the adjoining
faces are flat, straight and square, a good joint
can be made. When using this joint the more glue
that can be rubbed into the touching surfaces, the
better. This action enables the glue to penetrate
into the wood pores, thus making a better key
and joint.

Butt joint explained Another example of a butt joint

Carlisle Brass double stainless steel
washered butt hinge

Axminster spring callipers

Cabinet butt hinge

Some of the old tropical trees have trunks like flying

buttresses for strength. The flying buttresses of this

tree extend to the sides in swirls

Wooden button head plug