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A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W X
Y Z
Advanced Decay: An older stage of decay in which disintegration is recognized because the wood has become punky, soft, spongy, stringy, shaky,
pitted, or crumbly. Decided discoloration or bleaching of the rotted wood is often apparent.
Air Dried: Seasoned by exposure to the atmosphere, in the open or under cover, without artificial heat. See kiln, kiln-dried, and seasoning.
All-Heart: A piece that is heartwood throughout; that is, free of sapwood.
ALS: See American Lumber Standards.
American Lumber Standards: The American Lumber Standards embody provisions for softwood lumber dealing with recognized classifications, nomenclature,
basic grades, sizes, description, measurements, tally, shipping provisions, grade marking, and inspection.
Annual Ring: Denotes the amount of growth for a tree in a single year.
Annual Growth Ring: See annual ring.
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Bandsaw: A machine that uses a long strip of steel welded into a loop with teeth cut into one or both edges to
cut wood, metal, plastic, or other materials.
Bark: The outer layers of tissue of a tree which may be divided into the outer, corky, and dead layers.
Bark provides general protection against external injuries and also carries prepared food from leaves to
all growing parts of the tree. See wane and bark pocket.
Bark Pocket: Patch of bark partially or wholly enclosed in the wood. Classified by size the same as pitch pockets.
Bevel Siding: A board that has been resawn diagonally to be used to clad the exterior of a building.
Beveled Skips: Beveled skips are areas on the surface of a piece that fail to dress due to sawing at an angle not parallel
to the plane of the face. These skips are limited on the basis of an equivalent loss of wood from wane.
Blemish: Anything marring the appearance of lumber.
Blue Stain: Blue Stain is a bluish or grayish discoloration of the sapwood caused by the growth of certain dark-colored
fungi on the surface and in the interior of the wood; made possible by the same conditions that favor the growth of other fungi.
Board Foot: A board foot is a unit of measurement of lumber represented by a board 1 foot long, 12 inches wide and 1 inch
thick or its cubic equivalent. In practice the board foot calculation for lumber 1 inch or more thick is based on its nominal thickness and width.
Bow: A deviation flatwise from a straight line drawn from end to end of a piece. It is measured at the point of greatest
distance from the straight line. See warp.
Boxed Heart: With the pith enclosed in the piece.
Bright: Free from discoloration or stain.
Bunk: A device used to hold a log up off the ground or on a carriage or other sawing device.
Burl: A distortion of grain, usually caused by abnormal growth due to injury of the tree.
The effect of burls is assessed in relation to knots.
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Cant: A log that has been squared on two or more sides but still needs processing to make it into lumber.
Cant Hook: A device used for rolling cants or logs. Many people mistake a cant hook for a peavey. The difference is that a
cant hook doesn't have a point on the end like a peavey.
Carbide: A compound of carbon and other materials that is super hard. There are various grades of carbide depending on the
application. In saw teeth they are brazed to the saw blade and ground to the proper configuration. These teeth are very hard and
stay sharp longer than other types of teeth but, have a tendency to be brittle. See stellite.
Carriage: A framework on wheels that allows movement of a log back and forth past the saw blade.
Centerline Knot: A centerline knot is a knot which has both sides located exactly in the center of the face of a piece of
lumber is called a centerline knot. If both sides of the knot are slightly off-center but would average to the center, it is still a
centerline knot. It is important to be able to recognize centerline knots because they are the largest knots allowed for each grade
and centerline knot sizes also limit combination knot sizes.
Check: A separation of the wood normally occurring across or through the rings of annual growth and usually as a result of seasoning.
See surface check, through check, small check, medium check, large check, and roller check.
Chip Marks: Shallow depressions or indentations on or in the surface of dressed lumber caused by shavings or chips getting embedded in
the surface during dressing. See dressed size:
Very light - not over 1/64" deep
Light - not over 1/32" deep
Medium - not over 1/16" deep
Heavy - not over 1/8" deep
Chipped Grain: A barely perceptible irregularity in the surface of a piece caused when particles of wood are chipped or broken below the
line of cut. It is too small to be classed as torn grain and is not considered unless in excess of 25% of the surface involved.
Circle Saw: A machine that uses a flat thin disk with teeth cut into the outer edge to saw wood, plastic, metal, or other materials.
Clear: Free or practically free of all blemishes, characteristics, or defects.
Combination Knot: Occur when two or more knots occupy the same cross-section of a piece of lumber. If you draw a line at 90 degrees (right angle)
across the wide face of a piece of lumber and two or more knots intersect the line within the piece, you have a combination knot. Combination knots usually
have a greater effect on the strength of a piece of lumber and are graded differently from single knots.
Compression Wood: Abnormal wood that forms on the underside of leaning and crooked coniferous trees. It is characterized, aside from its
distinguishing color, by being hard and brittle and by its relatively lifeless appearance.
Corner: The intersection of two adjacent faces.
Crook: A deviation edgewise from a straight line drawn from end to end of a piece. It is measured at the point of greatest distance from the straight line. See warp.
Cross Break: A crack or separation of wood fibers across the width originating from the edge of the piece.
Crosscutting: Cutting with a saw across the width.
Cup: A deviation in the face of a piece of lumber from a straight line drawn from edge to edge. It is measured at the point of greatest distance
from the straight line. See warp.
Cutting: Resulting pieces after crosscutting and/or ripping.
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Decay (unsound wood): A disintegration of the wood substance due to action of wood destroying fungi, and is also known as dote or rot.
See heart center decay, white specks, honeycomb, incipient decay, water soak, and peck.
Degrades: Pieces which on reinspection prove of lower quality than the grade in which they were shipped.
Diagonal Grain: A deviation in the slope of grain caused by sawing at an angle with the bark of the tree.
Dimension Lumber: Lumber with a nominal thickness of from 2 up to but not including 5 inches and a nominal width of 2 inches or more.
Displaceable Knot: A knot away from the edge which are not centerline knots or knots which occupy less than half the edge. The maximum allowable
size for displaceable knots increases as the knot is located closer to the centerline of the piece. Displaceable knots rarely affect the grade of a piece of lumber.
Dog: A device used to hold a log in place while it is being sawn.
Double Arbor Mismatch: A depth offset across the face of the piece caused by misalignment of gang saws.
Double-End Trimmed (DET): Lumber trimmed square on both ends. Tolerances are found in certified grading rules.
Dressed Size: The dimensions of lumber after being surfaced with a planing machine. The dressed size is usually 1/2" to 3/4"
less than the nominal or rough lumber size.
Dry: Lumber of less than nominal 5-inch thickness which has been seasoned or dried to a maximum moisture content of 19 percent. See drying defects and seasoning.
Drying Defects: Most southern pine is dried to about 19% moisture content before it is dressed. Warp, splits, and checks are all
defects that can occur during the drying process and are called drying defects. See manufacturing defects.
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Eased Edge: Slightly rounded surfacing on pieces of lumber to remove sharp corners. The standard radius for 1", 2", 3", and 4" nominal thickness
lumber shall not exceed 1/16", 1/8", 3/16", and 1/4" respectively. Note: Lumber 4" or less in thickness is frequently shipped with eased edges unless otherwise specified.
Edge:
1) The narrow face of a rectangular-shaped piece.
2) The corner of a piece at the intersection of two longitudinal faces.
3) In stress grades that part of the wide face nearest the corner of the piece. See eased edge and edger.
Edge Knot: If both faces of a simple knot touch the edge of a piece of lumber or if more than half of the edge is occupied by a three-face knot,
then the knot is an "Edge" knot. All spike knots on the narrow face are edge knots. Recognizing edge knots is important since grade rules for knots show
the maximum size for either edge knots or centerline knots. Edge knots will grade most of the narrow lumber.
Edger: A machine used to cut straight edges on flitches and also used to rip boards into smaller pieces.
Encased Knot: A knot which is not intergrown with the annual rings of the surrounding wood.
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Fascia: A broad, flat, horizontal surface, sometimes used to cover a joint, or as the outer edge of a cornice. Also facia.
Fingerjoint: A method of joining two pieces of lumber end-to-end by sawing into the end of each piece a set of projecting "fingers" that
interlock. When the pieces are pushed together, this forms a strong glue joint.
Fire Retardant: A chemical applied to lumber or other wood product to slow combustion and flame spread.
Firm: In relation to white speck and honeycomb provisions infers that it will not crumble readily under thumb pressure and cannot be easily picked out.
Firm Knot: A knot which is solid across its face but contains the early stages of decay.
Flat Grain (FG) (Slash Grain SG): A piece or pieces sawn approximately parallel to the annual rings so that all or some of the rings
form an angle of less than 45 degrees with the surface of the piece.
Flitch: A piece of wood cut off a log that has two flat sides but still needs to be sawn on one or two edges.
Free of Wane: Means without wane but has either eased edges or is square edged.
Framing: Lumber used for structural members in a house or other building. The skeleton to which roofs, floors, and sides are attached.
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Grade: A quality system by which lumber is ranked by strength and/or appearance. See grade mark.
Grade Mark or Grade Stamp: The official agency mark stamped on the lumber usually appearing near the end of the product. Most grade stamps,
except those for rough lumber or heavy timbers, contain five basic elements: (1) Registered Trademark, (2) Mill Identification, (3) Grade Designation,
(4) Species Identification, and (5) Condition of Seasoning at Time of Surfacing.
Grade Yield: The board foot volume of lumber, separated into each grade category expressed as a percentage of the total volume of board foot
manufactured over a specific period of time. See grade.
Grain: The fibers in wood and their direction, size, arrangement, appearance or quality. See slope of grain, summerwood, springwood, vertical grain,
flat grain, mixed grain, spiral grain, torn grain, loosened grain, raised grain, and diagonal grain.
Green: Lumber of less than nominal 5-inch thickness, which has a moisture content in excess of 19 percent. For lumber of nominal 5-inch or
greater thickness (timbers), green shall be defined in accordance with the provisions of the applicable lumber grading rules certified by the Board. See KD19.
Green Lumber: Freshly sawed of undried wood. Wood that has become completely wet after immersion in water would not be considered green, but may be said
to be in the "green condition."
Gum Pocket: An opening between annual rings which contains or has contained resin, or bark, or both.
Gum Seam: Checks or shakes filled with gum.
Gum Spot: An accumulation of gumlike substance occurring as a small patch. Often occurs in conjunction with a bird-peck or other injury to the growing wood.
Gum Streak: A well-defined accumulation of gum in more or less regular streak. Classified as pitch streaks.
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Head Rig: The main breakdown saw in a sawmill. This saw cuts logs into cants that can be processed further by edgers and resaws.
Heart: Inner core of the tree trunk comprising the annual rings containing nonliving elements. See heartwood.
Heart Center: The pith or center core of the log. See heart.
Heart Center Decay: A localized decay developing along the pith in some species and is detected by visual inspection. Heart center decay
develops in the living tree and does not progress further after the tree is cut.
Heart Face: Face side free of sapwood.
Heart Shake: See heart, shake, and pith.
Heartwood: The wood extending from the pith to the sapwood, the cells of which no longer participate in the life processes of the tree.
In some species, heartwood has a prominent color different from the sapwood. See heart.
Hit and Miss: A term used to describe the occurrence of skip.
1) When only some of the surface has skip, it is known as "hit and miss" skip.
2) When a grade rule allows "hit or miss" skip, 100% of the surface can have skip.
Hole: A hole either extend partially or wholly through the piece. Holes are classified as pin, medium, large and very large.
Pin - not over 1/16" in diameter
Medium - not over 1/4" in diameter
Large - not over 1" in diameter
Very Large - over 1" in diameter
Hollow Pith: Usually caused by ants, is when the small central core of the cross section of a tree is hollowed out. This gives the appearance
of decay but is allowed in No. 1 grade lumber. The major problem with Hollow Pith is a tendency for decay to form around the Pith.
Honeycomb: A type of decay similar to white specks but the pockets are larger. Where permitted in the grading rules, it is so limited that it
has no more effect on the intended use of the piece than other characteristics permitted in the same grade. Pieces containing honeycomb are no
more subject to decay than pieces which do not contain it.
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I-Beam: A beam whose cross section resembles the letter "I"; one in which the top and bottom flanges (such as 2x4s) are connected by thinner
material (such as plywood or OSB). Also called an I-Joist.
Incipient Decay: Incipient decay is an early stage of decay in which disintegration of the wood fibers has not proceeded far enough to soften or
otherwise change the hardness of the wood perceptibly. It is usually accompanied by a slight discoloration or bleaching of the wood.
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Joist: A piece of lumber two to four inches thick and six inches wide, used horizontally as a support for a ceiling or floor. Also, such a
support made from steel, aluminum, or other material.
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Kiln Dried After Treatment (KDAT): Treated lumber that has been seasoned in a kiln to a predetermined moisture content following the treating process.
KD15: Lumber that is kiln-dried to 15% moisture content. See KD19, kiln-dried, and air dried.
KD19: Lumber that is kiln-dried to 19% moisture content. See KD15, kiln-dried, and air dried.
Kiln: A chamber having a controlled air-flow, temperature, and relative humidity, for drying lumber, veneer, and other wood products.
See KD15, KD19, kiln-dried, seasoning, and air dried.
Kiln-Dried: Seasoned in a chamber by means of artificial heat. See KD15, KD19, kiln, seasoning, and air dried.
Knife Marks: Imprints of markings of the machine knives on the surface of dressed lumber. See Manufacturing Defects.
Knot: That portion of a branch or limb which has been surrounded by subsequent growth of the stem. The shape of the knot as
it appears on a cut surface depends on the angle of the cut relative to the long axis of the knot. See centerline knot, combination knot,
displaceable knots, edge knot, encased knot, loose knot, simple knot, sound knot, spike knot, three-face knot, tight knot, unsound knot, and wide-face spike knot.
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Lath: A thin, narrow wooden strip, used as a backing for wall plaster or other materials.
Large Check: A check that is over 1/32" wide or over 4" long or both. See checks.
Lead: The amount of angle a sawblade has in relation to the sawing plane. Most circle sawmills are set to "lead into the log". The front cutting edge
of the saw is set closer to the log than the back edge. The amount of lead is usually between 0 and 1/16 of an inch on saws of 40 to 60 inches in diameter.
The amount varies depending on species, sawing conditions, feed speeds, and other variables.
Limited: A term used to describe the maximum size or extent of a defect. For example: A No. 1 grade edge knot in a 2x6 is limited to 1 1/2".
Loblolly Pine: Found throughout the Southeast. Like longleaf pine, its needles are in clusters of 3s with needles about 7" long, while the cones
are approximately 31˜2" long. Loblolly pine grows best on fairly moist, bottomland soil. It is very aggressive and quickly reseeds old fields and other
abandoned lands. It can reach a size of 150 feet in height with a diameter of more than five feet. See Southern Yellow Pine.
Log: A length of a tree trunk ready for sawing and over six feet long.
Longleaf Pine: Has needles occurring in bundles of 3s about 12" long with cones about 7" long. This pine is peculiar in that it develops
very little during the first 1 to 5 years of its life. During this time the top is a dense bunch of green needles and is often mistaken for grass.
This tree is found on a variety of sites but grows best on well-drained sandy soils. Longleaf pine can grow to 150' and a diameter of nearly 4'.
See Southern Yellow Pine.
Loose Knot: A knot which is not firmly fixed; a knot not held tightly in place by growth, shape or position.
Lumber: The wood product of a sawmill and/or planing mill with all four sides sawn and/or planed.
Lumber Grader: A person who grades lumber against a recognized standard set of grading rules.
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Machine Bite: A depressed cut of the machine knives at the end of the piece. See manufacturing defects.
Machine Burn: A darkening of the wood due to overheating by machine knives or rolls when pieces are stopped in the machine. See manufacturing defects.
Machine Gouge: A groove cut by the machine below the desired line. See manufacturing defects.
Machine Offset: An abrupt dressing variation in the edge surface which usually occurs near the end of the piece and without reducing the width or without
changing the plane of the wide surface. See manufacturing defects.
Machine Stress Rated (MSR): Lumber that has been evaluated by mechanical stress rating equipment. Each piece of MSR lumber is non-destructively
tested to determine its Modulus of Elasticity (E), which is a measure of its stiffness. Research has shown that a direct relationship exists between
the bending stiffness of a piece of lumber and its bending strength.
Manufacturing Defects: Defects that result from sawing and dressing lumber. See mismanufacture and drying defects.
Medium Check: A check that is not over 1/32" wide and not over 10" long. See checks.
Mismanufacture: Includes all defects or blemishes, produced in manufacturing. See chipped grain, hit and miss, hit or miss, loosened grain,
machine burn, machine bite, machine gouge, raised grain, skip, torn grain, variation in sawing ,and manufacturing defects.
Mismatch: An uneven fit in worked lumber when adjoining pieces do not meet tightly at all points of contact or when the surfaces of
adjoining pieces are not in the same plane.
Mixed Grain (MG): Lumber may be either vertical grained or flat grained pieces or both.
Modulus of Elasticity (E): A ratio of the amount a material will deflect in proportion to an applied load.
Moisture Content: The moisture content is the weight of the lumber and the weight of moisture it contains compared to oven dry weight of wood.
See air dried, kiln-dried, and kiln.
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Natural Characteristics: Characteristics which occur naturally in a piece of lumber as it grows.
Natural Defects: Defects that result from how a tree grows such as knots or decay.
No. 1 Grade: Lumber recommended for general utility and construction where high strength, stiffness and good appearance are desired.
No. 1 PRIME: Grade based on No. 1 Dimension Lumber characteristics except that holes, skip, and wane are closely limited to provide
a high-quality product. See PRIME and No. 2 PRIME.
No. 2 Grade: Lumber recommended for most general construction uses where moderately high design values are required. Allows well-spaced knots of any quality.
No. 2 PRIME: Grade based on No. 2 Dimension Lumber characteristics except that holes, skip, and wane are closely limited to provide a
high-quality product. See PRIME and No. 1 PRIME.
No. 3 Grade: Lumber appropriate for use in general construction where appearance generally is not a factor.
Nominal: As applied to timber or lumber, the size by which it is known and sold in the market. See dressed size.
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Occasional Pieces: Not more than 10% of the pieces in a parcel or shipment.
Old Growth: Biologically, a stand of timber that is near its climax; such trees may be 200 years old or more. In timber management planning,
old growth also refers to timber that is older than the rotation age planned for future forests; this definition may include trees that are 100 years of age, or less.
On The Chain: Commonly known as the grading chain, the chain is a conveyor system that moves the lumber past graders just after the lumber leaves
the planer machines. Lumber graders must grade lumber while it is "On the Chain."
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Pallet: A portable platform used as a base for storing, stacking, and transporting goods in a unit.
Plywood: A flat panel made up of a number of thin sheets, or veneers, of wood in which the grain direction of each ply, or layer,
is at right angles to the one adjacent to it. The veneer sheets are united, under pressure, by a bonding agent.
Preservative: Any substance applied to wood that helps it resist decay, rotting, or harmful insects.
Peavey: A tool used for rolling logs. Similar to a cant hook.
Peck: Channeled or pitted areas or pockets found in cedar and cypress. Wood tissue between pecky areas remains unaffected in
appearance and strength. All further growth of the fungus causing peckiness ceases after the trees are felled.
Precision End trimmed (PET): Lumber is trimmed square on both ends to uniform lengths with a manufacturing tolerance of 1/16" over or under in length in 20% of the pieces.
Pitch:
1) The accumulation of sticky resinous substance that oozes out of logs.
2) The number of teeth per inch on a saw blade or band.
Pitch Seam: A shake or check which contains pitch. See checks.
Pitch Streak: Is a well-defined accumulation of pitch in the wood cells in a streak.
Pith: The small central core, often darker in color, of the cross section of a tree. The pith represents primary growth formed when woody stems or branches elongate.
Pith Knot: A knot which is sound in all respects except it contains a pith hole not over 1/4 inch in diameter.
Planer Tear: A separation of wood fibers usually between springwood and summerwood caused by the tearing action of the planer knife where
the grain runs out of the wood along the edge of the piece. See manufacturing defects.
Pocket: A well-defined opening between the annual rings which develops during the growth of the tree. It usually contains pitch or bark.
Precision-End Trimmed (PET): Lumber trimmed square on both ends to uniform lengths with a manufacturing tolerance of 1/16 inch over or under in length in 20% of the pieces.
Pressure Treating: A process of impregnating lumber or other wood products with various chemicals, such as preservatives and fire retardants, by forcing the
chemicals into the structure of the wood using high pressure.
PRIME: PRIME lumber is a grade description for a special product variation of 2" Dimension Lumber intended for use where appearance and
strength are a consideration. See No. 1 PRIME and No. 2 PRIME.
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Quarter Sawn: A method of sawing lumber to produce vertical grain lumber with no boxed heart. Boards are sawn on approximately radial lines from the center of the log.
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Rabbeted Bevel Siding: Bevel siding with a rabbeted joint milled on the reverse of the thick edge to facilitate alignment of pieces.
Rabbeted Edge: A channel or recess cut out of the edge along the length of the piece caused by misaligned chipper heads or double arbor saws.
Raised Grain: A roughened condition of the surface of dressed lumber in which the hard summerwood is raised above the softer springwood, but not torn loose from it.
Random Lengths: Lumber of various lengths, usually in even two-foot increments. Lumber offered as random-length will contain a variety of lengths
which can vary greatly between manufacturers and species. A random-length loading is presumed to contain a fair representation of the lengths being
produced by a specific manufacturer.
Resaw: A saw used to continue the breakdown of logs into lumber. These saws can be circle saws or bandsaws and come in a variety of orientations.
They can process cants, slabs, or boards into smaller thinner pieces.
Right Angle: A right angle is made by a 90 degree intersection of two lines. 90 degrees is one-fourth of a circle which is 360 degrees.
Ripped Lumber: The product of sawing any width of lumber to develop narrower lumber.
Roller Check: A crack in the wood structure along the length of the piece caused by a piece of cupped lumber being flattened between machine rollers.
A light roller check is a perceptible opening not over 2' long. A medium roller check is a perceptible opening over 2' long but not exceeding 4' in length.
A heavy roller check is over 4' in length. See checks.
Roller Splits: A crack in the wood structure along the length of the piece caused by a piece of cupped lumber being flattened between machine rollers.
Rough Lumber: Lumber which has not been dressed (surfaced) but which has been sawed, edged, and trimmed.
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Sapwood: The wood of pale color near the outside of the log. Under most conditions the sapwood is more susceptible to decay than heartwood.
Saw Cut: A saw cut is a cut perpendicular to the length of the piece and is usually caused by malfunctioning trimmer saw or saws. Cuts can occur
in two ways: (1) the cut passes completely through the thickness and extends across a portion of the width and; (2) the cut does not pass completely
through the thickness and may extend completely or partially across the width.
Scale: The volume of a log or lumber in board feet or other units of measurement.
Scribner: A particular log scale rule. The Scribner scale has several different styles called a, b, and c. These were developed for logs smaller
than 12 inch diameter because the original rule didn't take those sizes into account. There is another style of the rule called decimal. This
means that log volumes are rounded to the nearest ten board feet. The most common Scribner rule is Scribner Decimal C.
Seasoning: Evaporation or extraction of moisture from green or partially dried wood. See air dried, kiln-dried, and kiln.
Select Structural: Dimension lumber of this quality is limited in characteristics that effect strength and stiffness values. This grade is
recommended for use in applications where both high strength and stiffness values and good appearance may be required.
Set: The difference between the thickness of the tooth in a saw and the thickness of the blade of the saw. Proper set is extremely important
in saw maintenance. There are two types of set, Spring set and Swage set. Spring set means the teeth have been bent one way or another. Swage
set means the teeth have been widened in both directions.
Set Works: The device on a carriage that is used to incrementally move the log toward the saw.
Shortleaf Pine: Shortleaf pine occurs throughout the Southeast. Like the slash pine, its needles are in clusters of twos, and the needles,
which average about four inches in length, are the shortest of the four Southern pines. The cones are likewise the smallest, being about two
inches long. Shortleaf pine is found on a variety of sites but is most common on dry upland soils. It can attain a height of 130 feet with a
diameter of four feet. See Southern Yellow Pine.
Simple Knot: A knot that shows on the wide face of a lumber piece. Simple knots may show on the entire edge of a piece. A Simple knot may or
may not pass completely through the piece depending on where the pith was/is located.
Shake: A lengthwise separation of the wood which occurs between or through the annual rings of growth.
Side Cut: Pith is not enclosed within the four sides of the piece.
Skip: An area on a piece that failed to surface clean. Skip is caused when the width or thickness of a piece is too small to allow the planer
to remove all the rough surface. See "hit and miss", "hit or miss", and manufacturing defect.
Skips: An area on a piece that failed to surface clean. Skip is caused when the width or thickness of a piece is too small to allow the planer
to remove all the rough surface. See "hit and miss", "hit or miss", and manufacturing defect.
Slab: The piece of wood cut off a log that is round on one side and flat on the other. These are produced from the first cuts on logs and the
edging of flitches. They can be used for firewood, siding, or can be processed into lumber if large enough. See edger.
Slash Pine: Found primarily along the Gulf Coast. It is noted for its early fast growth. The needles occur in bundles of twos, and are about
nine inches long. The cones average about four inches in length. Slash pine normally occupies low, moist sites, but - like loblolly pine -
is aggressive and quickly takes over abandoned and cut-over land. The larger trees are sometimes 120 feet tall and three feet in diameter.
See Southern Yellow Pine.
Slope of Grain: The deviation of the line of fibers from a straight line parallel to the sides of the piece.
Small Check: A check that is not over 1/32" wide and not over 4" long. See checks.
Softwood: Generally, one of the botanical groups of trees that in most cases have needlelike or scale-like leaves; the conifers, also
the wood produced by such trees. The Term has no reference to the actual hardness of the wood.
Sound: Free of decay.
Sound Knot: A knot which contains no decay.
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB): Located in Pensacola, Florida, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the maintenance of high
standards in the Southern Pine forest products industry. Benefits of SPIB quality control programs extend to everyone engaged in the production,
sales, and distribution of Southern Pine as well as to specifiers and buyers. See TP.
Southern Yellow Pine: Lumber cut from Southern Pine trees is classified as Southern Pine and, based on its rate-of-growth wood quality, as dense.
See shortleaf pine, slash pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, and softwoods.
Spike Knot: A knot whose face is on the edge of a piece of lumber and "spikes" toward the middle of the piece. The most important thing to
remember about Spike knots is that the knot occupies space from the edge of the lumber piece and tapers towards the pith of the piece. Spike
knots are also easy to recognize and measure. See wide-face spike knot.
Spiral Grain: A deviation in the slope of grain caused when the fibers in a tree take a spiral course around the trunk of the tree
instead of the normal vertical course.
Split: A split is a separation of the wood through the piece to the opposite surface or to an adjoining surface due to the tearing apart of wood cells.
Splitter: The device behind a circle saw that keeps the two pieces from binding together on the saw. These can be fixed or can be rotating.
Springwood: The portion of the annual ring that is formed during the first part of the growing season. It is lighter in color, less dense and
weaker mechanically than summerwood.
Square Corners: Corners without eased edges but having an allowance for wane in certain grades.
Square Edged: The piece is free from wane and without eased edges.
Square-End Trimmed: Lumber trimmed square and having a manufacturing tolerance of 1/64" for each nominal 2" of thickness or width.
Standard A: Standard "A" Manufacture admits: very light torn grain; occasional very light chip marks; very slight knife marks.
Standard B: Standard "B" Manufacture admits: very light torn grain; very light raised grain, very light loosened grain; very light chip marks;
average of one very light chip mark per lineal foot but no more than two in any lineal foot; very light knife marks; slight mismatch.
Standard C: Standard "C" Manufacture admits: medium torn grain; light raised grain, light loosened grain; very light machine bite; very light
machine gouge; very light machine offset; light chip marks if well-scattered; occasional medium chip marks; slight knife marks; slight mismatch.
Standard D: Standard "D" Manufacture admits: heavy torn grain; medium raised grain, very heavy loosened grain; light machine bite; light machine
gouge; light machine offset; medium chip marks; slight knife marks; very light mismatch.
Standard E: Standard "E" Manufacture admits: very heavy torn grain; raised grain, very heavy loosened grain; medium machine bite; machine gouge;
medium machine offset; chip marks; knife marks; medium wavy dressing; medium mismatch.
Standard F: Standard "F" Manufacture admits: very heavy torn grain; raised grain, very heavy loosened grain; heavy machine bite; machine gouge;
heavy machine offset; chip marks; knife marks; medium wavy dressing; medium mismatch.
Standard G: Standard "G" Manufacture admits: loosened grain; raised grain; torn grain; machine bite; machine burn; machine gouge; machine offset;
chip marks; medium wavy dressing; mismatch.
Stellite: An alloy that is welded on to saw blade tips that is tough hard and durable. A bead is welded on and ground into the shape of a tooth.
It is generally cheaper than carbide, less brittle than carbide, but somewhat softer than carbide.
Stress Grades: Lumber having assigned working stresses and modulus of elasticity values in accordance with accepted basic principles of strength grading.
STUD: Dimension lumber from 2" to 4" thick and 2" wide or wider, in other words 2x2's through 4x18's, may be graded and classified as "STUD".
Summerwood: The portion of the annual ring that is formed after the springwood formation has ceased. It is darker in color, more dense and stronger
mechanically than springwood.
Surface Check: A check that occurs on a face of a piece. See checks.
Swage: A tool used to spread the end of a saw tooth to a width greater than the thickness of the saw blade. This is used to provide proper set in a saw.
Southern Yellow Pine: A species group, composed primarily of Loblolly, Longleaf, Shortleaf, and Slash Pines. Various subspecies are also included
in this group. This group refers to the southeastern United States, from Texas to Virginia.
Species: A category of biological classification; a class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name. "Species" is
always properly used with the "s" when referring to trees or other biological classifications.
Spruce-Pine-Fir: Canadian woods of similar characteristics that have been grouped for production and marketing. The S-P-F species have moderate
strength, are worked easily, take paint readily, and hold nails well. They are white to pale yellow in color. The largest volume comes from Eastern
Canada (Saskatchewan and east), where the principal species in the group are: Red Spruce, Black Spruce, Jack Pine, and Balsam Fir. The principal
species of the group originating in Western Canada (British Columbia and Alberta) are White Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, and Alpine Fir.
Some lumber production in the New England States also is marketed as Spruce-Pine-Fir (south).
Stud: A framing member, usually cut to a precise length at the mill and designed to be used in framing building walls with little or no trimming
before it is set in place. Studs are most often 2x4s, but 2x3s, 2x6s, and other sizes are also included in the stud category; studs may be of wood,
steel, or composite material.
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Taper: The difference between the diameter of the large end of a log and the diameter of the small end of the log.
Three-Face Knot: When a knot occupies both wide faces of a lumber piece and a portion of the edge it is called a three-face knot. A three-face knot
occurs when the pith is not located in the lumber piece. The larger the knot face on the edge is, the larger the knot is inside the piece. Three face
knots are measured differently from a simple knot or spike knot.
Through Check: A check that extends from one surface of a piece to the opposite or adjoining surface. See checks.
Tight Knot: A knot which is so fixed by growth, shape, or position that it retains its place in the piece.
Timber Break: A compression failure across the grain that usually results from a shock to the tree or log that can occur in the forest or during processing.
Torn Grain: An irregularity in the surface of the piece where wood has been torn or broken out by surfacing. See manufacturing defects.
Total Measurement (TM): A practical method of quickly and accurately judging the grade of any knot on the chain. TM is the SUM of all of the parts of
the knot which must be measured eliminating the need to determine the average knot size.
Treated: Wood products infused or coated with any variety of stains or chemicals designed to retard fire, decay, insect damage or deterioration due to weather.
Trim: To cross-cut a piece to a given length.
Trimmer Saws: Gangs of circular saws used to cut pieces of dressed lumber to specific lengths.
Trimming of Lumber: The act of cross-cutting a piece to a given length.
Twist: A deviation flatwise, or a combination of flatwise and edgewise, in the form of a curl or spiral, and the amount is the distance an edge of a piece
at one end is raised above a flat surface against which both edges at the opposite end are resting snugly. See warp.
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Under-Dried Lumber: Lumber which has not been dried to 19% or lower moisture content. Under-dried lumber is also called heavy lumber.
Unsound Knot: A knot which contains obvious decay.
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Variation in Sawing: A deviation from the line of cut.
Vertical Grain (VG) (Edge grain EG) (Rift grain): A piece or pieces of lumber sawn at approximately right angles to the annual rings so that the
rings form and angle of 45 degrees or more with the surface of the piece.
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Wane: Bark or lack of wood from any cause, except eased edges, on the edge or corner of a piece of lumber.
Wane Dip: A wane dip is wane that extends across a surface to occupy full surface for a part of the length of the piece. A very short wane dip
occupies the full surface for not over 4" of length. A short wane dip occupies full surface for not over 16" of length.
Warp: Any deviation from a true or plane surface, including twist, cup, bow, crook or any combination thereof.
Water Soak: Water Soak or Stain is a water-soaked area in heartwood, usually interpreted as the incipient stage of certain wood rots.
Wavy Dressing: Involves more uneven dressing than knife marks. See Manufacturing Defects.
Well Spaced: The sum of the sizes of all knots in any 6" of length of a piece must not exceed twice the size of the largest knot permitted.
More than one knot of maximum permissible size must not be in same 6" of length and the combination of knots must not be serious.
Well Spaced Knot: The sum of the sizes of all knots in any 6" of length of a piece must not exceed twice the size of the largest knot permitted.
More than one knot of maximum permissible size must not be in same 6" of length and the combination of knots must not be serious.
White Specks: Small white or brown pits or spots in wood caused by the fungus Fomes pini. It develops in the living tree and does not develop
further in wood in service. Pieces containing white speck are no more subject to decay than pieces which do not contain it.
Wide-Face Spike Knot: When a spike knot breaks one or both wide faces of a piece of lumber and the pith is inside the piece, you have a
Wide-face Spike Knot. Wide-face spike knots are measured as a combination of simple knot and spike knot.
Wood: A hard fibrous substance that makes up the greater part of stems and branches of trees and/or shrubs beneath the bark.
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©2005 Southern Pine Inspection Bureau | All Rights Reserved
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