For the May issue of Wood News Online, Bob Rummer writes about the history of woodworking language and the importance of getting the details right:
A standard terminology is an important part of any craft or discipline. If you are going to be certified as a master electrician, you have to know the difference between a wire nut and a split bolt. More importantly, you have to be able to describe why you should use one over the other. Woodworking has its own craft terminology and there are many resources, dictionaries, and glossaries. In general, we are pretty clear on what is what although there are certainly some variations among us. I think we can live with “rebates” and “rabbets”. Maybe even with “slip feather” and “veneer spline”. However, when I see an expert making a “tusk-wedged tenon” when they are actually making a keyed through tenon — well, things have just gone too far.
Read the rest of Bob’s article
Read the rest of the May issue of Wood News Online