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Glossary

 

Dovetail: A joint made of interlocking fan-shaped tails and pins, used to join two pieces of wood securely.

Furniture leg with volute:A leg ending in or decorated with a spiral scroll, resembling a snail shell.

Mortises and tenons: A joint in which a projecting tenon on one piece fits into a mortise, a rectangular recess cut in another. The word "mortise" comes from the Old French mortaise. (Mortoise word used in Canada).

Rack: The rack has a rod with several notches, allowing the shelves to adjust to the desired height.

Wood:Wood is the hard, fibrous material that makes up the trunks and branches of trees. There are many types: hardwoods such as oak, softwoods such as pine, fruitwoods such as cherry, and exotic woods such as iroko.

Wood has been used to make furniture for thousands of years, and it still fascinates cabinetmakers, scientists, engineers, academics, architects, and designers. ale University in the United States has identified 43,545 different types of wood turpentine.

Wood is the ultimate eco-friendly material: it is renewable and helps reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing carbon dioxide, and it continues to store that carbon after it has been made into furniture.

Wood has also advanced medical science through biomechanics. Research by Professor Claus Mattheck and his team in Germany has revealed the mechanical principles that allow trees to support their own weight. Today, surgical pins are designed with the physical laws that govern trees in mind.