Rabbet
An L-shaped cutout formed in the edge or end of a piece of stock, usually for joinery purposes. One common example of rabbets is the recessed cuts in the backs of picture frames. Although rabbets generally have 90 corners, angled rabbets are also used occasionally.
Racking
Force exerted that twists the components of a joint in opposite directions.
Radial Shrinkage
Shrinkage in a piece of lumber that occurs across the growth rings as it begins to dry.
Rail
(1) A horizontal board that runs along the underside of a table. (2) The horizontal part of a raised panel door.
Raised Panel
A piece of wood that is the center of a frame and panel assembly.
Rasp
a long and flat steel tool with raised teeth for shaping wood.
Ray
A ribbon like figure caused by the strands of cells which extend across the grain in quarter sawn lumber.
Reaction Wood
Abnormal wood formed in a leaning tree, often characterized by a dense hard brittle grain and propensity to react irregularly to seasonal moisture changes. In hardwood trees, it forms on the upper side of the lean and is called tension wood. In softwood trees it forms on the lower side of the lean and is called compression wood.
Reed
a series of beads in a row.
Relief cut
short straight cuts made at right angles to a curved layout so sharper than normal curves can be cut with a jig saw or band saw.
Resaw
Re-cutting dressed lumber to produce two or more thinner pieces.
Resawing
The process of slicing a thick piece of stock into several thinner pieces. Although this operation is usually performed on a bandsaw, depending upon the thickness of the stock being cut, it can also be done on a table saw or scroll saw.
Riffler
a paddle-shaped rasp.
Rift sawn
similar to quarter-sawn.
Ring shake
a shake occurring between annual rings.
Rip Bevel
A bevel cut on the edge of a piece of stock that runs with the grain of the wood. Rip bevels are used most often for decorative purposes or for creating "invisible" joints where the sides of square, octagonal or other shaped posts, boxes or similar projects meet.
Rip Cut
A cut made along (or with) the direction of the grain of the wood.
Ripcut (Ripping)
A cut made parallel to the grain of a board. See - Crosscut (crosscutting)
Rotary-cut Veneer
Veneer which was cut from a log in one long sheet. Rotary cut veneer is cut from a log like a roll of paper towels.
Round over
A convex shape milled onto the edge or end of a board.
Round-Edge Lumber
Boards having attached bark on both edges.
Rounding
The first step in the turning process after a workpiece is mounted in the lathe. Rounding is performed at low speeds to eliminate sharp corners in preparation for the initial shaping operations.
Rub Bearing
A ball bearing rub collar near the top or bottom of a spindle shaper that is used to keep the workpiece a fixed distance away from the cutters.
Rule Joint
A joinery method used in drop leaf tables where the tabletop has a convex profile and the leaf has a concave cut. The two pieces are joined by a hinge.
Runout
The amount of wobble in a shaper or router.