Beef-wood is the timber of some species of Australian trees belonging to the genusCasuarina, of a reddish colour, hard, and close-grained, with dark and whitish streaks, it is chiefly used in fine ornamental work. Research Beef-Wood
A dam is a bank or construction of stone, earth, or wood etc across a stream or river for the purpose of keeping back the current to give it increased head, for holding back supplies of water, for floodinglands, for rendering the stream above the dam navigable by increased depth, and for generating electricity. Its material and construction will depend on its situation and the amount of pressure it has to bear. For streams which are broad and deep strong materials are required, usually stone masonry bound in hydraulic cement and a strong framework of metal or timber. The common forms of a dam are either a straight line crossing the stream transversely, or one or two straight lines traversing it diagonally, or an arc with its convex side towards the current. Research Dam
A deal is the division of a piece of timber made by sawing, that is a board or plank. The name deal is chiefly applied to boards of fir above 7 inches (18 cm) in width and of various lengths exceeding 6 feet (1.8 meters). If 7 inches or less wide they are called battens, and when under 6 feet long they are called deal-ends. The usual thickness was 3 inches (7.6 cm), and width 9 inches (23 cm). The standard size, to which other sizes may be reduced, was 1.5 inch thick, 11 inches broad, and 12 feet long. Whole deal is deal which is 1.5 inch thick; slit deal, half that thickness.
A draw-knife is a carpenter's tool consisting of a usually curved blade with a handle at each end at right angles to it. In use the draw-knife is drawn towards the user to remove wood from a surface, similar to a plane but more controllable. Draw-knives were anciently used for roughly rounding timber prior to turning on a lathe, and are still used by craftsmen around the world. Research Draw-Knife
Dudgeon is the timber from the root of the box-tree. It was at one time used for making the handles of small daggers, which were then known as dudgeons. Research Dudgeon
Fustic is the wood of the tree Maclura tinctoria, a tree of the mulberry order growing in the West Indies. It is a large and handsome tree, and the timber, though, like most other dye-woods, brittle, or at least easily splintered, is hard and strong. It is extensively used as an ingredient in the dyeing of yellow, and is largely imported for that purpose.
Young Fustic is the wood of the Rhus cottinus or Venice sumach, a South European shrub with smooth leaves and a remarkable feathery inflorescence. It yields a fine orange colour, which, however, is not durable without a mordant. Research Fustic
In carpentry, a horse is a wooden frame used as a work bench. There are various types of carpenter's horses including the saw-horse, a frame used for supporting timber while it is sawn and the shave-horse which is a frame with a clamp or vice used for holding timber while it is shaved with a plane or draw-knife.
In military terminology, a horse was a wooden frame with a sharp ridge formerly used in armies as a punishment for delinquent soldiers who were forced to sit upon it. Similar items are used today in SMsexgames. Research Horse
Lancewood is the timber of certain trees of the genus Guatteria. Coachbuilders used to make the shafts of traps from the main stems of the West Indian tree Guatteria virgata, which was renowned for its strength and elasticity. Research Lancewood
Logwood is the timber of the Central American tree campeachy. Logwood is yellow, but turns red when exposed to the air and is used to supply a dark red and black coloured dye. Research Logwood
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Beef-Wood
