Glossary P

Panhead

Screw head designed to sit atop the material. Often used in metal work as a "sheet metal" screw.

Pellets

Wooden Plugs to cover screw heads.

Source: Home Craftsman 4 March-April 1935,  page 172.

Phillips Screwdriver

Name for patented cross (+) shaped screwdriver that is self centering. Comes in numerical sizes, #0 (tiny) to #2 (large). Occasionally in larger sizes. See also Posidriv and Reed and Prince.

Phillips screw or screwdriver: The Phillips screw or screwdriver (you can't have one without the other) was actually the invention of J. P. Thompson, who couldn't find anyone willing to manufacture the screws.

Henry F. Phillips (2066484 -click here for text of patent) of Portland, Ore., purchased the rights for the recessed crosshead design and obtained patent protection. He entered into a business arrangement with the American Screw Co. in Providence, R.I., which was better equipped to manufacture, the product. Phillips and the American Screw Co. prospered when automobile makers universally switched to Phillips screws.

Source: Philip Leon, "Name Brand Tools", Popular Woodworking December 2006, page 104

Pigeon Hole

Small space formed in bureaus, desks, etc., to store stationery.

This image is adapted from Aronson

Sources: Joseph Aronson, The Encyclopedia of Furniture  Crown Publishers, 1938, figure 465; Vic Taylor, Wood- worker's Dictionary , Hemel, Hempstead, England: Argus Books,1987; Pownal, VT: Storey Commun- ications, 1990, page 145.

Pilot Hole

Pin Router

See Router.

Pinion

A small gear designed to mesh in a larger gear or a toothed rack.

Source: Home Craftsman 4  January-February 1935, page 124

Plane

click here to go to hand plane

Planer

(Also Thicknesser) Used together with a Jointer it's a tool for flattening, squaring and dimensioning wood (For an extended historical account of the power planer, click here.)-- see my syllabus on the jointer/planer.

After smoothing one flat surface of a board with a Jointer, a Planer will produce wood of uniform thickness.

The etymology in the Oxford English Dictionary for "planer" is similar to Jointer, because tools were identified as "planers" long before the appearance of planers with rotary cutterheads. In that sense, an English dictionary records a "great plainer" in 1596.

(I know a little about dictionary making in England, and -- judging from that publication date -- conclude that the date -- 1596 -- is for one of the earliest of English dictionaries. In this era, dictionaries were limited to the vocabulary of "hard words", that is, dictionaries were visualized as aids to the literate -- about 2 percent of the population -- and were thus designed to define terms that would give the literate person difficulty.)

In 1828, William Woodworth, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., invented a Planing Machine which he described as

the combination of rotary cutters and feeding rollers and of rotary matching cutters so as to form a tongue or groove on both the edges of the lumber at the same time that the principal surfaces are planed.

The illustration below is adapted from the patent picture for this planer in the Directory of Tool and Machinery Patents database

[image needed] Below, a modern-day planer, for industrial settings, often seen in amateur woodshops as a reconditioned tool.

Sources:

For background on vintage planers, much sought after today, I encourage you to surf the Old Woodworking Machines website. In my syllabus on the Jointer/Planer, I cite numerous sources on planers and planing

Plywood

:

Historically, plywood appears in the 1920s, but not until the 1930s does plywood become a major component in furniture, especially from the design perspective.

Sources: Percy A Wells and John Hooper Modern Cabinetwork Furniture and Fitments six editions, 1910 -1952, 2d 1923 ed reprinted 21st century; Rodney Hooper, Woodwcraft in Design  and Practice 1937; Rodney Hooper, Modern Furniture Making and Design, 1939. (For an account of a major change in the content of the Wells and Hooper book reflective of the emergence of plywood as a component of furniture construction, click here. )

from John Gerald Shea, Plywood Working for Everyone, 1963:

What Is Plywood? Wood of itself is a wonderful material. ft has served mankind in countless ways through the centuries. The texture, the mellow tones, the toughness of this natural building material is hard to beat. But wonderful as it is, wood in its native state is subject to deterioration. It cracks, warps, splits, shrinks and swells. To make the most of the inherently fine qualities of wood for his long-term needs, man has been forced to add a few refinements and improvements. He has contrived methods to re-distribute the physical properties of wood and to control these properties to achieve greater structural strength and stability. To attain an improved product, the tree was taken apart and its contents redistributed. Thin sheets, or plys, of wood were shaved from the tree. These plys were welded with glue into a sandwich of three or more layers. The grain of each ply was bonded crosswise to the grain of ply-veneers above and below it. The result: a composite, multi-deck sandwich consisting of an odd number of wood plys, or layers, with grain running alternately in both directions. What are the advantages of this redistribution and reassembly of natural wood? One decided advantage, because the strength of wood lies with the grain, is the added toughness achieved when plys of wood are bonded together in opposing grain direction. In this way, both length and breadth are strengthened. The resulting panel, made up of alternating wood plys, is twice as strong and rigid as natural, solid wood. Other advantages are apparent in plywood's resistance to shrinkage. Solid woods tend to shrink across the grain. But in plywood this tendency is greatly minimized by the force of opposing longitudinal grain. In its overall aspects, you will find that plywood has better dimensional stability than wood and that it is less likely to alter its dimensions with each change of moisture content in the atmosphere. Because of the balanced construction of plywood -- with the grain of one ply bonding and crossing the grain of another -- it has much less tendency to warp than solid wood. Solid wood also is naturally subject to cracking, checking and splitting. On the other hand plywood will resist destructive impact because of its cross-laminated construction. And since plywood has no plane of cleavage, it is virtually splitproof. Origin of Plywood In the historic sense, there is nothing new about plywood. Centuries ago Chinese carpenters used the shavings from blocks of wood for surfacing furniture. Antique Chinese wood-work was fabricated on the cross-laminated, plywood principle. Early Egyptian furniture built on the plywood principle has survived generations to become museum pieces. Egyptian mummies were entombed in cases fabricated of plywood and veneer. In this country the plywood veneering technique was employed as early as the eighteenth century in fabrication of fine furniture. Daniel Webster's prayer desk, with a simulated ply-wood rack for holding the prayer book, is a notable American antique made of plywood-type materials. But the first attempts at mechanical production of plywood are said to have been made in France. In the 1860's a Frenchman by the name of Garand invented a mechanical veneer slicer. The difficulty with this device was that the thickness of the veneer could not be regulated. However, in the 70's Garand replaced his original cutter with the first rotary veneering lathe. This machine laid the foundation for; the ply-wood industry as it is known today. Evolution in machines since that date has been rapid. Douglas fir plywood, the original source of this nation's expanding plywood industry, is produced principally in the states of Oregon and Washington. It is here that the giant fir trees grow from which much softwood plywood is manufactured. This wood is ideally suited for peeling (veneering) on rotary lathes as well as for other processes of plywood fabrication. The first panel of Douglas fir plywood was exhibited at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, Oregon, in 1905. From this panel has grown an industry producing enough fir ply-wood alone to make a four-foot wide ribbon ofplywood encircling the globe almost ten times! The output of this industry is measured in billions of square feet. This is augmented by massive production of hardwood plywoods—another branch of the industry. Evolution of Plywood: -- The Waterproof Breakthrough Ever since its origin plenty of uses have been discovered for plywood. It found its way into the manufacture of numerous items for industry and the home. Because of its increased stability and ease of fabrication it was used extensively -- but only for construction that would not be exposed to moisture. Douglas fir plywood, the original source of this nation's expanding plywood industry, is produced principally in the states of Oregon and Washington. It is here that the giant fir trees grow from which much softwood plywood is manufactured. This wood is ideally suited for peeling (veneering) on rotary lathes as well as for other processes of plywood fabrication. The first panel of Douglas fir plywood was exhibited at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, Oregon, in 1905. From this panel has grown an industry producing enough fir ply-wood alone to make a four-foot wide ribbon ofplywood encircling the globe almost ten times! The output of this industry is measured in billions of square feet. This is augmented by massive production of hardwood plywoods—another branch of the industry. Ever since its origin plenty of uses have been discovered for plywood. It found its way into the manufacture of numerous items for industry and the home. Because of its increased stability and ease of fabrication it was used extensively-- but only for construction that would not be exposed to moisture. In fact, this very restriction of protection against moisture was its Achilles' heel. For like the fabled Wax Man who performed great wonders until assailed by the Sun and thereby melted, early plywood could do most anything, unless it was exposed to dampness. Thus, for use outdoors, it was worse than worthless; the glueline melted and it simply flaked apart. Among the first persons to observe this -- to their considerable regret -- were automobile manufacturers. Structurally, and because of its indoor endurance and stability, plywood was considered an ideal material for making floor boards and running boards as well as side panels for cars. The necessary surface protection was provided with numerous coats of paint and varnish. Even so, after a period of outdoor exposure surface plys commenced to bulge and flake apart. As the complaints of their customers ascended to an uproar, auto manufacturers had to forsake plywood. And thus the plywood industry not only lost one of its biggest customers but was also forced to reappraise the limitations of its product and to devise ways and means of doing something to improve it. The trouble lurked in the glueline. Plywood was only as good and enduring as the glue which held it together. During the early years of its manufacture animal glues were brushed on each joining veneer and the assembled panel was then set up in presses for drying overnight —a slow and costly operation resulting in a product which had to be kept dry and protected indoors. Later, starch, casein and even vegetable glues were introduced. But far from being water-proof these were not even water resistant. Visualizing the vast market awaiting ply-wood if it could only be used outdoors, the quest for a truly waterproof glue became a search for survival of the industry itself. In fact, during the depression years of the early thirties many plywood manufacturers went into bankruptcy and output of the entire industry declined alarmingly. This happened largely be-cause plywood was not qualified for exterior use. Meanwhile, a chemical engineer by the name of Dr. James V. Nevin was working on formulae for development of truly waterproof glue. Nevin, an Irish scholar educated extensively both here and abroad, was acquainted with the early works of Dr. Leo Bakeland, the German chemist for whom Bakelite is named. Bakeland conducted experiments with phenolic resins as early as 1909—and many of these experiments offered clues followed by Nevin in his later re-search. There was great jubilation throughout the plywood industry when, late in 1934, Nevin announced that he had developed a completely reliable waterproof glue. Extensive tests were conducted, and in January 1935 commercial production of the product began. First it was called "SUPER" plywood by its original manufacturer -- the Harbor Plywood Corporation. Soon its manufacture became common to the industry, where it was classified as "Exterior Type" -- a revolutionary turning point in the progress of plywood. Needless to say, Dr. Nevin's discovery of waterproof glue boosted the potential of ply-wood to hitherto unknown heights. All kinds of exterior construction which had previously been impossible—prefabricated housing, boat building, outdoor construction—all imaginable exterior applications of plywood, were now feasible as a result of Nevin's discovery.

Adapted from Walt Durbahn, "What You Should Know About Plywood",  American Magazine 157 no 5 May 1954. pages 68-69;

Thin layers of alternating grain make this one of the strongest of building materials. CAN you imagine wood being stronger than steel? It's a fact. At least, it is in the case of plywood. Pound for pound, plywood is one of the strongest of all building materials. Its strength is in its structure, which consists of alternating thin layers called veneers. Source: Walt Durbahn, "What You Should Know About Plywood", American Magazine 157 no 5 May 1954. pp 68-69

Today's plywood sheets -- normally sold in dimensions 8 foot by 4 foot -- are composed of layers Veneer, bonded together with special Adhesives/Glue, under great pressure and heat, so that the Grain —or fibers of the wood in each layer--run in opposite directions. Plywood sheets are plywood assembled in odd numbers of layers, or plies (from which it derives its name): 3, 5, 7, etc. The outside layers are called Face Veneers, while the layers in between are known as the core stock. This core stock usually is thicker, softer, and of a cheaper grade of wood. Face veneers, which give plywood its grain pattern, are of a higher-grade wood. 

Back in 1200 B.C. the Egyptians built mummy cases for their departed kings by gluing thin layers of wood to a thicker base. In a sense, this was plywood. The veneering of furniture was begun in the Middle Ages, and reached its peak around 1760, when it was featured by Chippendale, one of the most famous of all furniture designers. So, you see, the idea of plywood goes back a long time. Source: Walt Durbahn, "What You Should Know About Plywood", American Magazine 157 no 5 May 1954. pp 68-69

In the manufacture of plywood using wood such as mahogany, walnut, rosewood, teak, the logs are sliced lengthwise, to take maximum advantage of natural grain figuration Both crotch and fork sections of trees produce curly and/or flowerlike figure, often reminiscent of well-formed feathers. The burl, a wart-like projection on a tree trunk, has a large number of dark pith centers of undeveloped buds which appear like "eyes" or knots on the surface of veneers. These are what make burl maple, for example, such a desirable furniture wood. In addition, there are the striped, fiddleback, mottled, and several other designs—all produced by slicing the log in different ways. Source: Walt Durbahn, "What You Should Know About Plywood", American Magazine 157 no 5 May 1954. pp 68-69

Plywood Grading

Plywood, like solid lumber, is graded according to quality and finish.

Softwood plywoods -- especially Douglas fir or white pine -- which have the greatest use, have their own grades.

The top grade of plywood veneer -- classified "A" -- free of defects, with good color and texture -- can be stained, varnished, or lacquered.

More economical grades are B, C, and D.

"D" grade has a greater proportion of defects -- knots and knotholes, splits, pitch pockets, wormholes, patches.

Plywood marked "AA" is the best: both sides feature the best veneers. This is a good grade for furniture making.

If only one side of the plywood will show, specify "AB" grade.

"BD" is an economical grade for use as a sub-flooring, or as a base for linoleum and tile flooring.

Only slightly more expensive than interior grade, exterior plywood -- which is waterproof --  is for outdoor projects, or those conditions where it will be  exposed to moisture

Hardwood plywood grading is different. For hardwood plywood grading, the classification is numerical,

Grade 1 -- the top: "good both sides" has carefully matched veneers, matched for color and grain at the joints (where the narrow strips are matched and edge-glued).

Grade 2 is sanded on two sides but not matched for color and grain.

The poorest grade, 4, represents the rejects; it is used for cabinet backs and in other places where it will not show. 

Pocket Screw

A method of attaching face frame (and outer) members where a Jig is used to drill a Pilot for a Screw at an acute angle. This is used extensively in kitchen cabinet construction where the screw pockets will not be visible and where speed of construction is more important than project longevity. [Pocket screw - bottom of the angled "mortise" is flat and a flat bottom rather than a conical? Charlie B's comment]

Polyurethane

A liquid plastic coating used to seal and finish wood. Diluted 50%-50% with MS forms a "wiping poly". Used where a durable finish is needed.

Posidriv

Profile surface

See Molding

Proportion

See Golden Rctangle See discussions by R J DeCristoforo, Woodworking Mistakes and Solutions, New York: Sterling, 1996, pages 135-138. (No preview available on Google Print.); and Donis A Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1973.

Proud

[under construction] A Tenon, Lap, or similar part of a Joint that projects out from, or above, a surface. In Finishing, the projected material is Sanded and/or Planed flush. Flush itself is a term with a meaning closely related to Proud, in that instructions  woodworking projects often specify "leave proud" or "sand flush".

Provincial

In this context, mostly relating to the notion of "provincial" furniture. Also "vernacular".

When introducing his manual on Provincial Furniture, in the 1930s, John Gerald Shea argues,

During the past score of years the American people have shown marked interest in quaint historical types of furniture. This interest has been fostered through the renewed popularity of the early American antique. It has continued to include other kindred styles of furniture which emanated from other countries. Among the offerings of these other countries, that of France is particularly noteworthy. There is something about these unsophisticated provincial furniture designs which attunes them to our popular imagination. ...

Franklin H Gottshall's Provincial Furniture (1983) has one meaning of "provincial", ie,

skilled in the technicalities of their craft but not always sensitve to som of the finer principles of design as the more thoroughly schooled artisans.

From English Dictionary, ie, the dictionary's 5th meaning: Having the manners or speech of a province or "the provinces"; exhibiting the character, especially the narrowness of view or interest, associated with or attributed to inhabitants of "the provinces"; wanting the culture or polish of the capital.

[a1745 SWIFT (J.), A country 'squire having only the provincial accent upon his tongue, which is neither a fault, nor in his power to remedy.] 1755 JOHNSON, Provincial, ... rude; unpolished. a1774 HARTE Eulogius Poems (1810) 385/2 His mien was awkward; graces he had none; Provincial were his notions and his tone. 1813 M. EDGEWORTH Let. 6 Apr. (1971) 10 He ... speaks excellent language but with a strong provincial accent which at once destroys all idea of elegance. 1817 CHALMERS Astron. Disc. vi. (1852) 136 Christianity is not so paltry and provincial a system as Infidelity presumes it to be. 1863 TROLLOPE Rachel Ray I. vi. 118 Mrs. Rowan perceived at once that Mrs. Tappitt was provincial, ... but she was a good motherly woman. 1864 BAGEHOT Lit. Stud. (1878) II. 126 ‘Tristram Shandy’ ... Its mirth is boisterous. It is provincial. 1864 M. ARNOLD Ess. Crit. ii. (1875) 77 The provincial spirit, again, exaggerates the value of its ideas for want of a high standard at hand by which to try them. 1899 J. MCCARTHY Reminisc. II. xxxv. 252 Rather tall, very angular, surprisingly awkward..with a rough provincial accent and an uncouth way of speaking. 1909 A. W. EVANS tr. A. France's Penguin Island VII. ix. 312 Provincial women, since they wear low heels, are not very attractive, and preserve their virtue with ease. 1954 C. S. LEWIS Eng. Lit. in 16th Cent. I. i. 68 Scotch poetry had already a considerable achievement behind it and was by no means a local or provincial department of English poetry.

PVA Glue

Aka as Carpenter's Yellow Glue. A glue said to bond more strongly than the wood itself, used for general gluing of woodwork. Not suited to wet applications, as it is water soluble.