| Term |
Definition |
| Earlywood | Less dense (and generally wider) part of a growth ring. Also called 'springwood', since it generally occurs in spring during the early stages of the growing season. |
| Edge | The narrow surface of a piece, also called ‘thickness’ (as opposed to the ‘face’). |
| End split | Separation of fibres in the end of a piece that runs from one surface to another surface (not to be confused with a ‘check’). |
| Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) | Moisture content of timber once it is in balance (i.e. in ‘equilibrium’) with the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. |
| Exceptionally low density | Pieces that are abnormally low in density for that species – that is, below 75% of the average density for that species at 12% moisture content. |
| End split | Separation of fibres at the end of a piece that extends from one surface to another surface – not to be confused with a ‘surface check’. |
| Face | The wide surface of a piece (as opposed to the ‘edge’, or ‘thickness’, of the piece). |
| Feature | Natural characteristics in the timber that affect its appearance, such as figure and grain variations. |
| F grade | Maximum pressure (or ‘force’) that a piece can withstand without bending beyond an acceptable limit, expressed in megapascals (MPa). For example, a piece graded to F11 will have safe working stress in bending of 11 MPa. |
| Fibre saturation point | Point in seasoning where the cell cavities are free from water (see ‘free moisture’) but the cell walls are still saturated with ‘bound moisture’ – generally about 30% MC in most species. |
| Figure | Features that appear on the surface of timber due to the way the piece has been cut from the log – such as: bird’s eye, fiddle-back, ribbon and wavy figure. |
| Fine-sawn (FS) | Sawn to a relatively smooth surface (i.e. smoother than ‘rough sawn’), but not dressed with cutter knives. |
| Finger joint | Technique for joining short-length pieces (called shooks) by gluing together the fitted wedge-shaped fingers at each end. |
| Fleck | Small spots or marks caused by rays, variations in grain, or tiny deposits of gum or mineral matter. |
| Flitch | Sawn timber in a large cross-section size, suitable for re-sawing into smaller sizes. Sometimes also called ‘baulk’ or ‘cant’. |
| Framing | Timber used in the construction of wall frames, roof trusses and other types of building framing. Sometimes referred to as ‘scantling’. |
| Free moisture | Moisture which is present in the cell cavities of wood. |
| Fungal decay | Breakdown of wood fibres caused by wood-eating fungi. |