Woodworking

A round wooden peg that joins two pieces of wood by fitting into a hole drilled in each.

A screw with a coarse thread and a sharp point, made for driving into wood.

A screw for joining wood through pocket holes. It has a washer head or pan head that is flat underneath. If a screw pokes through, check the jig and depth settings first.

A flat oval piece of wood that is glued into matching slots in two boards.

A flat metal plate screwed over the joint between two pieces of wood, for reinforcing spots that don't carry load. If something that bears weight, like a chair or a structural member, has broken, have it checked separately.

A metal plate bent at a right angle that holds a wood corner together. Square up the corner first, then fasten it.

Hardware for flat-pack furniture. Turning the round cam grips a bolt and pulls the panels tight.

A nut set into wood so a bolt can be removed and tightened again many times. Depending on the product, you screw it in or press it in. A badly stripped hole may not be usable as it is.

A U-shaped metal bracket that hangs a deck or floor joist from the beam. A sagging joist needs its cause checked first, and new hardware alone may not fix it.

A wheel fitted under furniture or a cart so it can roll.

A long hinge that runs the full length of one edge of a door or lid. It won't hold a lid open, so a heavy lid needs a separate lid support.

A pull-down latch that hooks over a catch and draws the lid of a box or case tightly shut.

A metal plate fixed under a tabletop so a table leg can screw into it.

An adhesive for bonding wood to wood, usually a white water-based (PVA) product. For a chair joint, check for damage, clamp it together, and wait until the glue has fully cured before using the chair.

A paste for filling cracks and screw holes in wood, which you then sand smooth. It is not meant for structural repair or for making a stripped screw hole hold again.

Abrasive paper for sanding a surface smooth. The higher the number, the finer the grit.

A finishing oil for indoor furniture that soaks into the wood, brings out the grain and protects it.

A coating that forms a clear film over wood to add shine and protection. Where the old finish is peeling, scrape off the loose parts before recoating.

A strip applied to the cut edge of plywood or MDF to hide the raw edge.

A board made of thin wood layers glued together with the grain crossed.

A smooth board made of compressed wood fibers that takes paint well. Even moisture-resistant MDF is not waterproof, so where a panel has swollen, fix the leak or damp first.

A wide board made by gluing narrow strips of solid wood side by side.

Standard-size sawn lumber from spruce, pine and fir, sold in sizes such as 2x4. A platform that people will stand or sit on needs the member sizes, support spacing and joint loads checked.