Industry Terms and Definitions
Below you can find a glossary of terms related to the lumber and timber industry to help you better understand SPTP’s products and services and how they can benefit your organization.
F.O.B.
Freight on board
Fell
To cut down a tree; a faller fells a tree, with a falling saw
Feller
A person who fells a tree with a chainsaw
Feller buncher
A self–propelled machine used to fell trees by shearing them off near the ground using a hydraulic apparatus; some models also strip limbs and "bunch" the logs for later pickup; the machines can be used on relatively level ground and are most common in the South
Field treatment
The application of wood preservative "in the field," as opposed to at a treating plant; such treatment is applied without pressure to cut ends, bored holes, and other newly–exposed surfaces of treated wood
File room
Room where saws and knives are sharpened
Filer
A saw filer; the person in a sawmill or logging operation who keeps the saws sharp
Fines
Fine milled chips used in production of particle board; fines are larger than sander dust or wood floor; the faces of particle board panels are made of fines, with coarser chips used to make up the inner parts of the particle board
Flitch
1. A log sawn on two or more sides from which veneer is sliced 2. Thin layers of veneer sliced from a cross–section of a log, as opposed to turning the log on a lathe and peeling from the outer edge in a continuous ribbon; flitch veneers are often kept in order as they are sliced from a log; this provides a pattern to the veneer as it is laid up in panels; panels that are laid up with matching flitches are said to have a flitch pattern 3. A product cut from a log by sawing on two sides and leaving two rounded sides; usually exported from joinery
Forester
One who practices forestry; a person trained in forest management
Fork
The place on a tree where the stem separates into two pieces; usually known as a defect
Framing
Lumber used for structural members in a house or other building; a skeleton to which roofs, floors and sides are attached
Freight forwarder
One who accepts small lot shipments from shippers and combines them for forwarding in large lots; if international shipments are involved, a forwarder will attend to customs procedure and documents
Freight rate
The charge assesed by a freight carrier for moving a commodity from one point to another; rates vary by distance and the types of commodity and the methods of calculating rates differ among rail, truck, and ship carriers
Full cell process
A process for impregnating wood with preservatives or other chemicals in which a vacuum is created to draw air from the wood before admitting the chemical
