Descriptionary

jig saw see saber saw.

keyhole saw see compass saw.

miter box a boxlike cutting guide having 45° and 90° cutting slots, for making perfect angle cuts.

pocket saw a flexible wire that has been coated with fine particles of tungsten carbide; it can be car- ried in a pocket, is used for rough cutting, and is popular with campers.

radial arm saw a circular saw mounted perma­nently in a stationary table; it is used for a variety of cuts and can be angled 90°.

reciprocating saw an elongated, upright power saw used for cutting in tight spaces or for cutting through walls and nails at the same time, as in renovation work. Also known as a bayonet saw.

rip saw same as a crosscut saw but having teeth designed for cutting wood with or along the grain, such as down the length of a board.

ryoba a Japanese saw resembling a meat-cutter's knife; its blade has teeth on both sides—one side for crosscutting and one side for ripping.

saber saw a portable power saw with a short, thin blade that bobs up and down, used for making elabo­rate cuts. Also known as a jigsaw.

table saw a stationary table in which a circular saw protrudes from a slot; wood is fed into the saw, unlike a radial arm saw.

veneer saw a small saw for cutting veneer or for making shallow cuts.

screwdrivers

offset screwdriver an S-shaped screwdriver that is turned as a crank, used for getting at screws in tight spaces. Also known as a cranked screwdriver.

Phillips head screwdriver a common screwdriver with a cross or crisscross head, for use with Phillips head screws.

return spiral ratchet screwdriver a ratcheting screwdriver with a blade turned by pushing down on the handle.

screw-gripper screwdriver a screwdriver with a split blade for holding screws in place, for one-hand use.

spiral ratchet screwdriver a screwdriver with a ball-like handle and a ratcheting mechanism.

stubby a short screwdriver for use in tight spaces.

weights and measures

astronomical unit (AU) the average distance of the Sun from the Earth, about 93,000,000 miles, a com­monly used measurement of distance in astronomy.

bale a large bundle, such as cotton, weighing approximately 500 pounds.

board foot 144 cubic inches—12 inches by 12 inches by 1 inch.

bolt 40 yards, a measurement for fabric.

Btu British thermal unit; the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1° Fahr­enheit.

carat 200 milligrams, for weighing precious stones.

chain 66 feet; 80 chains in a mile; a measurement used in surveying. Also known as Gunter's chain.

cubit an ancient unit of measurement, derived from the length of the forearm to the tip of the middle fin­ger, approximately 17 to 22 inches.

decibel a unit of loudness, specifically the softest amount of change the human ear can detect.

freight ton as a measurement for mass cargo, the equivalent of 40 cubic feet of freight.

great gross 12 gross, or 1,728.

gross 12 dozen, or 144.

hand derived from the width of the hand, specifi­cally 4 inches, as used to measure the height of horses.

hertz a unit of frequency equal to 1 cycle per second.

hogshead two liquid barrels; 14,653 cubic inches.

horsepower a unit of power equal to 745.7 watts; the power necessary to lift 33,000 pounds for a dis­tance of 1 foot in one minute.

karat a measurement denoting the purity of gold, for example, 12 karat gold is 50 percent gold and 50 percent alloy; 24 karat gold is 100 percent pure gold.

knot a unit of speed equal to 1 nautical mile per hour, or about 1.15 statute miles per hour.

league a unit of distance equal to 3 miles.

light-year an astronomical unit of measurement, specifically the distance light travels in a year's time, about 5,880,000,000,000 miles.

link a surveyor's unit of measurement equal to 0.01 chain, or 7.92 inches.

magnum a 2-liter bottle.

nautical mile 6,076 feet, or 1,852 meters.

parsec an astronomical unit of measurement equal to 3.26 light-years, or 19.2 trillion miles.

pi the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14159265.

pipe a unit for measuring liquids, the equivalent of 2 hogsheads.

ream a unit for measuring paper, the equivalent of 500 sheets.

roentgen a unit of radiation exposure produced by X-rays.

score a group of 20 units or items.

sounding a measured depth of water.

sound, speed of approximately 1,088 feet per sec­ond when measured at 32° Fahrenheit at sea level; the speed varies according to altitude and temperature.

span a measuring unit derived from an outstretched hand, the equivalent of 9 inches, or 22.86 centimeters.

square 100 square feet; used in construction.