Joinery Term Explained

[pollys13]

I looked into this some time ago, scantlings. I Googled but not much the wiser I think it was.... sorry to do with.... Windows.

 

[Jacob]

I looked into this some time ago, scantlings. I Googled but not much the wiser I think it was.... sorry to do with.... Windows.

It sez ere;
1.
a timber beam of small cross section.
2.
a set of standard dimensions for parts of a structure, especially in shipbuilding.

Two completely different meanings.

There's a lot of odd terms in various craft trades, most not used much, many not having clear meanings - different things to different people.

 

[thetyreman]

in my oxford dictionary it says

scantling > noun

1. a timber beam of cross section

-the size to which a piece of timber or stone is measured and cut

2. (often scantlings) a set of standard dimensions for parts of a structure, especially in shipbuilding.

3. archaic a specimen, sample, or small amount of something

ORIGIN early 16th cent. (denoting prescribed size, or set of standard dimensions): alteration of obsolete scantillon (from old French escantillon 'sample'), by association with the suffix -LING

 

[deema]

My understanding is that scanting is cut from thin stuff and almost always includes the heart / close to the heart. For this reason it’s considered low quality timber and it’s price reflects it.

 

[skipdiver]

Not heard of scantling but scant timber is rough sawn stuff for studwork and the like.

 

[pollys13]

I looked into this some time ago, scantlings. I Googled but not much the wiser I think it was.... sorry to do with.... Windows.

It sez ere;
1.
a timber beam of small cross section.
2.
a set of standard dimensions for parts of a structure, especially in shipbuilding.

Two completely different meanings.

There's a lot of odd terms in various craft trades, most not used much, many not having clear meanings - different things to different people.

Ah

 

[pollys13]

OK thanks people.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Can't say I have heard it for a long time but my feeling is of poor quality small section (scrap)

Cheers Peter

 

[RobinBHM]

These days the term is used to describe engineered joinery sections, probably only in Europe and China as I guess the term is a translation to English

http://www.holz-lohse.de/index.php?opti ... 86&lang=en

 

[Mike Jordan]

I used to buy teak skantling from a timber merchant to make beading and edgings. It was small section material left when larger sections had been ripped to size, idea for my use and quite a bit cheaper than the huge price charged for teak in larger cross sections. I'm not sure that the terminology is correct but that was how it was referred to.

 

[dickm]

In my native dialect from the Welsh Border, scantlings were any small section, waney edged bits of waste timber, usually destined for the fire.