1. Check if a door jamb is perpendicular to the floor
   See if a wall shelf is crooked
2. Measure floor tiles to check if they are even
   Check if countertops are perfectly square

You probably know all about how levels are used to make sure flat surfaces, like a painting or shelf, are perfectly parallel to the floor. Fewer are aware of how carpenters use plumb bobs, however. These weights dangle from a string and are used to check whether vertical objects like door jambs are perpendicular to the floor.

1. Batten
   Shim
2. Ogee
   Veneer

Veneer is a very thin slice of wood, only a couple of millimeters thick, which is glued to a core made of plywood or a similar material. This gives you all of the gorgeousness of expensive woods with none of the huge costs or environmental effects.

1. Lightweight wood trim
   Roof joists
2. Wall studs
   Hardwood floor installation

Made from much finer wire than regular finish nails, brad nails also have tiny heads. This makes them perfect for jobs where you don't want to have to look at nail holes (think wooden trim, window casing, furniture and molding). Use regular finish nails for jobs that need a bit more strength.

1. Sheet wood
   Studs
2. Paint
   Tile

Pro carpenters know that oriented strand board, or OSB, is one of the best sheet woods for subfloors, walls and ceilings. Thanks to strips of wood arranged for stability and joined with adhesive, OSB is tougher and more durable than plywood.

1. 60 grit
   120 grit
2. 400 grit
   600 grit

The roughness of sandpaper is measured by grit, and lower numbers are coarser than higher numbers. When removing tough old finishes on a great curb find, start with 60-grit sandpaper and gradually work your way up to finer grits as the project progresses.

1. 6 inches
   10 inches
2. 18 inches
   21 inches

Building a set of stairs is a simple task for a skilled carpenter, but it requires knowledge of building codes. In the U.S., stair treads must be at least 10 inches deep so people have enough room to put a foot down safely. The risers between each tread can't be taller than 7-3/4 inches.

1. Angled edge
   Rounded edge
2. Painted edge
   Perfectly square edge

A request for a beveled edge means that you should cut or sand the edge at an angle. This type of edging is not only decorative but can also be safer and longer-lasting than a squared-off edge.

1. Rift cut
   Bookmatch
2. Slip match
   Quarter-sawn

Sheets of veneer allow carpenters to make objects from rare or expensive wood at a fraction of the cost of using solid hardwood. The way these veneer sheets are arranged is called matching. When the veneer forms a mirror image, this is known as bookmatch, and it's popular on things like doors or paneling.

1. Bit
   Screw
2. Chisel
   Lathe

That round part of a power drill that opens and closes is known as a chuck. By inserting different metal bits into the chuck, carpenters can do anything from drilling a hole to fastening a screw and more.

1. Pizza
   Cookie
2. Biscuit
   Potato

Carpentry biscuits get their name from their round shape. These circles of wood can be inserted into grooves cut into two pieces of lumber to join them securely together. This type of joinery work requires a tool known as a biscuit joiner.

1. Building a deck
   Framing interior walls
2. Crafting a table
   Constructing a desk

Pressure treated lumber is treated with chemicals that give it superior resistance to insects and rot. While that's great for outdoor building jobs like a deck, it's not the best choice for interior projects due to the chemicals involved.

1. Speed square
   Carpenter's square
2. Combination square
   Plumb bob

While power tools and fancy gadgets have taken the place of many woodworking tools, there's nothing like a classic carpenter's square for marking angles during layout. Also known as a speed square or combination square, this tool makes quick work of layout and is simple enough for anyone to use.

1. Cut at an angle
   Cut metal
2. Accept different blades
   Cut thicker lumber

Circular saws and miter saws look similar at first glance, but skilled carpenters know that there is a major difference between these tools. While a circular saw can only cut at a 90-degree angle to the table, miter saw blades can be tilted to cut at different angles.

1. Bookcase
   Door-sized opening
2. Archway
   Kitchen cabinet

If the boss asks for a cased opening, you'd better get to building an opening for a door, just without the door. A cased opening is just like a doorway, including all molding and trim, but is left totally open, no door or hardware required.

1. Laminate
   Board and batten
2. Raised panel
   Parquet

Way back in the 16th century, the finest woodworkers would carve and arrange wooden blocks to form parquet floors. Today, this effect is often achieved using simple molded or pressed wooden tiles.

1. It's harder than any softwood.
   It's softer than any softwood.
2. It comes from a broadleaf tree.
   It comes from a coniferous tree.

Carpenters know that the terms hardwood and softwood have nothing to do with hardness, and everything to do with what type of tree produced the wood. Hardwoods come from broadleaf trees and include oak, elm, maple and hickory. Softwoods come from conifers and include fir and pine.

1. Drywall
   Chipboard
2. Plywood
   OSB

Drywall is the most widely-used choice for interior walls, but carpenters know better than to use it outdoors where it could get wet. For exterior sheathing, builders can choose from sheet wood options like plywood, chipboard or OSB.

1. Welded frame
   Knockdown frame
2. Pre-hung frame
   Double-swinging frame

Once a frame has been installed in a wall, installing a new one can cause significant wall damage. Knockdown frames make this process easier because they come in three pieces that can be slipped into place without damaging the existing surfaces.

1. Batten
   Dowel
2. Furring strip
   Shims

Butt joints, where two pieces of wood are butted together, are simple to make but also inherently weak. To boost durability and help these joints hold together, carpenters can insert wooden pins called dowels into holds carved into each piece.

1. 1750
   1890
2. 1940
   1990

Are you looking to build a period piece or restore an old piece of furniture? Better use the right nails. Those made before 1890 were mostly made by hand and had rectangular or square shanks. Modern machined nails made since 1890 have round shanks.

1. Batten
   Bevel
2. Shim
   Awl

Wooden or plastic shims are small scraps of material that can be used to even out a crooked cabinet, door frame or window. They are also useful for silencing a squeaky floor by inserting them between the joists and the subflooring.

1. Cost
   Skill
2. Materials not available
   Fire

Just half a century ago, most homes were framed using a balloon technique, where studs extended all the way from the ground to the roof level. Today's carpenters know that balloon framing does little to contain a fire, so platform framing is typically used instead.

1. Awl
   Spade bit
2. Hole saw
   Router

There are so many tools that make it easy to cut holes in wood that only someone with no tools on hand would try to use an awl to complete the job. Hole saws, routers and spade bits all make quick work of hole drilling.

1. Cat's paw
   Ball peen hammer
2. Pipe wrench
   Hex key

An Allen wrench is a common carpentry tool used to work with bolts that have hexagonal heads. This wrench comes in a variety of sized to fit different bolts, and is also known as a hex key.

1. Square
   Round
2. Star
   Cone

Installing a regular screw on a piece of furniture can really mar the finish because the head of the screw will stick up above the surface. Countersink bits create conical holes that accommodate countersunk screws, causing the head of the screw to sit flush with the surface instead of protruding up.

1. Miter saw
   Circular saw
2. Chop saw
   Jigsaw

Many power saws used in a wood shop feature large round blades that spin through lumber. Jigsaws and other reciprocating saws are different between they use a push-pull motion to move a straight blade through wood and other materials. This makes them ideal for carving shapes into a sheet of plywood or cutting through a stud you're trying to remove.

1. Baseball bat
   Bookshelf
2. Cabinet
   Door frame

A wood lathe isn't designed to cut wood on its own. Instead, it holds the wood in a spindle and turns it as a carpenter molds, cuts and shapes it by hand. You can also use tools and bits to carve objects like pencils, baseball bats, or table and chair legs.

1. Roof
   Floor
2. Walls
   Garage

Wainscot is just a fancy name for wall paneling, and it's typically installed on the lower portion of interior walls. While carpenters can carve these panels by hand, many are sold pre-formed and cut for quick and easy installation.

1. Varnish it
   Angle it
2. Carve a scroll pattern
   Paint it

A chamfer is just a fancy type of bevel. While a standard bevel results in the entire edge being angled, a chamfer is a 45-degree angle between two flat surfaces, which means that only part of the edge is angled while the other part is flat. A chamfer is visually appealing and can make edges safer in terms of bumps or bruises.

1. Punching a hole
   Carving molding
2. Smoothing plywood
   Cutting lumber

An awl is an old-school tool that's particularly useful for carpenters who prefer hand tools to power tools. The tool is used to pierce a hole in wood, breaking the fibers, which helps prevent splitting when inserting a nail or screw.

1. Varnish
   Epoxy filler
2. Joint compound
   Insulation

Epoxy wood fillers are ideal for replacing rotted or damaged material in wood. Simply remove the rotted wood, mix the resin and hardener components together, then fill and shape before allowing it to dry. Don't forget to follow up with a sealer to prevent future damage.

1. Hammer
   Lumber
2. Drywall
   Nails

The term pennyweight comes from an ancient Roman coin called denarius, meaning penny, which gives the modern penny its "d" designation. A 2 penny, or 2d nail measures an inch long, while a 10d, or 10 penny nail measures 3 inches long.

1. Ripping
   Sanding
2. Cross-cutting
   Side-trimming

There are two basic ways to cut a piece of wood. Cross-cutting involves cutting against or perpendicular to the grain, like cutting a 2x4 across its 4-inch width. Rip cutting is when you cut parallel to the grain, like if you cut a length of lumber from end to end.

1. Batten
   Varnish
2. Urethane
   Linseed oil

Battens are narrow lengths of wood used to reinforce joinery. Varnish, urethane and linseed oil are all sealers used to protect wood from things like moisture and staining.

1. Pine
   Maple
2. Cherry
   Oak

Maple is the most common wood species to offer a grain pattern known as bird's eye, which is so-named because it resembles a bird's eyes sprinkled across the wood's surface. While maple is more likely than other woods to offer this desirable finish, it can also be found on some varieties of ash or yellow birch.