QA

Question: What Is Quarter Sawn Lumber

Quarter sawn lumber is defined as wood where the annular growth rings intersect the face of the board at a 60 to 90 degree angle. When cutting this lumber at the sawmill, each log is sawed at a radial angle into four quarters, hence the name. Dramatic flecking is also present in red oak and white oak. Find out more.

What is the advantage of quarter sawn lumber?

Some advantages of quartersawn lumber: Shrinks and swells less in width. Cups, surface-checks, and splits less in seasoning and in use. Raised grain caused by separation in annual rings does not become as pronounced.

What are the disadvantages of quarter sawn wood?

More expensive than plain sawn material Quarter sawn wood is more expensive because it is more labor intensive to produce and the manufacturing process produces more waste than plain sawn lumber.

Is quarter sawn wood better?

Quarter-sawn wood is more stable than plain-sawn. Not only is it less prone to cupping, it also expands and contracts less. Quarter-sawn provides a “quieter” and straighter face grain than plain-sawn.

Is quarter sawn wood more expensive?

While quarter sawn oak is more expensive than plain sawn, the value it provides in terms of structural integrity and beauty make it the obvious choice for anyone looking for a quality piece.

Why is quarter sawn better than plain sawn?

In addition to the desirable grain pattern this type of wood is some of the most dimensionally stable, making it ideal to work with. Quarter sawn lumber exhibits almost no twisting, warping and cupping. It is more resistant to moisture penetration and less prone to surface checking and raised grain.

What are the pros and cons of quarter sawn timber?

Quarter-Sawn Lumber produces much less usable lumber than Plain-Sawn lumber, making it more expensive. It is often still sought after becuase it is more stable. It is less likely to cup or twist and there are fewer surface checks and splits. It also wears more evenley.

What is better rift sawn or quarter sawn?

Due to the position of the growth rings in the cut, Quarter Sawn lumber is more dimensionally stable than Plain Sawn. It resists expansion and contraction on plank’s width. Rift Sawn lumber is the most elite of the cuts.

What is a disadvantage of rift sawn lumber?

Cons to Rift Sawn Lumber Cost: Because it is so labor-intensive, rift-sawn wood costs more than quarter-sawn or plain-sawn lumber. Waste: Rift-sawn wood produces the most wood waste of the three methods, which is another reason that it’s more expensive.

What are the disadvantages of live sawing?

Live-sawing produces a high percentage of quarter-sawed boards, and boards with heartwood centers and sapwood edges. This may cause greater than normal degrade losses during air-drying and kiln-drying.

Which method of conversion is the cheapest?

Live Sawing or sawing Through and Through is the most economical method of timber Conversion. The appearance of the Wood Grain is affected by the way the board is cut. Radially Cut timber produces the most stable and hard wearing timber but it is also the most expensive.

What is the difference between White Oak and quarter sawn white oak?

About Quarter Sawn White Oak Quarter Sawn White Oak is the same species as White Oak but the wood has been cut from the log at a different angle (quartered). It is more stable than standard (flat sawn) White Oak and has a finer texture with a dramatic flaking pattern that runs perpendicular to the grain.

HOW MUCH DOES quarter sawn oak cost?

For low/medium fleck quarter sawn you can expect to pay between $4.08 to $24.20 per board foot based on 8” to 16” widths. For higher fleck quarter sawn it is approximately $4.58 to $27.20 based on the same widths. Use your square footage measurements to calculate how much the planks will cost you in total.

How can you tell if a wood is quarter sawn?

A board with growth rings running roughly parallel—usually in arches—relative to the face of the board is called a plain-sawn (or flat-sawn) board. If the growth rings are at a steep angle relative to the face, the board is said to have quartersawn grain.

Why would you quarter saw a log?

There are several reasons to consider quarter sawing your lumber because the grain patterns in some hardwoods are in great demand. For example, quarter sawn oak is more valuable than plain sawn oak. Quarter sawn lumber refers to the angle at which the tree’s growth rings intersect the face of the sawn board.

Which is more durable the quarter sawn lumber or flat sawn?

The quarter sawn method is a little bit more costly. However, it’s also more dimensionally stable than the flat sawn boards. Quarter sawn lumber is a little harder to find, but it’s worth it if you’re willing to spend a little more money on a more stable board that boasts unique designs.

Which type of sawn lumber provides the nicest most tightly spaced grain figure?

quartersawn-produces tightly spaced, regular grain structure; used more for trim and flooring, and other finish work. Quarter sawn wood has the straight grain and is much more expensive due to the greater amount of waste that is generated in the milling process.

What is quarter sawn timber?

Quarter sawn lumber is defined as wood where the annular growth rings intersect the face of the board at a 60 to 90 degree angle. When cutting this lumber at the sawmill, each log is sawed at a radial angle into four quarters, hence the name. Dramatic flecking is also present in red oak and white oak. Find out more.

Is sawn timber strong?

C24 Grade – C24 graded sawn timber is a premium structural timber with fewer and smaller knots than C16 grade. It is stronger and therefore used where wider spans or higher loads are required.

What is the advantage of using back sawing to produce timber boards?

Back sawing helps to obtain high-grade timber from logs. Most structural timber and many appearance products are backsawn. With backsawn timber, the long face of each board is close to a tangential face, and the short face is close to a radial face.