There are several different methods of sawing trees into usable lumber, quarter-sawn (quarter-sawn) lumber is a special method of milling trees that produces highly usable, very strong planks, and Much less waste than sawing lumber lengthwise. Quarter-sawn is especially good for oak and maple, where the exposed grain in the wood is important and plays a big role in its use in projects. Most lumber is made through a process called rip sawing (pan sawing lumber), an efficient method of using nearly every square inch of the tree to make usable planks. The hardest woods are made using the sawing method, which ensures that all the chips are aligned with the center of the tree. This creates a grain that runs through the wood and allows it to expand only along its length. The quarter saw is like the happy medium, presenting a cut that requires more time and effort but uses more usable wood than the rip saw.
There are several different ways to saw trees into usable lumber. Quartersawn Timber or lumber using a specific method for milling trees. It produces highly usable, very strong boards with less waste than regular sawn or length sawn lumber. Quarter sawn wood is especially good for oak and maple. With this wood, the exposed grain is important and plays an important role in its use in projects. Most lumber is made by a process called sawing (common sawing). This utilizes nearly every square inch of the tree to make usable planks.
What are the advantages of quarter-sawn lumber?
In short, the advantage of quarter-sawn lumber is structural.
The hardest woods are sawn lengthwise. This will align all planks to the center of the tree. This creates a grain that runs through the wood and allows it to expand only along its length. Quarter sawcuts provide a happy medium. It takes more time and effort to cut down, but it uses more of the trees' available wood. Because cutting is more difficult, more scrap is produced. Therefore, quarter-sawn lumber usually costs more than regular-sawn lumber.
How to Identify Quarter Sawn Lumber or Planks
Quarter-sawn lumber, or lumber, usually has nearly parallel grain lines that span the short dimension of the board. This is due to the fact that the planks are mainly cut according to the grain of the tree. Compare this to live-sawn timber, which ends up with soft, rough curves across the width of each plank.
Benefits of Quartersawn Wood
In a word (or two), the benefits of quarter-sawn lumber are appearance and stability. Since quarter-sawn lumber has a very consistent grain, the end product is more stable. The endgrain of the wood ends up essentially perpendicular to the surface of the plank. As a result, cardboard distortion and "cupping" are reduced.
Ever put wood on a deck and watch it cup (hope down? As the quarter sawn wood dries, the plank is less prone to warping or pulling into odd shapes. That's what we call a plank more" stable" means.
Now, let's consider oak or maple. Quartersawn oak was an important feature of the Decorative style of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, especially in the early 1900s. Sometimes cheap ash is stained to resemble oak, but it doesn't show the inherent ray flakes of Quartersawn Oak. The richness of the grain in the oak is evident in itself. It has visible ray spots which become less noticeable or even disappear when the oak is sawn.
How do you get Quartersawn wood from trees?
So how do you get a quarter sawn log from a tree? magic! just kidding. We cannot absolutely say that all factories use the exact same method. However, the name actually seems to be a good fit for the way the work is performed. Quarter sawn timber is actually cut into quarters before it goes through the mill. The "point" is set on top of the cut. In this way the wood is sliced and the grain is essentially perpendicular to the surface. The widest lumber is taken from the center of the four quarters. This is a way to arrange the particles collectively into a tighter pattern. It also gives the wood a unique and more consistent look.
expansion and contraction
It is important to understand how quarter sawn timber expands and contracts with moisture and humidity compared to quarter sawn timber or regular sawn timber. All wood has some movement. Quarter sawn timber has the advantage of moving along the width of the board rather than the height. An even bigger and more beneficial advantage, however, is that quarter-sawn lumber rarely twists or "bows." It is especially useful for rigid boards, cabinets and other uses where it may be unacceptable or challenging.
Why does this matter?
Honestly, if you're shopping for lumber at your local home improvement depot, you'll probably only come across plain sawn lumber. A quarter of sawn timber comes from sawmills that specialize in cutting boards this way. Because the manufacturing process produces less wood than common sawing methods, costs go up. It also takes more effort to cut quarter-sawn lumber at the mill. Ultimately, your supply will be more limited, and there may only be a handful of sawmills in your area producing it.
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