Lumber Sawing I

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Technical

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Technical Section

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How Lumber is Sawn

The arrangement of the annual growth rings will determine what face of oak boards will look like.

Plain Sawn		Quarter Sawn	Rift Sawn
PLAIN SAWN: The direction of the growth rings will be semi circles and the grain on the face will have cathedrals.
QUARTER SAWN: The direction of the growth rings will be at 90 degrees to the faces and the grain on the face will be straight. The medullary rays (flakes) will be evidenced on each face. Flake is often referred to as "tiger stripe" figure.
RIFT SAWN: The direction of the growth rings is between plain sawn and quarter sawn. The grain of the face will be straight with few if any medullary rays appearing. For sawing techniques refer to Lumber Sawing.

Advantages and Disadvantages of these Sawing Techniques:
Plan or Flat Sawn		Quartered or Rift Sawn
1.	Less waste but less stable.	1.	Most waste and therefore most expensive.
2.	Easier to kiln dry.	2.	Most stable but narrow widths.
3.	More shrinkage in width.	3.	Shrinks more in thickness than width.
4.	Less expensive.	4.	More difficult to kiln dry.
5.	Wider widths.

Illustration of Red Oak Lumber


Plain Sawn	Quarter Sawn	Rift Sawn

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