The Different Cuts of Wood: Understanding Their Characteristics and Uses
When milling a log it's not as simple as rolling it onto the mill bed and ripping into it with the blade. The way a log is cut will have a variety of different implications for its use and durability. For anyone using wood, understanding these cuts is important to achieving the best results within their projects. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the intricacies of live-sawn, quarter-sawn, rift-sawn, and plain-sawn wood. Once it has been milled, it's also important to dry the lumber properly. Have a read here on how I recommend doing that.
Live-Sawn Wood: The Big Ol' Slab
Live-sawn timber, also known as slabs, showcases the raw, unaltered beauty of wood. This cut method involves sawing the log straight through, resulting in diverse grain patterns and knots. In a single slab, you can often find each of the other three types of cuts.
Milling
It is common to be asked to slab up a log as a sawyer. For me I am limited to the width of my mill, being 800mm in diameter. Often, due to the naturally occurring features in a log, this is further reduced. I often recommend a thickness of about 75mm. This allows for a chunky final thickness once it has been dried and flattened.
This type of cut is the most cost-efficient and produces the least amount of waste. The log is laid on the deck of the mill and each slab is cut in one direction, without changing the orientation. This reduces the labor costs needed to produce it. It also increases the yield from a log, increasing the return on investment.
Woodworking
Slabs have a varied appearance in their finished look. They may require careful planning to ensure consistency in woodworking designs. They generally provide a more rustic look as this type of cut showcases more of the log's natural characteristics.
Quarter-Sawn Wood: A Happy Medium
Quarter-sawn timber stands out for its stability and resilience. By slicing the log so that the grain runs vertically to the face of the board the wood exhibits straight grain patterns. This is commonly achieved by cutting the log into quarters before sawing that log into planks. (hence the name).
Milling
A quarter-sawn board is very stable. As a rule of thumb, over a 300mm wide board, there will be an average of 4mm of seasonal movement. This means it's less prone to warping and twisting, especially when seasoning (drying) the wood for use.
Several methods can be used to mill a log into quartersawn boards, but each will result in the grain running vertically to the face of the board. Quarter sawing takes time as it involves regularly reorientating the log. It also produces more waste as you are looking for the grain to run as close to vertical as possible.
Woodworking
The stability and resistance to warping of quarter-sawn boards make them an ideal option for long-lasting pieces. It is a preferred choice for high-quality furniture, musical instruments, and durable flooring.
Rift-Sawn Wood: The Popeye of Cuts
Rift-sawn timber presents an elegant, uniform appearance. Obtained by cutting the log at an angle perpendicular to the growth rings. It showcases very consistent straight-grain patterns and exceptional stability. It will be used to avoid naturally occurring features in certain types of wood, for example, flecks common in oaks.
Milling
This is an extremely expensive type of cut. This is because of the amount of time it takes to produce rift-sawn boards and takes a lot of attention and skill by the sawyer to produce this timber. There is only a small section of a log suitable for rift-sawn timber. Therefore it produces a lot of waste, resulting in a low yield from the log.
Rift-sawn timber has minimal if any, movement. This makes it brilliant for situations where minimal movement needs to be achieved. It also produces an extremely consistent and even grain pattern on finished boards. Finally, they are extremely strong and durable.
Woodworking
This type of cut is an excellent choice for chair legs, table pedestals, and architectural elements where uniformity and durability are crucial. However, finding rift-sawn boards will often prove to be very difficult, as not many mills produce them due to associated costs.
Plain-Sawn Wood: Quick and Common
Plain-sawn timber is the most common method. It involves the least amount of time to produce (after slabbing) and has the lowest production of waste. The boards are cut with the grain running vertically throughout the board.
Milling
Producing plain-sawn timber is the most common type of milling I do. Often clients are unsure about the final use of their timber, and so want to find a medium between cost and quality of boards. There is no point for them to have me produce rift-sawn boards if they don't have a specific use in mind.
This type of cut is fast, efficient, and produces a good yield. The disadvantage of it is that it is susceptible to movement, especially cupping and warping. As another rule of thumb, over 300mm there will be seasonal movement of up to 8mm (twice that of quarter-sawn boards).
Woodworking
Plain-sawn produces various grain patterns, often in a cathedral-type configuration. It is suitable for cabinetry, paneling, exterior trim, and general construction.
Conclusion: Understanding Timber Cuts
Understanding timber cuts is fundamental when using wood. Each cut type offers unique aesthetics and strengths making them more suitable for different applications. Whether drawn to the rustic charm of live-sawn, the precision of quarter-sawn, the uniformity of rift-sawn, or the versatility of plain-sawn wood, each has distinct applications.
To select the most suitable timber you need to understand the visual appeal and as well as structural integrity. Hopefully, you can now leverage this knowledge to choose the most appropriate type of cut to mill depending on your end use.
Now that you know about the types of cuts, call us today to see how we can help make your idea become a reality!
