Make Sure To Follow These Woodworking Tips
All woodworking tips should begin with the wood. More specifically, the lumber you buy at the yard. If your project is one that does not call for particleboard, or plywood, then there are three types of cuts to look for. These cuts are called, flat sawn, rift sawn, and quarter sawn. You will be able to save a lot of time by being able to tell which is which. You can do so by looking at the ends of the boards, in addition to the grain on the surfaces.
Flat sawn is generally the lower end of the scale in the lumberyard. The grain can be uneven, and the wood, susceptible to warping. If you look at the edge of these boards, you will see the angle of the growth rings. This is what shows what type of cut you are looking at. The flat sawn has rings that will be 30 degrees, more or less, to the face of the board. If the board has been cut from a particularly large tree, the rings can run almost parallel to the board. Although this sort of cut has the highest yield of lumber, and therefore, is priced low, it does come with its problems, aside from the warping issue. The density varies, and some spots are softer than others are. That means the soft parts will soak in more oil when you stain it, causing a darker stain in some place, and lighter, in others. That will leave a finish that looks odd, and almost amateurish.
Rift sawn is a better choice by a huge margin, and the good news is that you can often find this lumber mixed in with the same stacks as the flat sawn. The difference is evident immediately by looking at the edges of the boards. The rift sawn will have rings that are 30 to 60 degrees to the board's surface, and the grain on the lumber will run much more straight. This wood is more durable, and less likely to warp in humidity.
You would have to look through many lumber stacks for a long time to find a quarter sawn lumber that is mixed in with these stacks. A lot of waste is created by using this style of cut because larger trees are used, and a lot of excess wood is tossed. You will be paying more for this lumber, but it will be worth it. On the ends of the boards, you will see that the rings are about 60 to 90 percent to the face of the board, and the grain is straight, almost to the extreme. In addition, some of the hardwoods, such as white oak, or cherry, will show off highly figured grain, or, ray flecks, when quarter sawn. When this cut of wood is finished properly, the effects can be dazzling.
Working with wood is one of life's deep pleasures, and the experience is made even more rewarding when you are familiar with that which gives such pleasure.
