Flatsawn vs Quartersawn...?

By definition, Quartered Sawn lumber produces lumber where by the growth rings are positioned at a 60° to 90° angle.

98% of the lumber produced in the world in plain sawn, which may make quartered sawn lumber mills seem small; However there are more than 4000 sawmills in the United States alone. Of the 2% that is produced, Taylor Lumber is the largest by far.

The most obvious characteristic of quarter sawn lumber is the type of grain pattern produced. By quarter sawing, the saw actually splits the medullary ray, causing the ray to appear shiny or reflective. (The German term for this is "Spiegel Shnitt" or "Mirror Cut".) The rift board does not have this shiny characteristic. It does produce vertical grain - usually used in a more contemporary setting specified by architects.

Appearance is not the only reason why quartered sawn is sought after. It also:

Does not shrink or swell in width (ideal for flooring in extreme conditions in High Traffic, Pubs, and Other Public Places)
Reduces twisting, warping and cup.
Wears less in flooring application.
Does not surface check or split.
Produces a better paint surface.
As described, quarter sawing is more of an art than plain sawing. Quarter sawing takes larger logs to saw this product, more production time in sawing each "quarter", all of which equates to a premium price.

The reason why 98% of mills do not sell quartered sawn is because of the technical skills and patience needed.

Plain Sawn Technique

(Top Half)



Quarter sawing produces both Rift and Quartered

(Bottom Half)

Chef said:

I just got a Lakland Skyline Hollowbody (niiiice), and one of the differences listed b/t the two is flatsawn vs quartersawn maple for neck material...
Whats the diff b/t flatsawn and quartersawn?
Advantage of one over the other?

Thanks-chef

Click to expand...

main difference is the way it's cut. theoretically, quartersawn will result in a stronger neck. In actuallity/useability for what we do, there is no actual advantage either way and flatsawn tends to have a nicer look to it. when you see a swamp ash body with those nice long grain lines, think flatsawn. thats a good example. nothing wrong with quartersawn, more of an overkill aspect and you will pay more for it as there is more waste when the lumber is milled.
pretty sure I got that right.

Roger Sadowsky actually had something to say about this in the FAQ on his website:

Chef said:

Question:
Do you use flat sawn or quarter sawn maple necks? What do you prefer about one over the other?

Roger Sadowsky answers:
We use flat sawn maple. Flat sawn maple can actually be stiffer than quarter sawn and has a nicer cosmetic look, in my opinion.
Our fingerboards, on the other hand, are quarter sawn and once again, this is for cosmetic reasons. Other neck woods, like mahogany, are significantly stiffer when quarter sawn but that is not the case with maple.

Click to expand...

seansbrew said:

By definition, Quartered Sawn lumber produces lumber where by the growth rings are positioned at a 60° to 90° angle.

98% of the lumber produced in the world in plain sawn, which may make quartered sawn lumber mills seem small; However there are more than 4000 sawmills in the United States alone. Of the 2% that is produced, Taylor Lumber is the largest by far.

The most obvious characteristic of quarter sawn lumber is the type of grain pattern produced. By quarter sawing, the saw actually splits the medullary ray, causing the ray to appear shiny or reflective. (The German term for this is "Spiegel Shnitt" or "Mirror Cut".) The rift board does not have this shiny characteristic. It does produce vertical grain - usually used in a more contemporary setting specified by architects.

Appearance is not the only reason why quartered sawn is sought after. It also:

Does not shrink or swell in width (ideal for flooring in extreme conditions in High Traffic, Pubs, and Other Public Places)
Reduces twisting, warping and cup.
Wears less in flooring application.
Does not surface check or split.
Produces a better paint surface.
As described, quarter sawing is more of an art than plain sawing. Quarter sawing takes larger logs to saw this product, more production time in sawing each "quarter", all of which equates to a premium price.

The reason why 98% of mills do not sell quartered sawn is because of the technical skills and patience needed.

Plain Sawn Technique

(Top Half)



Quarter sawing produces both Rift and Quartered

(Bottom Half)

Click to expand...

Excellent post. The only correction I'd make is that it does indeed shrink or swell in width. Just less so. Wood exhibits dimensional changes in all directions, radial (the face when quartersawn or the thickness when flatsawn), tangential (the thickness when quartersawn or the width when flatsawn)
(this has the greatest changes), and axial (the length of most boards) (this has the least dimensional reactance).

For example, using figures from the Link Removed for hard maple drying from green to 6% moisture content, shirinkage tangential = 7.6%; radial = 3.9%, and axial calulates (using the volumetric figure) to 1.2%.