How Hardwood Logs Are Cut

The sawing method decides the grain you see, the price you pay, and — most importantly for furniture — how much the board will move when Central Texas humidity swings between a hot garage and an air-conditioned house.

Wood shrinks and swells mostly across the growth rings, not along them. Tangential shrinkage (parallel to the rings on a plain-sawn face) runs nearly twice radial shrinkage (perpendicular to the rings). That is why a plain-sawn panel cups across its width while a quartersawn board mostly changes thickness. When you look through a stack of lumber, you are looking at sawing decisions someone made at the mill — not random patterns.

Plain sawn (flat sawn)

Plain sawing is the most efficient way to break down a log: slice parallel to the pith, flip the cant, repeat. Face grain shows the cathedral arches woodworkers love for table tops and panel doors. The tradeoff is stability — those tangential faces move more with seasonal humidity.

In the store, plain-sawn red oak and walnut dominate because yield is high and the look is familiar. For wide panels glued from multiple boards, plain sawn is fine if you design for movement — breadboard ends, elongated screw slots, figure-8 fasteners. Do not expect a 14" single-board plain-sawn top to stay flat forever without help.

Quarter sawn

Quarter sawing starts by dividing the log into quarters, then slicing radially toward the pith. Growth rings hit the face at roughly 60–90°, so width-wise movement drops sharply. White oak and sycamore show strong ray fleck on quartersawn faces — that shimmer is anatomy, not stain.

Quarter-sawn stock costs more because the mill creates more edging waste at the mill. For drawer sides, flooring, and anywhere you need stable width, it is worth the premium. When a customer complains that their oak tabletop cupped, plain-sawn stock is often the first suspect — not “bad wood.”

Rift sawn

Rift sawing targets rings at about 30–60° to the face. You get tight, parallel grain lines without heavy ray fleck — the look people ask for on table legs and modern cabinetry. Waste is higher than quarter sawn in many mills, so rift commands top dollar.

We do not always have rift labeled separately; sometimes it sits inside a “quartersawn” or “VG” sort. Read the face, not just the tag. If all four faces of a square leg blank look similar, you are probably looking at rift or true quartersawn stock.

Live sawn (flitch sawn)

Live sawing marches straight through the log without rotating for yield. You get a mix in one flitch: quartersawn core, rift bands, plain-sawn cathedrals near the bark. Wide live-sawn slabs for river tables often stay surprisingly stable because that quartered core anchors the board — but bark-side plain grain still moves more than the center.

Slab customers should understand which face was closest to the pith. The pith itself is trouble — always cut it out or isolate it in the design.

Slabs vs. edged boards

Edged boards are rectangles — ready for milling to thickness and ripping to width. Slabs keep the natural bark line (wane) and are cut thick for statement tops. Slabs need longer drying, more flattening, and honest conversation about checking at the ends.

When someone walks in asking for “a slab for a desk,” ask about finished size, leg attachment, and whether they have equipment to flatten 2"+ stock. The lumber is only half the project.