Rift sawing

Schematic Riftsawn log using a common technique

Rift sawing (radially sawing) is a technique of cutting boards from logs radially so the annual rings are nearly 90° to the faces.^[1] When rift-sawn, each piece is cut along a radius of the original log, so that the saw cuts at right angles to the tree's growth rings. Quarter sawn is defined as boards made by sawing a log into quarters and then sawing out boards in parallel cuts^[2] with varying angles of the sides to the growth rings up to 30°,^[3][4] 45°^[5] or 60° from the annual rings. However, quarter-sawn and rift-sawn are used with opposite meanings and as synonyms^[6] so there is confusion about their meanings.

Rift-sawing produces lumber of the greatest stability and wear.^[7] However, since this produces a great deal of waste (in the form of wedge-shaped scraps from between the boards) rift-sawing is much less-commonly used than flat sawing and quarter-sawing. The waste may be used as firewood or for some other purpose.

Flat-sawing produces the least wood waste and fastest sawing, but produces boards which are more susceptible to cupping and shrinkage, and which have a distinctive grain which may be aesthetically undesirable for some uses. Quarter sawing produces smaller boards than flat sawing, but has a straighter grain, which in addition to being visually pleasing, makes the lumber more stable. Quarter-sawn wood is seen as an acceptable compromise between economical but less-stable flat-sawn wood (which, especially in oak, will often display the distinct "cathedral window" grain) and the expensively-wasteful rift-sawn wood, which has the straightest grain and thus the greatest stability.

References

1. Whitney, William Dwight. "Rift 1." def. II 1. The Century dictionary; an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language,. vol. 6. New York: The Century Co., 188991. 5,176. Print.
2. Whitney, William Dwight. "Quartered" def. 4. The Century dictionary; an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language,. vol. 6. New York: The Century Co., 188991. 4,898. Print.
3. Hall, Dennis J., and Nina M. Giglio. Graphic Standards Field Guide to Residential Construction. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011. 218. Print.
4. Koones, Sheri. House about it: dream, design, dwell. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2004. 186. Print. (Good illustration)
5. Porter, Brian, and Christopher Tooke. Carpentry and joinery. 3rd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. 13. Print.
6. Pulver, Harry E.. Materials of construction,. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1922. 144. Print.
7. Punmia, B.C., Ashok Kumar Jain, and Arun Kumar Jain. Basic civil engineering: for B.E. / B.Tech first year courses of various universities including M.D.U. and K.U., Haryana. New Delhi: Laxmi Publications, 2003. Print.