Plainsawn, Quartersawn, or Riftsawn? Choosing the Right Cut

nat rosasco • March 23, 2016

When designing one of our pieces of furniture, there are many options one needs to consider, including size, wood species, stain, custom finish, and more. But did you know that it’s also important to take into account the way in which wood is cut? Generally, there are three ways a sawmill cuts wood: plainsawn, quartersawn, and riftsawn. Deciding on a specific cut of wood not only plays a vital role in a piece of furniture’s design style, but also in its durability.

Plainsawn wood is the quickest and easiest to mill and therefore, it is the most readily available and affordable. Logs of wood are simply cut into parallel slabs. Due to the angle of the cut with respect to the annual rings, boards sawn in that manner reveal varied, cathedral-like grain patterns. Of the three types of cuts, plainsawn wood is the least structurally sound. Wood naturally expands and contracts due to moisture in the environment, which can cause cupping or warping. When wood cups, it does so in the opposite direction of the curve of its growth rings. As you can see in the image below, the annual rings of plainsawn wood make it easily susceptible to this fate.

Creating quartersawn wood is more time and labor intensive. First, a log must be cut into four quarters, and then each quarter is plainsawn. Because of the extra work involved, quartersawn wood is more expensive than plainsawn wood. However, quartersawn wood is also more dimensionally stable. The annual rings end up at a 60-90 degree angle with respect to the face of the board.

This increases the wood’s moisture resistance, so it is less likely to cup or bow. This cut also features a straight grain pattern that lends itself well to a linear design. In red and white oak, quartersawn wood also features beautiful flecking, a wavy pattern in the wood shown below.

Riftsawn wood is usually manufactured as a complement to quartersawn wood. In order to mill riftsawn lumber, the wood is cut perpendicular to the log’s annual rings. Because it is the most labor intensive and produces the most waste, riftsawn wood is the most expensive of the three. On the other hand, it is ideal for custom furniture because it is the strongest structurally and has a linear grain pattern on all sides of the board, as shown below. This makes it perfect for furniture that exposes all sides of the wood.

Whether you choose plainsawn, quartersawn, or riftsawn wood, there will always be an option to fit your design aesthetic and budget. Contact us so we can figure out the best option for you!

Images from here , here , and here.

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Inventory Sale

By nat rosasco • January 22, 2019

Reclaimed Table's huge selection of one-off, custom table tops are being sold at deep discounts at our Villa Park showroom. Find the durable tables you need for your next project, at prices you won't come across again!

Client Feature: Oak Tables & Benches for Navy Pier's Centennial Vision

By nat rosasco • July 17, 2018

Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier has always been a popular attraction since it opened just over 100 years ago in 1916. It currently welcomes 9 million guests per year. As explained on the Navy Pier website, the Pier was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and was originally based on architect’s Daniel Burnham’s “the People’s Pier” in his 1909 Plan of Chicago . It was originally known as “Municipal Pier,” but was renamed in 1927 in honor of the World War 1 Navy personnel who were housed there. As we blogged about a couple of years ago , Navy Pier has been undergoing renovations in honor of its “Centennial Vision” to reimagine and enhance the pier. While updating the pier with new programming and a greener landscape, this vision has also been attracting more local eateries ( like Tiny Tavern ) and shops, creating a space that’s more inviting to local Chicagoans. After providing pieces for the first phase of the remodel last year, we were pleased to continue to be part of this project for the recently completed phase two. Partnering with Gensler, we provided white oak tables and benches near the main entrance and for the brand new, 200,000 square foot Family Pavilion that features over 50 businesses. Fortunately, these pieces were created not only with their visual aesthetic in mind, but also to impressively withstand this sort of high traffic area. We also built the reclaimed red and white oak blade signs flanking all of the restaurants and shops, which creates a unified look within the complex. Much like the Pier, these signs have an interesting, rich history behind them. The red and white oak wood used to make the signs were actually horse fences on a farm in Mercy County, Kentucky that dates back to the late 1800s. Mercer county was one of the first settlements in the state, and the farm itself, Shawnee Springs, was originally over 2,000 acres. In the 1970s the farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. We knew the Navy Pier project was the right one for this specific wood-- historic wood for an historic landmark. (See our other applications of reclaimed red and white oak Kentucky horse fence here .) Check out photos of our tables, benches, and signs at the recently updated and unveiled Pier below. And if you’re in the Chicagoland area, you can check them out for yourselves in person, along with a whole host of entertainment on the Pier. Interested in some durable tables and benches for a high-traffic area? Contact us here to get started on your next project.

Aging Booker's Bourbon: Finding the 'Sweet Spot' for Flavor

By nat rosasco • June 18, 2018

When it comes to aging bourbon, Booker’s small batch bourbon has the process literally down to a science. Currently produced by the Jim Beam distillery, it was Jim Beam’s grandson, Booker Noe, who founded this brand in 1992 with bourbon from barrels he personally selected. According to the Booker’s Bourbon website, Booker was actually raised at a Kentucky distillery and brought his family’s six generations of master distillery knowledge to his bourbon batches. How does Booker’s perfectly age their bourbon? As we pretty much all know, bourbon ages in wooden barrels. When the weather becomes hot and humid, like it does during those sticky Kentucky summers, the wood expands and absorbs the bourbon, allowing for a chemical interaction between the bourbon and the wood. In colder weather, the wood contracts and the bourbon escapes the barrel’s walls. This interaction changes the spirit’s taste and color. The longer bourbon is in the barrel, the smoother the taste, (up to a certain point, that is). Barrels are kept in rackhouses where temperatures can easily be regulated. Rackhouses were originally built out of stone with several wooden floors and an exposed dirt basement to control humidity and large temperature swings. The windows were designed to keep the buildings well-ventilated.