Replies

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 30, 2007 10:17pm | #1

   "Rift sawn" is not-quite-quarter sawn. The annual growth rings are at neither 0° (flat sawn) nor 90° (quarter sawn) to the surface of the board, but in between. In general, it's called rift sawn when the angle is "near" 90°, although exactly what constitutes "near" varies depending on who you ask; I've seen both "between 45° and 75°" and "between 30° and 60°" as specifications for rift sawn.

   The expression "rift sawn" is usually used in conjunction with oak. Quarter sawn oak tends to have considerable "ray fleck" from the medullary rays being sliced right down the middle. Rift sawn oak looks very much like quarter sawn, but without the ray fleck. In most other woods, the difference in appearance between quarter sawn and rift sawn is much less.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   citrouille | Oct 31, 2007 01:18am | #2

   If I recall the NHLA rules correctly, quartersawn goes from 0° to 30° (0 being vertical) and rift from 30° to 45°.
   If you have a table leg made out of riftsawn lumber, you will have the "vertical grain" on all four sides.C.

1. 
   HWG | Oct 31, 2007 09:21pm | #3

   Cool, I learned something!  I always thought that rift sawn meant the same as flat sawn.  Thanks!Woody

1. 
   doorboy | Oct 31, 2007 11:29pm | #4

   Check this out.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-quartersawn-wood.htmNotice the waste that is created with q-sawn and rift cut. It's priced accordingly."She wrote a long letter, on a short piece of paper." Traveling Wilburys

   Edited 10/31/2007 4:31 pm by doorboy

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 31, 2007 11:33pm | #5

   The pictures on that page show the "traditional" definition of rift sawn ("rift" as a verb being a synonym of "rive"; to cleave or split). But the term is not used that way these days.

   -Steve

    

2. 
   citrouille | Nov 01, 2007 12:56am | #6

   Nobody saws that way now days, the riftsawn lumber you get is a byproduct of quarter sawing.C.

2. 
   BrianDerr | Nov 01, 2007 08:05am | #7

   The meaning of "vertical grain"? Is it the appearance of strait grained wood when it's quarter or rift sawn? And also clear of knots? The people I work with like to throw the term around a lot (they're not woodworkers) and I would like to know whats 'correct'. Thanks.

1. 
   citrouille | Nov 01, 2007 03:10pm | #8

   Vertical grain as opposed to cathedral grain is basically when by looking at the face of a board, the groth ring goes straight from one end to the other.
   Quartersawn and riftsawn boards have vertical grain.C.