Replies

1. 
   fdampier5 | Feb 03, 2003 07:51am | #1

   If you quarter saw white oak you will get the rays you seek..  If you plainsaw the wood, only the pieces that cross the center will have those rays.. 

1. 
   cpoindex | Feb 03, 2003 03:35pm | #2

   Yes, and I'm having varied luck with the quartersawing that I do.  I'm trying to find out if anyone has noticed where in a white oak the best figuring appears.

1. 
   fdampier5 | Feb 04, 2003 08:06am | #3

   Go over to knots and ask Jon Arno. 

1. 
   jonsherryl | Feb 04, 2003 07:51pm | #4

   Hi Frenchy. I'm here and was even able to find this thread on my own. :o)

   The conspicuous rays in white oak are genetic, in the sense that they are throughout the wood...so any segment of the trunk of the tree will have them. It's possible to get some really interesting curly figure in the lower log as it transitions into the roots (stump stock), or also near the crotch of branches...But by and large, maximizing the appearance of the ray bands is a function of how you mill the log. 

   It's possible to first quarter the log and then (bark side down) rip each quarter so that the faces of each board most nearly expose the radial surface of the wood. But this is somewhat wasteful, ends up yielding a lot of narrow stock and doesn't always produce a perfectly radial ray cross section on the face. Typically, the highly figured, ray dominant oak (it used to be called "silvered" oak back in the early 20th century when it was extremely popular) is more a function of sorting the boards at the mill. Basically, they set aside the more perfectly radial material...and then fleece the customer out of a handsome premium for these selected boards.  

   Edited 2/4/2003 11:55:15 AM ET by Jon Arno

2. 
   ownersrep | Feb 05, 2003 12:53am | #5

   My understanding FWWIW, is that the rays are the cells that hold the grain together.   So to get more rays look for tighter growth rings.  Just like with most woods the really interesting grains come from stress to the tree i.e. the compression wood under branches, etc. 

   So what you are looking for is an old slow growing tree that has had a rough life.  Sounds kind of like my life - come to think of it :-)

   Jim

1. 
   cpoindex | Feb 05, 2003 01:05am | #6

   Chuckle.  Me too.  Makes sense, what you're saying.  My son and daughter-in-law are pushing me to build them a cradle, and there's a white oak in the yard that I topped just before a dry summer, and it didn't make it as a tree, but it may do very well as a cradle.  Thanks again.

                                      Cole

1. 
   Tony4211 | Feb 05, 2003 01:57am | #7

   Scarfinger,

   My expereince with quarter sawing White Oak is that the larger the log the better, 36" or bigger in diameter is ideal. The best ray flake seems to show up best in the butt end of the tree. Slower growth trees seem to yield the best figure. We quarter the log with chainsaws and wedges and then mill the quartered cants on a Woodmizer band mill. The cant must be turned after almost every cut in order to keep the growth rings oriented properly. It is wasteful to cut this way but yields the best figure. Just my 2 cents

   Tony

1. 
   cpoindex | Feb 05, 2003 03:52pm | #8

   Wow, how many 36 inch butt cuts do you find?  Certainly not many here in central Virginia except maybe in someones yard.  I suspected the rays would be more prominent in the older part of the tree.  Thanks again.

1. 
   ownersrep | Feb 06, 2003 03:11am | #9

   We have a lot of 36" butts in CO and that is width not Dia.  Oh you guys were taking about wood :-).

   JIm

2. 
   cpoindex | Feb 06, 2003 03:33am | #10

   Grin, I think I've got a 36 inch butt here in the house somewhere.  Probably looking over my shoulder.

3. 
   Tony4211 | Feb 06, 2003 03:40am | #11

   Scarfinger

   A couple of years ago we quartered 6 White Oak logs, the smallest was 42" in diameter. One tree blew over in a storm on a golf course, a couple logs came from that tree. Another tree was standing dead on municipal property, that tree was the biggest, close to 48" in diameter. In both cases the tree service that did the removals was happy to give me the logs.

   Put the word out you are looking for logs and what kinds you are interested in. I have a slight advantage, besides doing woodworking as a profession I also own a landscaping business and have trucks and equipment to pick up and transport logs. On Tuesday a friend of mine that is in the excavating business called. He had just pushed over a 24" Cherry Tree and wanted to know if I was interested. I took a little break from the cabinet I was working on and went to where he was working. That trip yielded 3 logs 8'6" long with an average diameter of 18".

   I do not know who said "wood is everywhere", but they were right.

   Happy wood hunting

   Tony

4. 
   cpoindex | Feb 06, 2003 04:31am | #12

   Sounds like I just need to get off my butt and put the word out what I'm looking for.  Just need to garner a couple more "haulin' resources.  Hey, you guys have been great!  Looking forward to sharing something that I might have.  Anybody need any rough walnut?