Why Quartersawn Wood Often Sucks, Explained in 90 Seconds

[@ericguillot6402]

Never forget the first time i saw quarter sawn white oak. I couldn't believe it came from the same tree as all the clear white oak flooring I had seen. Quarter sawn white oak is still one of my favorite hardwoods. I especially love the rugged looking end grain, and the contrast to the pillow soft rays that show when quarter sawn. It also put me on the path to become obsessed with non standard patterns in all types of wood. As well as learning what happens to a tree to cause these patterns to form. I kind of feel like an archeologist studying history to give context to things in our modern world. Also obsessed with reclaimed old growth lumber. I feel very fortunate to be in a place where I have access to alot of old growth pine, cypress, and oak.

[@sethwarner2540]

Thanks for boiling down the issue! But one thing is still foggy: once the log is quartered , can't each quarter simply be tipped over 90°to cut a board, then flipped back 90°for the next board, then flipped again to get the next board? I don't mean flipped end-for-end; just ROTATED on its axis between boards? This does not involve much more than what the sawyer must do for flat sawn boards; just rotate the log after each cut. You understand, Im not looking for ray fleck, just stable boards that dry faster, so I can build my bookcases sooner. I build mainly from PINE, so if the boards are mainly 45°to 90°, Im happy. So! Can logs be tipped back-and-forth, after quartering, taking 1" boards/each pass, and get 45°to90°grain? Or do they really need to be laboriously carried end-for-end before each cut?

[@cugir321]

I've heard that quarter sawn is best for a guitar neck because the grain gets glued to the fingerboard which strengthens it.

[@CommercialForest]

I could see that helping

[@el34glo59]

It's also more stable. Quartered wood is always more stable for acoustic guitars

[@CommercialForest]

@@el34glo59 All things being equal, use quartersawn whenever you can. Pretty much across the board

[@henrys3629]

My neighbors had 2 sizeable oaks felled that were not sick. Wonder why most was probably turned to fire wood. No quartersawn oak. They also blew a lot of the sawdust into the creek.

[@CommercialForest]

It’s hard to know exactly why someone cuts their trees down. May be a root issue / maybe the tree is dying or it’s a safety issue. Generally speaking, people like their trees! 🌳

Hello my friend. I learned that quarter and flat sawn timber in the sawmills are produced differently. Consumers define this situation differently. This creates inconsistency. You explained beautifully how wood sellers market quarter wood and how consumers want to buy them. Thank's for the information. See you. Great greetings. Best regards.

[@CommercialForest]

Hi Sahane - thanks for watching and commenting. As with many things in life it all comes down to communication!

@@CommercialForest yes communication is important. See you. greetings.

[@mrsandman1274]

If you are making furniture or other wood products you want to sell is it worth paying more for quarter sawn lumber.

[@CommercialForest]

Considering the high cost of woodworking labor (pretty much anywhere in 2022), it really doesn’t makes sense to save a few dollars on materials if there is any chance it will affect the integrity of the product.

[@mrsandman1274]

@@CommercialForest ok thanks

[@AnimeSunglasses]

I'm a little... Amazed that customers would be that picky without understanding how quartersawn is, well, sawn? I feel like another way to put this might be that customers treat quartersawn as an aesthetic product, but sawmills still cut it to the standards of a structural product...

[@CommercialForest]

They’re just coming at it from 2 different perspectives. The easiest solution would be to just change the term analogy but it’s a little late for that! 😆

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@CommercialForest ...that's all too common a problem.

[@greek42069]

Are those trunks in begining made of wood they look amazing

[@GabrieleOcchipinti]

Thank you for shedding some light on this. Your explanation makes sense and raises awareness.

[@mpart_woodlathe-stuff]

Hmm, I was taught the consumer definition but was aware of how a log was quatersawn and never was able to reconcile the two. This vid did just that so Thank You Steve for educating me 🙏 Stay safe. -Mike p.s. good to see you back online, I had fears you may have had to drop out, ugh!

[@CommercialForest]

Hi Mike - Thanks for watching. How are things in PA? I’ll admit I’ve been spread pretty thin the last six months or so. Trying to get back into the KZbin loop. Good to hear from you. Thanks! Steve

[@mpart_woodlathe-stuff]

@@CommercialForest Yeah, my wife and I are basically shut ins being on the wrong end of the curve. 👴👵 Other than ordering everything online nothing much has changed. Selling my bowls locally is taking a hit though. We all love your vids you know! Even the short 90s ones😁 w/ 5m of info !

[@CommercialForest]

MPart thanks 😊 I hope things settle down soon with this virus. My kids are going stir crazy.

[@mpart_woodlathe-stuff]

@@CommercialForest And kids don't really understand. (as if all adults did, ugh)

[@kristinesulit8719]

Excellent video. I love the quarter sawed lumber. now i know how sawmills market quartersawn wood and how consumers want to purchase it.

[@1pcfred]

Wood is a natural product so you have to expect variations with it. That's the beauty of wood, it's all different. You want something all the same go buy plastic. They'll sell you that too.

[@CommercialForest]

+1 most woodworkers agree, generally speaking…but, that goes right out the window, when it comes to their own purchases!

[@1pcfred]

@@CommercialForest you're lucky we can even still get wood today. The old timers logged just about everything worth anything. They had to live too. They also wanted the best they could get for themselves. Being there first they took it. We're left today with their scraps.

[@heidiondich632]

Wow! I had no idea lumber could be so complicated.

[@CommercialForest]

It’s not all fun and games you know... 😆

[@heidiondich632]

Commercial Forest I can tell you have 25 years of experience in the lumber industry! 🌳

[@helenabasquette7222]

violin builders split logs radially it gives a pie shape ✌️😀

[@mollyondich9260]

Very interesting information on Quartersawn.

[@kimseyjustkimsey5256]

Great video Thanks for sharing🤝 I love the quarter sawed lumber.

[@CommercialForest]

Thanks Kimsey! Hope your summer is going OK.

[@kimseyjustkimsey5256]

Commercial Forest Thanks it’s been pretty good Hope yours has been good to 🤝

[@joekonopka9753]

Worthless words

[@CommercialForest]

False! According to Adsense, they’re worth about $.07 cents a week. 🤯 🎤 drop.

[@maineterrain2154]

Finally, someone willing to speak the truth about quarter-sawn lumber 😝

[@CommercialForest]

I do what I can to uphold the standards and beliefs of the National Hardwood Lumber Association 👍

[@priceandpride]

Go green

[@johncampbell9120]

Reverse roll quartersawing eliminates all your complaints.