April 25, 1917 



Figures by Quarter-Sawmg 



Hu Maxwell 



Editor's Note 

 Those who produce figures by quarter-sawing wood have a rather limited number of species to 

 choose from. The chief dependence for material is placed iu the oaks: and. fortunately, uau is' 

 abundant and there need be no fear of shortage in quartered luntber. The popularity of these tig- 

 uri's compares well with the esteem in which other tigures are held in the wood-using industries. 

 The exclusion of all the needle-leaf trees from this class of figured woods is on account of the phys- 

 ical structure of these woods ; and the further exclusion of a large number of the minor hardwoods 

 is due to their small size and scarcity. 



ARIICLE EIGHT 



Quarter-sawed lumber constitutes an important class. Its dis- 

 tinguishing features are sufficient to set it apart from lumber of 

 other kinds. It is produced by sawing logs in a special manner and is 

 Bot the product of any particular species, nor does it come from any 

 special locality, nor from trees of any specified age, size or form. The 

 figure which distinguishes quartered lumber does not result from 

 freak growth, as birdseye and curly figures do, but comes from nor- 

 mal, natural timber; but in order to bring out and expose the figure, 

 -which is a natural product of tree growth, the lumber must be sawed 

 in a certain way, and that way is known as ' ' quarter-sawing. ' ' The 

 name doubtless originated from the manner of manufacture. The 

 log was ripped down the center and laid open in fourths, called quar- 

 ters, and each quarter was sawed into boards separately, the saw 

 cutting as nearly as possible along lines from the bark to the center. 

 Such boards were quarter-sawed, and the figure which passed by the 

 same name was developed when the lumber was dressed. 



It is quite generally believed by persons who have no personal 

 knowledge of the matter that quartered lumber is necessarily oak. 

 Such is not the case. Oak is quarter-sawed more often than any 

 other wood to bring out the desired figure, but any commercial 

 wood may be quarter-sawed. Sometimes it is done as a matter of 

 convenience without any idea of figure, and sometimes the develop- 

 ment of figure is the object. Though oak exceeds all other woods 

 in the quantity so sawed for the sake of figure, there are others 

 that have the figure. 



It has not been popular always, but luis been known to woodworkers 

 for a long time, though apparently it was not purposely developed 

 by working the wood in a particular way. If brought to view at 



all, it was rather by accident. A great deal of quarter-sawing is 

 done without regard to figure, and woods are so manufactured which 

 have no figure, the sawing being done to produce lumber of a certain 

 grain. It should, therefore, be clearly understood that all quarter- 

 sawing is not done to get a certain figure out of the wood, but when 

 oak is the timber to be converted, the chief purpose is to produce 

 figured wood. 



The Basis of the Figure 



The medullary ray is the basis of the figure developed by quarter- 

 sawing. This is a natural growth of wood, present in every tree, 

 but more conveniently examined in oak than in any other, because so 

 abundant and so conspicuous. Inspect the end of an oak log, no 

 matter what kind of oak it is or what the size. The rays are 

 plainly visible in tlie form of bright, thin streaks radiating from its 

 center outward, crossing the growthrings at right angles. Some- 

 times a single ray continues unbroken from the center to the bark, 

 but that is not usual. Generally, the ray, looking like a fine, colored 

 thread, runs a few inches and disappears, while others come into 

 view nearby and continue toward the bark. 



Tlicse rays are thin sheets of wood. Only their edges appear where 

 tlie log has been cut off. These thin sheets stand on edge, up and 

 down the trunk of the tree, with one edge toward the tree 's center, 

 the other toward the bark. They are very numerous and constitute 

 a considerable percentage of the wood. All woods have them. They 

 are larger in oak than in most others, but not more numerous. In 

 oak cross-sections their edges appear as lines several inches long, 

 while in some othgr woods the lines are so small and short that they 

 cannot be seen except with a microscope. 



Such are the medullary rays that arc responsible for much fine 



RKADY FOR QU AKTICR-.SAWING 

 The boards are cut Irom bark to heart, thereby exposing flat surface of 

 medullary rays and forming silver grain ' 



—16— 



SfMMWEUt 



MEDULLARY RAYS EXPOSKD 



They are the radial lines radiating from the heart and best exhibited In 



cross-seclions of oak but visible in many other woods 



