Sawing Methods / Cut Types
The angle at which a board is cut from the log makes a big differences in how the finished product looks and performs. Wood is either plainsawn, quartersawn or riftsawn.
Plainsawn is the most common cut. The growth rings as viewed from the end of the board are parallel to the edges of the board.  The board contains more variation than the other two cuts because figure patterns resulting from the growth rings are more conspicuous.

Plainsawn red oak

 

 
Quartersawing requires much more time and labor to saw and produces narrower boards.  It is therefore more expensive. The growth rings as viewed from the end of the board are roughly perpendicular to the face of the board.  Quartersawn wood twists and cups less and wears more evenly than plain sawn.  In some hardwoods like oak, a distinctive grain pattern with "rays" is produced.

Quartersawn red oak

 

 

 
Riftsawn is somewhere between plainsawn and quartersawn.  The growth rings are roughly at a 45 degree angle to the face of the board.  Rift sawn is more stable than plain sawn, but it does not exhibit the distinctive rays found in some quartersawn wood.
 
 
We saw most of our logs as shown at the left.  This produces mostly plain and riftsawn lumber, with just a few pieces of quartersawn.  We can saw a log in such a manner that almost all the wood is quartersawn, but this requires much more time and labor.