Rift & Quartered Oak in Pacific Palisades, California
Posted on
3/1/2022
Rift and Quartered grain is achieved with a certain milling technique that differs from the more common, plain sawn design. Logs are cut with the grains intersecting the face of the board at an approximate 60-degree angle. The log is sawn into four quarters and each quarter of the log is sawn perpendicular to the growth rings at an angle, therefore being called rift and quartered. This produces the traditional long lined grain that rift and quartered is recognized for.
Rift and Quartered grain is achieved with a certain milling technique that differs from the more common, plain sawn design. Logs are cut with the grains intersecting the face of the board at an approximate 60-degree angle. The log is sawn into four quarters and each quarter of the log is sawn perpendicular to the growth rings at an angle, therefore being called rift and quartered. This produces the traditional long lined grain that rift and quartered is recognized for.
Another unique feature of rift and quartered hardwood is the presentation of medullary rays. Medullary rays are the cellular structures located in timbers, consisting of small capillaries inside wood that run from the center of the tree to the outer growth ring. When quarter sawn, they create a wavy, ribbon-like effect in the board known as "flecking". Hardwood just has a straight grain with flecking when sawn into four quarters and cut at a 60-degree angle. Essentially, only rift and quartered grain can have a straight grain with flecking because of the way it's milled.
A lot of timber species can be cut in a rift and quartered grain; it is typically understood to be more stable with less expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature and humidity. Making it more desirable and usable in a broader range of applications. Rift and quartered grain is most common with White Oak.
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