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ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION DISCUSSION BOARD
Posted By: James Schooley <jschooleyfamily@earthlink.net> (pmspen1-11.rconnect.com)
In Response To: Re: tiger oak (JIm Cole)
Date: 3/20/3 20:42
The method for making quarter sawn oak or any wood for that matter is to cut boards that radiate out from the center of the tree, like the spokes of a wheel. But this will prove to be wasteful if done to the extreme I describe here, so it isn't common practice today. Most lumber mills simply select out the 5 percent or so of boards that come out quarter sawn by natural events, these are sold at a premium to prefered customers. The veneer is a better situation since the waste is less, but the quality is poor. The old growth trees are few now and they seemed to be the best most distinct flakes, or medulary rays, in the case of oak, not all trees will show these features. I keep an eye out for all the quarter sawn wood I can find especially if the rays are bold wide and dark amber in color, these are rare boards and I only use them to repair fine antiques. The veneer is a worse situation, the quality here is terrible, I can't seem to find good veneer that compares with the old stuff, since the veneer logs were selected as the best trees in the entire harvest area. The rays from some of this wood when cut precisely, could reveal flakes over an inch wide. Sadly when you go to buy quarter sawn wood today the standard allowed in some mills will include any board that radiates within 22 1/2% of the optimum 90% cut. The best adice I have for those seeking the primo quartered wood, since all wood is more atractive and stronger in this cut, would be to go to a small operater. The back road operaters will let all the boards end up in the same pile, you just have to get them to let you pick through without charging you extra. I can do this fairly often, but the rays today don't compare with those of the past. Good luck, James.
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