Just needing a bit of explanation here. The search on the site brought up nothing and other search engines didn't help either. In TBB II edge and bias ringed staves/limbs are continually brought up but nowhere in the book is a explanation of what that is exactly. Can some of you vets helps me out here?

Edge ringed is the same as quarter sawn lumber and bias ringed is rift sawn. If you look at the butt end of an edge-ringed board the lines will be running vertical. On the end of a bias ringed board the ring lines will be running diagonally.

I agree with okie. Plain sawn =; 1/4 sawn ||; bias sawn //. Jawge

I agree with okie. Plain sawn =; 1/4 sawn ||; bias sawn //. Jawge

 

 Lumber Cutting Methods

Thanks. That helps alot. I was always under the impression rift sawn as shown above was not acceptable because the limbs would be showing edge grain and potentially fail.

My understanding was as follows:

You also have to consider the grain running down the edge of the board and how the grain runs through the board from back to belly. If you have a sharp runoff at either of these areas you are in for trouble.

John, as always great diagram to help explain a situation. Now for the tricky part which is better and why? All answers are welcomed.

I have always thought that the combination of runoff's are what make a board aceptable, irrespective of the type of cut. Such as, a flat sawn board without any runoffs on the back would be just like a stave and thus desireable. However a 1/4 sawn board is all runoffs on the back but if it doesn't have many on the edge it will also be a good candidate.

Any type of cut will make a bow...The GRAIN is what is important to look at.

You can have a quartersawn board with perfectly straight lines on the back and belly of the board but have horrible grain runoff going from back to belly.

1/4 sawn needs to have straight grain on the edge grain and face. Jawge

I have to agree with Jawge he has never steered me wrong.

I buy the widest boards I can find at the lumberyard that are plainsawn, the widest boards will be from the middle of the tree. Then I rip it again and get all three cuts(edge-ringed, flat-ringed, and bias ringed) from the same board. I dont think any one type of cut is better than the other. Its more about how straight the grain is than what cut it is.

Okie...good. I just bought a bunch on elm, hickory and maple from a lumber mill near my house. I took a flat sawn board from the center of ea. tree and did as you said. That experience is really what jump started this thread considering I couldn't find a clear answer in tbb vol 2.