What is the difference between slab sawed and quarter sawed stock blanks? Is there a preference for a big bore stock?

Thanks
Andy

I will let the experts weigh in on which is best for the big bores. This site will provide some information on how the cuts are made. http://www.hoganhardwoods.com/.../lumbersawing_02.htm

On a big bore it really shouldn't matter. But layout of the stock shape in relation to the grain pattern of the blank is more important to a strong stock.
Quarter sawn is best for trying to match each side of the blank. so the stock looks identical left or right sided

Supposedly the forearm of a quarter-sawn stock will warp up-&-down rather than side-to-side when the humidity changes, and so supposedly the warping is only half as likely to cause POI changes. (Since, if it warps down, there's no increased barrel pressure....)

Supposedly.
Regards, Joe

quote:

Originally posted by J.D.Steele:
Supposedly the forearm of a quarter-sawn stock will warp up-&-down rather than side-to-side when the humidity changes, and so supposedly the warping is only half as likely to cause POI changes. (Since, if it warps down, there's no increased barrel pressure....)

Supposedly.
Regards, Joe

All true. A quarter sawn stock can also have a stiffening feature bedded into the forend & it will be much more effective in reducing POI changes.

In addition, a quarter sawn blank will show "fiddleback" & other astheticly desirable grain characteristics on the sides of the stock where they will be most visable.

Most Factory stocks are slab sawn because one can get more stocks out of a log when slab sawn.

Quarter sawn blanks are, in theory, sawn perpindicular to the center of the log. Of course there are only a few true quarter sawn blanks that come out of a log W/the ones that come out beside the true quarter sawn blank being a few degrees from true quartersawn.

Get the quartersawn, or as close to quarter sawn as possible, it will make a much prettier stock as well as one less prone to POI change.

If a tree has put down wood with mineral streaks or fine smokey black "ink" lines, they will show up far better if slab sawn. Quarter sawn blanks only show the thin edge of ink stripes when viewed from the side (this can still be mighty pretty). Backsawn blanks show more width to these bands when viewed from the side.

The best crotch-feather blanks are quarter sawn.

If a blank has excellent grain flow and has been dried and aged well, good walnut is so stable that I for one have found the difference to be largely academic.

Blanks from higher up a tree, from limbs with a lot of weight on them, tend to be more unstable whether quartersawn or otherwise...........I have never steamed any blanks, this may cure this trait?