Can someone please explain what the difference is in Rift, Quarter, and Slab sawn blanks?

Which is strongest?

Which is likely to be the "prettiest"?

Is one better for big bores?

Illustrations would be helpful.

Thanks

Andy

http://www.oldtreegunblanks.com/sawcuts.shtml

Rift will be what they call 3/4 cut I believe. it is 30-60 degrees to the groth ring. Slab is flat and

Lots of theories about which is strongest. Most believe that it's quarter sawn and I'm in that camp. I also think it's the most beautiful. The nice thing about quarter sawn is it generally looks the same after it's turned. What's on the outside is in the inside.

Rift sawn seems to be the most common on the market today as you get more blanks out of a trunk than you do with true quarter sawn wood and except for the most discriminating it basicly still has the appearance of quarter sawn. Most of the blanks I've used on my rifles are rift cut blanks.

I've seen some nice slab sawn wood but this style of cut can lead to some suprises when the wood is turned. What you see on the outside and you get after the wood is turned can be very different as far as grain and figure are concerned. The figure can get stronger as the wood is shapped or the figure can run out leaving you with a "one sided" stock.

All the above is just general and every piece of wood is different. I'm no expert and find that most people that claim to be aren't either.

Terry

What Terry said.
Regards, Joe

Terry,
That's very interesting, and perhaps the best picture for demonstration that I've seen.



Help me understand, please. Take the center section, with the heart of the trunk. There is one board sticking up out of that section, on the left side, but the lines are apparant for other cuts, which will result in about the same growth ring pattern.

What is that cut called? I'm supposing it's slab sawn, because the grain/rings run the height of the board, rather than across the width.

Looks to me like the section opposite the single small board, on the other side of the heart, as a single large board, represents what a quarter sawn blank would look like. Is that correct?

Thanks,
KB

Edited: I misread your question. You are correct, the wood on the oppisite would be quarter sawn.


Yes, slab or flat sawn.


Terry

I've seen some cool maple!

Great graphic, Terry.

A picture that's worth a thousand trees!