What causes ray fleck?

Ray fleck is caused by the presence of large rays in the wood. The ray cells run radially, so they are not special on flatsawn lumber. In radially or quartersawn lumber, they are sawn parallel to their length, so they create an interesting pattern. It is obvious only in lumber with large rays.

What is Fleck in lumber? A: Most of the small wood cells in a tree run up and down (or vertically) in the stem, conducting fluids from the roots to the leaves. … This side view or appearance of the ray cells in quartersawn lumber is called ray fleck.

Likewise What is Fleck in oak?

The u201cray fleck,u201d u201cflake,u201d or u201cfigureu201d of a quarter-sawn blank is the medullary ray of the log, which emanates outward from the center of the log like spokes of a wheel.

Why is quarter sawn better? Some advantages of quartersawn lumber: Shrinks and swells less in width. Cups, surface-checks, and splits less in seasoning and in use. Raised grain caused by separation in annual rings does not become as pronounced.

Why is it called quarter sawn?

Quarter sawing gets its name from the fact that the log is first quartered lengthwise, resulting in wedges with a right angle ending at approximately the center of the original log. Each quarter is then cut separately by tipping it up on its point and sawing boards successively along the axis.

What is Fiddleback wood? Fiddleback is a type of grain that has very tight curls. It is named after the wood grain that is used on the backs of many stringed instruments. … It is a feature that is commonly found in wood from maple, sycamore and walnut trees.

What does Quartersawn guitar neck mean?

Some high-end guitars and basses have “quartersawn” necks. … “Quartersawn” is a woodworking term that describes a certain specific and non-standard method of milling lumber from trees. Quartersawn instrument necks are unusually strong, straight-grain necks superior to standard necks in almost every way.

What is rough sawn? adjective. (of wood) used as originally cut, without smoothing or sanding: shingles of rough-sawn cedar.

What is Tiger oak?

Tiger oak is lumber produced by a particular milling process called quarter sawing. … The process results in lumber with a distinctive grain that is often used in high-end applications in which the appearance of the wood is an important consideration.

Is curly maple Quartersawn? Unlike quilted maple, curly maple is most pronounced when the board is quartersawn, and the curls usually become much less pronounced or absent in flatsawn boards. … But in general, higher grades of curly maple tend to be less expensive than quilted maple, and offer an economical solution for a “figured” hardwood.

What causes curly figure in wood?

Curl is compression grain perpendicularly crossing the face of a board producing alternate stripes of hard and soft board fiber. This phenomenon creates a chatoyantcy in the board varying in strength depending on the degree of compression leaving the viewer with the illusion of a three-dimensional surface.

Is Tiger maple the same as curly maple? Tiger and Curly Maple are terms used to describe the figure present in Maple. … The term Tiger Maple is most often given to Curly Soft Maple because the curly stripe in it resembles the stripe of a tiger. The term Tiger Maple is also given to a Curly Maple with exceptional or heavier than the normal figure.

What is quarter sawn white oak?

Quarter Sawn White Oak is the same species as White Oak but the wood has been cut from the log at a different angle (quartered). It is more stable than standard (flat sawn) White Oak and has a finer texture with a dramatic flaking pattern that runs perpendicular to the grain.

How do I know if my neck is quarter sawn? Cutting the neck blanks in a different orientation to the log will result in the neck having a different grain structure. You can see what your guitar has by looking at the top of the headstock. The image at the top of the page shows a Quarter Sawn neck on the left and Flat Sawn neck on the right.

What is the Holy Grail type wood used to make great guitars?

The traditional wood on old guitars was Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), which is often called the “holy grail of tonewoods.” Unfortunately, it has been so overharvested that Brazil banned its export in the late 1960s, and it was protected by Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered …

Is Rough Cut lumber stronger? You may have heard the term rough sawn (or rough cut) lumber before. What it essentially means is that this lumber type is untreated and cut into planks. It is generally stronger than other types of lumber, but also carries extra moisture because it hasn’t been kiln-dried.

What does CLS mean in timber?

CLS Timber – “Canadian Lumber Size” or CLS is finished on all sides giving a smaller cross-section than traditional sawn timber. Originating in the Canadian market, hence the name it is mainly used for timber frame home construction and for internal and partition walls.

What is a rough 2×4? A piece of surfaced (sanded smooth) 2×4 lumber actually measures 1½ inches thick and 3½ inches wide. In rough-cut condition, a 2×4 is slightly less than 2 inches thick and approximately 4 inches wide.

Is tiger oak still made?

Popular in late 20th century, antique tiger oak furniture is no longer in style. A: The bedroom set you have was made in America circa 1900 and new when the grandparents bought it.

Can you still get tiger oak? Although still in demand even today, the tiger oak dates back to the late 19th century. In the 18th century, the colonialists focused on fending for food and shelter, not the luxury of having furniture.

What causes Fiddleback in timber?

Curly figure in wood (and fiddleback is just a variation of curly) is caused by contortions in grain direction such that light is reflected differently at different portions of the grain, creating an appearance of undulating waves, also called a “washboard” effect because it looks like an old corrugated- steel …

Is flame maple the same as curly maple? Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as “flames”.

What causes curly cherry?

Chemical Causes of Curling Leaves

Salt (from seaside spray or roadside deicing products), excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer (or from the application of a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer) and chemical drift can cause cherry tree leaves to curl and twist before they turn yellow and brown and fall off.

What does curly mean in wood? Curl is comprised of a tight, undulating “ripple” effect in a quarter sawn piece of wood. Whenever you hear about “curly maple”, they’re talking about the figure in the wood, not a new type of maple tree. Curl can be a bit of a catch-all term- for example, all fiddleback is curly, but not all curl can be fiddleback.

Where does flame maple come from?

Flame maple is found only in a small percentage of maple trees and the really eye-popping examples come from less than one percent. Most people do not realize that the flame is not the actual grain pattern of the wood.

Is curly maple rare?

Some of the most common types of figuring found in natural maple wood are spalting, birdseye patterns, curling, ambrosia, and quilting.


Characteristics of Curly Maple Wood
Color White or creamy, like classic maple
Abundance Somewhat rare
Uses Furniture, musical instruments


Jun 20, 2019

Is quilted maple the same as curly maple? Curly maple figuring is similar to quilted maple, but curl is a primarily horizontal pattern perpendicular to the wood grain. Unlike quilted maple, curly maple is most pronounced when the board is quartersawn, and the curls usually become much less pronounced or absent in flatsawn sections of boards.

What is figured cherry?

The quality Curly Cherry figure is found in less than 2% of the cherry wood that is harvested. Curly cherry is a world-class figured lumber, often referred to as an exotic wood because of its difficulty to source. Curly Cherry wood is generally easy to work with, beautiful, and affordable.