Question for furniture builders

[jemclimber]

I'd like to learn to make furniture someday and have started cutting some of my logs. I've just started with my small ones and most of them are plain sawn after making a cant. However I've got some good sized oak 28" to 37" (white and red) and a bunch of 24" to 36" walnut logs to slice up. I don't know if I should cut them plain sawn as well or cut them quarter sawn. I've been cutting them mostly 5/4 but a few 6/4 and some 8/4. Any suggestions on what looks better in a dresser or desk or what is prefered.

Here's a picture of a small log being put on the carriage with the help of my daughter with an arch I finally finished.

 

[deeker]

I am a saw miller (band) and learning to build. Cut a lot of wood for furniture, and don't know how to make it. I am getting help from my customers that have me do the cutting though.

Great pic, sorry for no help. I will be watching for others to answer. And I will learn.

Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts opcorn: opcorn:

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'd like to learn to make furniture someday and have started cutting some of my logs. I've just started with my small ones and most of them are plain sawn after making a cant. However I've got some good sized oak 28" to 37" (white and red) and a bunch of 24" to 36" walnut logs to slice up. I don't know if I should cut them plain sawn as well or cut them quarter sawn. I've been cutting them mostly 5/4 but a few 6/4 and some 8/4. Any suggestions on what looks better in a dresser or desk or what is prefered.

Here's a picture of a small log being put on the carriage with the help of my daughter with an arch I finally finished.

I think a really nice oak that's on the big side is worth quarter sawing... BUT, quarter sawing is wastefull, and CSMing is also wastefull... So, quarter sawing with a CSM is going to make it hard to get a good recovery out of a log...

It's your log, so you decide...

Rob

 

[timberwolf]

If you flat saw everything, taking care to go center to center, the middle two boards (slabs) will be quartered, then if the next two boards away from the center (above and below) are cut thick 3 inches maybe, they can be resawn later even with a band saw, table saw, or circular saw with a straight edge to yield a fair bit of narrow quartersawn boards without too much waste.

 

[Backwoods]

One thing to keep in mind is you will need legs so mill up some 4x4’s now so they can start drying. You may only need 3x3’s but a nice dinning room table will need 4x4’s. I mill a variety of thicknesses. Tabletops and chair seats should be a little thicker.
I agree with sawyer rob in that a large oak should be quarter sawn, and a chainsaw mill can be wasteful. Keeping that in mind split the log in half (not quarters) stand it up on its edge and take the leg stock out of the first and last good cut that dose not have sap wood and mill that center section into your ?/4 boards. That will give you some rift sawn and quarter sawn boards out of each side of the log.

 

[timberwolf]

Drying thick legs can be slow and have had some trouble with tick wood like that moving when attached to smaller parts.

I have had better luck with legs by using a square core of scarp wood and then laminating on 1/4 inch thick facings with nice quarter sawn grain. The seams are virtually invisable with a good glue joint, and that way you get 1/4 sawn on all four sides. Also saves on good wood, and produces a more stable table leg.

 

[Backwood]

I am new to sawmilling but have been working with wood many years. Backwoods idea is good for cutting legs, you want the grain in your leg stock to run diaginal ( corner to corner ). That way the grain will be straight on all 4 sides.
Saw some each way. You will find some parts look better with q-sawed wood and some look better with plain sawed. Bookmatching ( door panels, drawer fronts, etc..)helps alot too, plan ahead and keep boards together.

 

[jemclimber]

I'm not really worried about waste, I get paid to bring these logs back to my house so they end up as firewood or some lumber for personal use. I was just curious what is used more or what looks nicer. A bunch of my logs are over 30" so I think I could get plenty of 12" wide quartersawn, which is as big as my planer will take. Thanks for the input.

 

[MJR]

I am no wood worker, just a wood user. Try this.

http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/woodwork/plainorquartersawn.htm

Good luck.

 

[timberwolf]

Quartered oak has the ray fleck grain and is very desirable for period and mission style furniture. Also quarter sawn boards are a bit more stable and tend not to cup like a flat sawn board.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Well, here's an oak hutch i built many moons ago from a blk. oak that was in a fence row here on my place...

The raised panels, small drawer and top are quartersawn, the big drawer fronts are book matched.

Personally, i like to use Q-sawn for accents, but it does give a piece of furniture that "quality, antique" look...

Like i said before, if you have a big oak, and don't mind the waste, go for it... The stuff is stable and beautiful!

Rob

 

[Backwood]

Sawyer Rob, BEAUTIFUL Work

Quarter sawn oak will give the rays, quarter sawn walnut will give you very straight grain ( striped ).

The crotch I think is the best looking though. Although a lot harder to dry without messing up. I have a recent thread on sawing thick or thin that has some tips for drying the crotch.

 

[jemclimber]

Very nice hutch, I hope I can learn the skills to make nice pieces like that. I think I will q-saw the biggest oak and plain saw every thing else. Thanks for all the replies.