Choosing Quartersawn Lumber...

[Onebowonder]

Hello - I hear many different opinions expressed, but would like to here the reasoning behind such...

The end grain on Quartersawn lumber can look like either of these:

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Or

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Or

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Which is the most desireable for making a selfbow? 

Which is best for making a backing, ...keeping in mind that backing strips can be QUITE THIN, often as thin as a typical single growth ring?

Which, if any, is preferable for making a belly for a lammed bow?


OneBow

[DarkSoul]

For (semi) diffuse porous woods, it really does not matter at all. I keep wondering where this question keeps coming from. We have long agreed that you need STRAIGHT GRAIN, but that the ring orientation does not matter that much. Of course people will have preferences, but any ring orientation CAN make a decent bow.
For ring porous woods, many people will have a preference to avoid flat sawn lumber, since a single ring can lift on the back of the bow. But a belly and core lamination can be flat sawn in ring porous woods.

[Don Case]

Something keeps bugging me. If it doesn't matter which way the rings are how come I've never seen anyone make a "quarter sawn" bow out of a stave? (Mind you, I haven't been around that long) Make it so the edge grain is on the back and belly. It seems to me it would be a lot less work than chasing a ring

[George Tsoukalas]

This is for a self or backed bow not for a backing strip.

First one in the photo is 1/4 sawn. Edge grain must be straight tip to tip. No run outs. None...or she'll break.

Second one is flat sawn. You can look at the face. I look at both face and edge. Allows for a few run outs per limb for 50-55#. It is all about the degree and angle of fiber violation. With only 2 per limb the angle of violation won't be bad.

Third is rift sawn. Same as flat.

Jawge

Jawge

[bubby]

Don halfeye did an edge grain bow a while back

[adb]

Something keeps bugging me. If it doesn't matter which way the rings are how come I've never seen anyone make a "quarter sawn" bow out of a stave? (Mind you, I haven't been around that long) Make it so the edge grain is on the back and belly. It seems to me it would be a lot less work than chasing a ring

A 1/4 sawn bow out of a stave would simply be a board bow. Not to sound like a smart a$$, but lumber does come from trees! 

[George Tsoukalas]

Adb, I remember one of my good friends on the LW, whose name shall go unmentioned LOL, started a thread asking if anyone has made a bow from that plastic decking material just to bust me. LOL. He cracks me up.
Jawge

[Don Case]

Something keeps bugging me. If it doesn't matter which way the rings are how come I've never seen anyone make a "quarter sawn" bow out of a stave? (Mind you, I haven't been around that long) Make it so the edge grain is on the back and belly. It seems to me it would be a lot less work than chasing a ring

A 1/4 sawn bow out of a stave would simply be a board bow. Not to sound like a smart a$$, but lumber does come from trees! 

That's why I put "quarter sawn" in quotes. I was trying to indicate grain direction rather than "sawn" (is that even a word).

[George Tsoukalas]

You can't id the type of cut unless you look at the end grain but they are different cuts and should be treated differently.
Yes, 1/4 sawn is a type of cut. Baker calls it edge grained which is confusing everyone.
Jawge

[adb]

Something keeps bugging me. If it doesn't matter which way the rings are how come I've never seen anyone make a "quarter sawn" bow out of a stave? (Mind you, I haven't been around that long) Make it so the edge grain is on the back and belly. It seems to me it would be a lot less work than chasing a ring

A 1/4 sawn bow out of a stave would simply be a board bow. Not to sound like a smart a$$, but lumber does come from trees! 

That's why I put "quarter sawn" in quotes. I was trying to indicate grain direction rather than "sawn" (is that even a word).

1/4 sawn is simply one of three methods of cutting a round log into square boards. Plain sawn, rift sawn or quarter sawn. Do a google search for each type, and there'll be great explanations including pictures.

[Don Case]

I know my grain/ring differences. Up here 1/4 sawn and edge grain mean pretty much the same thing. You 1/4 saw to get edge grain lumber.  A couple of posts back I said grain when I meant rings. Bubby said that Halfeye made an edge grained bow so it is done. It just surprises me that it's not done more often if there is no difference. Like I said earlier it seems to me to be easier than chasing a ring. Split your stave, turn it 90 degrees, lay it out and start chipping. What am I missing?

[George Tsoukalas]

Don,
You can't lay a 3/4 inch board 90 deg and start making.
You are probably working with square stock.
Correct, as I said before, up above, 1/4 sawn and edge ringed are id.
With 1/4 sawn you are not allowed any run outs you are with the other 2 cuts...2 per limb for 50-55#.
Jawge

[DarkSoul]

Even the tiniest pin knot will span the entire width of the bow's back when you're working with quartersawn wood. Therefore, even the tiniest pin knot will probably spell disaster and lift a splinter. In flatsawn of riftsawn wood, this pin knot is hardly visible and goes through the limb from back to belly - not nearly as bad.

[Marc St Louis]

Don,
You can't lay a 3/4 inch board 90 deg and start making.
You are probably working with square stock.
Correct, as I said before, up above, 1/4 sawn and edge ringed are id.
With 1/4 sawn you are not allowed any run outs you are with the other 2 cuts...2 per limb for 50-55#.
Jawge

George
I think what Don is trying to say is that if you have a stave with a back ring violation then why not turn it sideways and make a quarter-sawn bow out of it rather than try and chase a ring.

Don.  If you have a split stave with straight grain then I would say that this is a viable option, especially if you are working with diffuse porous wood.

[Don Case]

Thank you Bubby, DS and Marc. Sorry we never got on the same track Jawge, sometimes I have trouble putting my thoughts into words. You'd never know my Mother was an English teacher.

Oh, Sorry for the hijack Onebow, my bad