Rift sawn oak?

[Trevor Eyre]

Hey all!

I just came across the site and I must say it looks awesome! I am fairly new to this woodworking stuff. I have done a bunch of reading and such over the years, and have built a few things, mostly out if plywood and some cedar.

I am looking into building a bed now. The one I have in mind says that it is made of rift sawn oak. I have been looking around and can only find veneer? Can I get solid rift sawn/cut oak? I am looking for that kinda striped look, not the old school kitchen cabinet look.

Thanks,
Trevor

[David DeCristoforo]

The "best" way to find rift oak is to look through piles of plain sawn wood. More often than not you can find a number of pieces with rift grain. Also, sometimes rift is lumped in with QS and you can do the same thing but you pay more because of the pile you picked it out of.

YM (DD)

[Dick Bringhurst]

Where are you located? Dick B.

[Trevor Eyre]

Calgary,Alberta

[Dick Bringhurst]

That's a long way north of me,but you might try http//www.woodworkers.net/onlinenewwoods/region.php?region=eura
Dick B.

[gary Zimmel]

Trevor

Welcome to the Creek.....

Nice to see another person on the site this far north. I am pretty sure there is a hardwood supplier called PJ White in Calgary. They usually supply to contractors and shops but will also cater to use weekend warriors. They will have all the domestics there. If you ever need exotics let me know and iIwill let you know where to go for them.

[Matt Bickford]

I am always amazed at the lack of rift sawn everything in thicker stock. I go to the local yard that I deal with and they have nothing. I have ended up searching through piles and doing as Yoshikuni suggested or buying thicker flat sawn and making my own. What do people use 16/4 flat or QS wood for? are there that many people making bombe chests out there? 12 and 16/4 is leg stock and should be rift sawn. That's my opinion.

[Joe Chritz]

It can be tough to find sometimes.

I have a local guy with a kiln who does a fair amount of flat sawn oak, mostly red. He sets aside any 1/4 sawn/rift sawn he finds for me. I think I have him talked into ripping off the edges of wide boards that has rift/quarter on it.

If there is any local mills that does large logs you may be able to pilfer some from a pile.

Joe

[Alan Turner]

Matt,
I agree with you; rift is appropriate for leg stock. I often have to buy a wider plank of 12/4 stock, and then take rips off the outer edges to gain rift sawn, which is a bit wasteful, but the only way I know of buying rift sawn leg stock. Depending upon the final dimensions required by the legs, I can sometimes bevel cut the leg stock, and then square it up from the bevel side and basically "make" rift sawn stock from wood which has some extra thickness.

[Peter Quinn]

Round here the rift is in the pile with the quartered as far as white oak goes, and I think thats pretty much how the grading standard goes that commercial mills use. I looked this up for a post a while back, pretty sure any grain better than 45 degrees gets sold as QS these days.

I know there's a few sawmills around me that will cut it how you want it if you're buying a lot but I've never done that kind of volume.

My dad gave me his old school text and in it they make clear designations about three ways to saw boards at a mill. They got the plain sawn cut, the rift sawn cut and the true quarter sawn cut. Seems most mills are throwing those last two in the same pile which is a shame in a wood like WO where it makes a huge difference visually.

Anyway yes, there is perfect straight grain non-flecked rift sawn WO available as both solid wood and veneered panels in the market in sizes appropriate for bed construction. I don't know if you can find it locally in Calgary, here it grows in my back yard literally and I still have to dig out the rift sawn.