Is Continuous Grain Customary Regardless of Joinery??

[Glen Blanchard]

It is, of course, preferred practice (in let's say a cabinet or box) to keep the grain of a board continuous when mitered corners are employed. But what if other types of joinery are used? Is it customary to have continuous grain when using dovetails? How 'bout other types of joints? The use of a non-contiguous grain will be much more evident in mitered joints as there is no interruption in the grain (read no visible end grain). With other types of joinery, there will be some amount of grain disruption. I have never read or heard anything about this though. Is this customarily a concern with these other types of joints?

Just wondering how folks feel about this.

[Jim Becker]

The whole idea behind the concept of things like "continuous grain" and grain/color matching is to add a whole lot of what I'll term subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) visual comfort and enhancement to a project. If you take the exact same project, do it twice--once with very careful color and grain matching and once with ad-hock selection of material--even with the absolutely best craftsmanship, there will be an incredible difference.

One of the makers I admire is Thos Moser. Something I learned from his work is that even matching material across stiles (and rails) can have a substantial impact on the final product. It brings balance and takes away distractions that keep you from enjoying the form of the total project. Same goes from things like drawer fronts across a case...cutting them all from one board is an enhancement and if the drawer faces are inset and flush with the apron, constructing all of this from the same board using the technique that Norm Abram has shown on at least one occasion (and is revisited on my site in the Shaker Student Desk project) takes things to the next level visually.

In the case of continuous grain (when wrapping around corners), it can add the same sense of balance. This is sometimes harder to do because ultimately, one corner of something with four sides is going to have a slight to not-so-slight mismatch. This is where choosing the particular stock is very important. Straight grained material with a pretty regular figure is going to work best. And you may need to cut the board out of a wider board on an angle to make it work optimally, too. The "factory edge", as it were, is not always the best starting point. This is a hard decision for some folks, however, because optimizing the material will also require more material and generate more "waste".

So...it should be pretty obvious that I'm somewhat passionate about grain and color matching. Something I often write is that "choosing the material is the first step in the finishing process" and I stand by that for the reasons stated above. If you optimize the way the wood speaks (or doesn't speak if that is appropriate), the whole project is enhanced in the end.

[Rick Thom]

Don't think there are any 'rules' either way, but my sense is that we go for what is most pleasing to the eye. I am finding that as I gain experience I am becoming much more particular about matching and compatibility board-to-board which is changing my shopping habits when purchasing wood.
One other consideration is the type of finish to be used. If wood is to be left natural, then you get the full effect of the wood.. good or bad. However, good finishing can improve what might be otherwise considered a mismatch or less than optimal situation.

[John Thompson]

With most construction techniques.. you will end up with continous grain whether trying or not. And continous grain suggest smooth flow to the over-all look. On something that you purposely were trying to make stand out in a modern design.. disrupting the flow would certainly make it stand out.

Some might like that... I don't. I maintain continous grain if at all possible as an old-timer mentioned to me once, "I've just always done it that way". That sometimes explains why things happen the way they do,right.. wrong.. middle of the road... just because you have always done it that way. :)

Sarge..

[Mark Hultzapple]

How is it possible to pick and choose boards with matching grain and color when the boards are rough sawn purchased from the mill. Of my most recent projects I used soft maple and found it difficult to tell what I had until it was planed. I typically only plane what I think I will need for the project so I don't have alot to choice to do any matching. Anyone have any tips on selection techniques?

[Jim Becker]

Mark, I always acquire more material than I need and although I don't mill it until it's time to use it, I will often very lightly skim it over my jointer so I have a good idea about what is inside. (A planer can be used in the same way if you don't have a wide jointer) You don't want to take a lot of material off the boards, just expose the faces. You can then go through the selection process, narrowing down what you'll use and then go from there. It's also a good idea to take a sharp (!) block plane with you to the mill so you can check for color, etc., as you are selecting boards. Any good mill or lumber source is not going to object to that.

[Paul Simmel]

If I follow Jim correctly... and I think I do, we work the same in this respect. You look "into" your stock and mark out the pieces (parts) from it you want to dive in and get. Some are "straight" (parallel with the board and some are not. You look to the grain and get the piece that best fits your part. This is what I call slicing and dicing and one of the main reasons I use the BS in my shop as a ripping tool over anything else. You can dive in and get the section that you need... then mill them later. There may be "waste", but much of it can be used for other parts, and much of what's left can be milled and glued for other parts. This is an excellent philosophy for getting the best looking pieces for any given board.

[Chris Friesen]

In the case of continuous grain (when wrapping around corners), it can add the same sense of balance. This is sometimes harder to do because ultimately, one corner of something with four sides is going to have a slight to not-so-slight mismatch.

There is a way to get perfect matches on all four corners. Take an extra-thick board, cut it to the length equalling the sum of the lengths of the side and the end. Resaw the board, and flip the pieces so that the resawn side faces outward (giving grain match both ends). Now cut a side from one piece, and the other side from the other piece, but starting from the other end.

You now have 4 pieces of wood with continuous grain all the way around.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the reminder, Chris...I had forgot about that technique!

[John Thompson]

Agree with Jim on taking the block plane to the supplier when searching rough stock. A block plane.. tape measure and a Timber-check (pin style moisture meter) stays in a bag of tools in my club cab of the truck just for that. Otherwise you are getting pot luck...

Sarge..

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

No. Not traditional - except as to those who have made it so for them.
It is merely a question of aesthetics. You either like the look or you don't or you are impartial.