Full-color, Large
Quartersawing Process...
In the quartersawing process:
- The log is first cut in half, then in quarters, just like the quarter hours of a clock face.
- Then each quarter "cant" is sliced separately into boards.
- Using the clock face analogy and seeing the quarter "cant" as the 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock quarter, the first board sliced would be the 12 o'clock face.
- The growth rings on this board will be almost 90 degrees to the face of the board, revealing the "Medullary Ray" to the maximum degree.
This board will be designated as a "quartered" board due to its visual characteristics (visible "ray flake").- Next, the quarter "cant" is turned on a carousel end-for-end and flipped such that what was the 3 o'clock face is now the 12 o' clock face.
- That board will look a great deal like the first, with the growth rings perpendicular to the face of the board.
- In the process of turning the cant and slicing one face after another, the cant is cut from the inside out.
As the angle of the growth rings to the face of the board changes from 60-90 degrees to 30-60 degrees, the Medullary Ray becomes less pronounced and being classified as "Rift".
All boards are straight grained on the face with varying degrees of "flake" or "Medullary Ray". "Rift" is simply less figured "quartered".
This proprietary FML quartersawing process, while more time consuming, results in more usable lumber out of each log.
Plain Sawing Process...
The plainsawing process involves the log moving back and forth on the same log carriage, rotated with each successive slice, cutting the log from the outside inwards.
When the pith (heart) of the log is reached, sawing stops and the "boxed heart" will be turned into pallet stock or railroad ties.
By cutting from the outside in, the plainsawn mill can use a log of a slightly lower quality than FML uses, as it will allow for some rot in the center of the log.