Quarter sawn

[Chrispy]

We keep seeing the term quarter sawn oak or lace wood etc. now I know what quarter sawn is and what it looks like but can somebody please explain to me how you turn (tween centers) quarter sawn wood and the benefit of doing so?
because for the life of me I can't see it. Surely any piece of Oak cut any which way will be the same once turned? :?:
Yes a piece may have a strong medullary ray or very faint but that has nothing to do with quartering.

 

[jasonB]

The only time it will have an effect on turned work is when doing say a platter where the grain is running across the axis of the lathe, if a quater sawn oak board/blank is used you will see the medular rays when looking into the platter. With the grain this way there is also less chance of teh finished iten cupping.

It does nor really apply for spindle work where the grain runs along the lathe axis as when viewed from two directions it will in effect be quater cut and the other two directions crown cut

 

[Chrispy]

Exactly, so why so much talk about quarter cut for pen blanks? I know it's a bit petty but Oak trees do grow from little acorns!

 

[Chems]

I don't know anything about pen blanks, but quarter sawn of anything is usually going to be the most stable against bowing and cupping because of the way the grain runs straight across the piece.

 

[jasonB]

Chems, rotate the pen blank or spindle 90 degrees and you will be looking at crown cut timber, rotate again and it will be Quater cut, etc. its only when you have a board eg wider in one dimension than the other that having it quater cut adds to stability.

Chrispy I don't read the turning stuff that mutch but can't see the logic in using it for spindle work, maybe someone can enlighten us.

J