Tips for finding the best grain in a board
Mason McBrien's tips will help any woodworker get the most out of their lumber stash–without sacrificing beautiful grain selection.
From Mason McBrien’s article, Elegant Side Table in Fine Woodworking #281
See the grain
When breaking down a board, Mason McBrien likes to use a clear template a little bigger than the part he’s laying out. This way, he makes sure the grain is exactly what he wants.
Straight rips at the bandsaw
Because laying out for grain often means running at an angle to the board’s edge, use the bandsaw for rips. A jigsaw can handle the crosscuts.
Rip adjacent parts from single wide board
Ripping nearby upper and lower parts from a single wide board keeps the grain matching between the two, strengthening the project’s aesthetic harmony. Mark the end grain so you can easily identify matched pairs later.
Legs need rift grain
Look for straight grain on the edge of an 8/4 board as well as straight grain on the face. Ideally, you want growth rings that are evenly spaced on all faces and run 45° across the ends.
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Make wide tops from a single board
This ensures grain and color match. Crosscut the board and use one half as the middle of the glued-up top; the second half gives you straight, riftsawn edges.
Glueline disappears in the rift
Rotate the riftsawn edges end for end and glue them onto the first half of the board you crosscut, and the glueline vanishes in the straight grain. The tighter and straighter the grain, the better the effect.
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Elegant side tableWith tapered legs, split aprons, and profiled top, Mason McBrien’s table was designed to showcase the lightness and straight grain of the American white ash. |
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Designing With Grain |
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Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Incra Miter 1000HD
AnchorSeal Log and Lumber End-Grain Sealer
Hedgehog featherboards
Comments
The clear plastic template gave me a great idea, my wife is a hardcore quilter and has several clear plastic layout tools. One is six inch by twenty-four inch and it has the square inch gradient marked on it in black. I'm sure there are other sizes available at the Quilters stores.
Great point! My wife is also a hardcore quilter. They are also good for angles.
Great Tip, I picked this up some time ago and don't remember where. I use an older clear Fiskars Quilting Ruler (https://www.joann.com/fiskars-coastal-6x24-ruler/8298127.html) all the time.
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