Quote:
Originally Posted by gilles
Am I right in assuming that only the sides need to be quartered?
Wouldn't a back be just as good if it were rift or flat-sawn, if braced properly?
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Two factors are at play. While quartered sides are generally easier to bend and will ripple less, the presence of ladder bracing on the back will tend to cause cracks and sinking when it shrinks due to low humidity. The wider the piece, the more the shrinkage.
There are different cuts of flat sawn, depending on how close to the heart the board is cut. As a result, the angle of the growth rings varies widely. Backs that have a narrow heart that is located outside the waist will tend to be more stable than those with a wider heart that is located in the center of each half. That is because the grain in the latter is more parallel with the face over a larger percentage of the width.