Slicing Method VS Grain of the Veneers
In the wood veneers world, the slicing method is not entirely associated with the final grain / final appearance of the veneers (flat grain, quarter, or rift).
You can often read “plain slicing” or “quarter slicing”, but it can be quarter sliced on a Vertical slicer, or on a lengthwise slicer (Click here for more information on the various slicer types and methods).
What will “decide” of the final grain of the veneers (flat, rift or quarter) is all related to the original cut of the raw material – wether it is a log or a piece of lumber.
This means it is related to the way the piece of log was cut or the way the lumber was sawn at the mill, prior to slicing at the veneers plant. The choice of the piece of raw material you are slicing will define the final appearance of the veneers.
Slicing methods = rotary slicer, vertical slicer, half-round slicer and lengthwise slicer.
Veneers grain = flat grain, quarter (also called vertical grain), or rift.
For example: Slicing Alder from a Flat Cut piece of lumber or from a sawn log cut in half, either on a lengthwise slicer or on a vertical slicer, will always give you a flat cut veneers final appearance.
On the same idea, slicing Oak from a Quarter cut piece of lumber or from a sawn log cut in quarter, either on a lengthwise slicer or on a vertical slicer, will always give you a quarter cut veneers final appearance.
See below the different veneers grain patterns you can achieve with slicing:
- Flat cut / plain slice / Flat grain: cathedral grain pattern appearance
Can be done with: lengthwise slicing (from a flat cut piece of lumber) ; vertical slicing (from a log cut in half) ; or on half round slicer.
- Quarter cut / vertical grain: straight grain or narrow stripes final appearance. In oak species, this will produce a flake character. Quarter cut (QTR) term will be use for hardwood species, and vertical grain (VG) term will be use with softwood species.
Can be done with: lengthwise slicing (from quarter cut piece of lumber) ; vertical slicing (from a quarter log to be sliced at the right angle).
- Rift cut: straight, striped grain appearance without the flakes that appears in quarter-sliced veneer. Most often in Red & White Oak, rarely in other species.
Can be done with: lengthwise slicing (from rift cut piece of lumber) ; vertical slicing (from a quarter log to be sliced at the right angle – slightly different than quarter cut angle).
- Rotary cut: “the exception” – rotary is as much a slicing method as it is a final grain pattern. A full log will be “peeled off” while rotating toward the blade. The veneers final grain is broad and wide with no plain or quarter-sliced appearance. It shows a variegated grain pattern.
Conclusion:
You can get flat cut veneers, quarter cut or rift cut veneers from different types of veneers slicing methods. The supplied raw material used to be sliced (lumber or a specific sawn part of a log) is the key to achieve the final grain appearance needed.
With lengthwise slicing, you can chose any cut of a lumber piece, and slice it to get the veneers with the right final effect needed.
With Conventional slicing (vertical), the final veneers appearance will depend on the way the log is sawn – cut in half or on a quarter.
Half round slicing will give a pattern between rotary and plain sliced.
Rotary slicing will only give rotary grain veneers, due to its production from a full log.