14/07/2026
Quarter-Sawn & Rift-Sawn Timber — Identified, Not Assumed
Core Truth
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Quarter-sawn and rift-sawn boards already exist inside normal sawmill production. The problem is not how logs are sawn — the problem is that qualification is rarely measured. Without angle verification, higher-value boards pass through unnoticed.
What This Means in the Mill
Most sawmills do not saw logs with quarter or rift output as the primary goal. Logs are processed using established patterns for throughput, recovery, and standard dimensions. Quarter- and rift-sawn boards appear incidentally inside that flow.
Pitago is built for this reality.
It does not ask the mill to change sawing methods. It measures what the mill already produces and identifies which boards truly qualify for higher-value categories.
Growth-ring angle measurement for quarter- and rift-sawn timber
Growth-ring angle measurement used for quarter- and rift-sawn classification
What Actually Defines Quarter and Rift
Quarter and rift are angular classifications, not pattern names and not visual impressions. Growth-ring angle is measured between the board face and the annual rings:
Quarter-sawn: 60°–90°
Rift-sawn: 30°–60°
Flat-sawn: below 30°
If the angle falls outside the range, the board does not qualify — regardless of where it came from in the log.
Why Visual Judgment Is Not Reliable
Boards cut near the center often look quarter-sawn but fail the angle requirement. At the same time, boards from unexpected zones may meet rift or quarter criteria.
When classification relies on appearance or cutting pattern, quarter and rift yield is misestimated, higher-value boards are mixed into lower-priced stock, grain consistency claims weaken, and sales descriptions become difficult to defend.
How Pitago Determines Qualification
Pitago evaluates every board individually by geometry.
It locates the true pith center, establishes radial reference lines, measures growth-ring angles at multiple points along each board, records top, bottom, and central angles, and applies strict angle thresholds.
Each board receives its own qualification result. There is no averaging and no assumption by position.
Quarter-sawn-rift-sawn-timber-patterns
What the Diagrams Represent
The diagrams show a complete log sawn using a standard production pattern. Every board inside the log is mapped and assigned its measured angles.
This reveals which boards qualify as quarter-sawn, which qualify as rift-sawn, which only appear to qualify but do not, and the exact board dimensions tied to each classification.
The result is a full, auditable breakdown of actual output.
The Decision Table
For each board, Pitago records growth-ring angle at the top, growth-ring angle at the bottom, the central ring angle, the qualification result (yes or no), and the board thickness and width.
Qualification is binary. If the angles meet the criteria, the board qualifies. If not, it does not.
What Changes for the Mill
With angle-based identification, higher-price boards are detected inside normal production, quarter and rift claims become measurable and defensible, sorting and pricing improve without changing sawing patterns, and management can quantify whether intentional quarter- or rift-sawing is worth pursuing.
Only after this visibility exists does changing sawing strategy become a rational decision.
Bottom Line
You do not need to saw differently to benefit.
First, identify what your current sawing already produces. Then decide — with numbers — whether selective quarter- or rift-sawing is worth the higher price.
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