Shoutout to the old guy at the lumber yard in Spokane

I was picking up some oak for a table top last month and an older carpenter saw me checking the boards. He walked over, pointed at the grain, and said 'You see that runout? That piece will cup on you in a year.' He showed me how to spot it by looking down the edge. I've been picking wood for five years and never knew that trick. How do you guys check for stable lumber before you buy?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

robertb306mo ago

That bit about checking down the edge for runout is key. I read an article that said to also look for growth rings that are evenly spaced and straight, not all wild and wavy. Boards cut from the center of the tree tend to move less.

5

zarap146mo ago

Quarter-sawn lumber is the ultimate cheat code for stability.

5

sethb456mo ago

But doesn't that center board often have the pith, which can cause its own problems with cracking?

2