What is Plainsaw lumber?

Plainsawn wood is perhaps the most straightforward way to cut rectangular-profiled boards out of a round log. Sawmills create plainsawn lumber by making a series of parallel cuts in a log. This system of cutting wood provides excellent yield because it minimizes waste. Unfortunately, plainsawn lumber has some critical disadvantages. Woodgrain in a log is comprised of a series of concentric rings beginning in the center. Plainsawn boards have substantially different grain patterns depending on where they were cut out of the log. Since wood expands and contracts in different ways with respect to grain, plainsawn lumber is typically less stable than the alternatives listed below. The tendency of wood to expand and contract is called wood movement.  more