Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions page. Whether you’re ordering quarter sawn oak, looking for bespoke machining, or simply need advice on choosing the right timber, we’ve answered some of the questions we’re asked most often. If you cant find the information you’re looking for, please get in touch. We’re always happy to help with your project.

• What is quarter sawn oak? Quarter sawn oak is regarded as a premium hardwood which is cut with its annular rings between 45-90 degrees from the face of the board. This method produces the distinctive medullary ray figuring that gives quarter sawn oak its unique appearance. Quarter sawing also produces timber which has excellent stability properties, it is known for being much more resistant to warping than “Though and Through” or “Plain sawn” timber. Quarter Sawn Oak it is highly valued for furniture making and cabinetry also high quality traditional joinery, where stability, durability and appearance are most important.
• Why is quarter sawn oak more expensive? Quarter sawing of a log is considered more expensive due to the extra time and labour involved in the milling process, also the extra waste factor. The entire log must first be cut into four quarters, running through the heart of the log. Then each quarter is milled separately, regularly turning to keep the annual rings as close to 90 degrees to the surface of each board as possible. This means there are four times the number of cuts required to produce a similar volume of timber. However the quality of timber produced often means that the volume of waste is much reduced from the point of view of the workshop, boards are flatter and straighter, they also don’t have sapwood leaning in so much, nor do they have heart shakes to remove.
• Do you mill logs for other people? Yes we are happy to mill logs which customers bring to us. We have undertaken work such as this for a variety of notable customers such as Kew Gardens and The Chatsworth estate, although we happily offer this service to anyone. We can plank your felled or windblown trees into usable boards which you can take home to season and use yourself. We aren’t a mobile service, but for large loads we can supply contact details for hauliers who can help move logs. Many customers bring logs on trailers which we can unload on site. If there is any known pieces of metal in the logs we need to know the location of these  to avoid hitting them, a screw or nail etc will cost a blade. See our sawmill services listing on the shop page for more information.
• Can other species of wood be quarter sawn? Absolutely, the stability of all timbers can be improved by quarter sawing so if a project specifically requires timber with good stability qualities then quarter sawing is the way to go. Oak is best known for being quarter sawn as it displays its beautiful medullary ray figuring, but timbers such as Beech and London Plane also show wonderful medullary ray figure. Aside from Oak in our own works we have also quarter sawn Beech, Ash and now Douglas Fir, this produces wonderful straight grained boards which can be prized by furniture makers.
• What is the difference between “modern quarter sawn” and “traditional quarter sawn”? The “modern” quarter sawn methods involve turning the quarter after a couple of cuts have been taken, where as “traditional” or “true” quarter sawn sits the quarter at a 45 degree angle and cuts are taken from there producing boards with a beveled edge, see picture below. We use both methods, often swapping from quarter to quarter after looking at the direction of the medullar, with the aim to produce the best figured boards.More soon…
• Where do you source logs from?
• Can I buy a single board?
• Do you cut oak to size?
• Do you kiln dry oak?
• what moisture content is your oak?
• Can I visit the workshop?
• How do you deliver the timber?
• Can you deliver over seas?
• what is the difference between PAR, rough sawn and waney edge?