Cut riftsawn parts from ordinary plainsawn boards

Selecting the straight, even figure of riftsawn grain for narrow parts, such as the stiles and rails of cabinet doors and picture frames, greatly enhances the overall appearance of a project. (Riftsawn grain meets the face of a board at angles between 30° and 60°, and displays straight grain on the edges as well as the faces of the board.) Fortunately, you won't have to go out of your way to find this stock. Any pile of flatsawn boards contains many that exhibit ample riftsawn grain along one or both edges. As shown, an ordinary flatsawn Douglas fir 1x4 provides narrow pieces of riftsawn stock. For the best appearance, select boards with closely spaced annual growth rings.

—From the WOOD® magazine shop