Learning about wood

What I noticed about this piece of woodworking at our friend Bobbie's house is the criss-cross pattern on the edge (and the tip of the pegs, too). I wondered if it were the combination of the wood's natural grain and marks left by the saw that made the cut. So I put the question to my sometimes-woodworker brother-in-law. His answer:

“That shelf is made of white oak. The crossing figure is a combination of the usual growth rings (upper left to lower right in the photo) and the flecking (upper right to lower left) that white oak has more than other species. It's usually highly visible in quarter sawn white oak, which is what authentic arts and crafts furniture (and my dining room table) is usually made of. That's really cool, though.”

So it's the very wood itself; I'm glad I asked!

1 year ago (“Dude — it’s December 7!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-12-07
2 years ago (“Shoveled!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-12-07
3 years ago (“‘Sorry, Charlie!’”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-12-07
4 years ago (“Our family crèche…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-12-07

[ IMG_7545S8x12Utm :: f/5.6 (–1) :: 1/15" :: ISO-1600 :: 49mm ]

7th December 2015 7th Dec 15