back sawn timber (lumber)
Back sawn timber is a term used in Australia for the method of cutting a log so that the broad face of the board is tangential to the growth rings, as illustrated in the drawing below.
This method is usually used for non-pored woods (softwoods) and a few hardwoods.
Fully back cut is when the growth rings meet the wide face with an average angle less than 10 degrees.
Other terms for back-sawn are; crown cut, tangential or slash cut.
On some occasions back-sawing is necessary. Blanks for steam bending should always be back-sawn. See indeco back scratchers.
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