If you glance at the cabinet in the photo above and say to yourself, “…that’s a good-looking project,” it’s because the builder put a great deal of thought into the lumber selection. The straight, even grain of riftsawn and quartersawn lumber allows the finer points of the design to shine through. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the photo below.

In this version, the wild, wavy grain of the flatsawn lumber used to build this project takes away from the clean lines of the design. In this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking seminar, Dennis Perkins will help us learn the basics of hardwood lumber selection.

During the seminar, he’ll talk about how grades affect pricing, how to deal with wood moisture, and try to clear up the mystery surrounding how to figure hardwood thicknesses and board footage. Finally, he’ll focus on choosing the best lumber based on grain direction, type, and the project. Hope to see you there.