Skip to content

PZC Chatometry

A standard system to measure wood chatoyance

Menu
  • Home
  • What is Chatoyance?
    • Curl
    • Ribbon Stripe
    • Other Figures
    • Flecks
    • Growth Rings
    • Knots
    • Knots
  • The PZC method
    • Scale example 1
    • Scale example 2
    • Scale example 3
    • Scale example 4
  • Woods
    • Summary Table
    • Africa
      • Abura
      • Afrormosia
      • Agba
      • Agba
      • Afzelia
      • Aniegre
      • Avodire
      • Azobe
      • Bilinga
      • Bilinga
      • Bomanga
      • Boire
      • Bubinga
      • Cola
      • Ebiara
      • Ebony, Gaboon
      • Etimoe
      • Faro
      • Faro
      • Framire
      • Guarea
      • Iroko
      • Lati
      • Khaya
      • Kosipo
      • Kotibe
      • Kotibe
      • Koto
      • Limba
      • Limba, Black
      • Makore
      • Mansonia
      • Moabi
      • Movingui
      • Niangon
      • Niove
      • Obeche
      • Ocotea
      • Ocotea
      • Ovangkol
      • Okoume
      • Padouk
      • Purpleheart
      • Ramin
      • Rosewood, African Blackwood
      • Rosewood, African Blackwood
      • Rosewood, Madagascar
      • Sapele
      • Sipo
      • Tali
      • Tiama
      • Wenge
      • Walnut, African
      • Zebrawood
    • Asia
      • Acacia (misc)
      • Ailanthus
      • Albezia
      • Alstonia
      • Artocarpus
      • Ash, Tamo
      • Bintangor
      • Bamboo
      • Camphor
      • Coconut
      • Ebony, Black and White
      • Ebony, Macassar
      • Fig
      • Kapur
      • Keruing
      • Mango
      • Meranti
      • Merbau
      • Mersawa
      • Narra
      • Paulownia
      • Rosewood, Indian
      • Satinwood
      • Sen
      • Sucupira
      • Teak
    • Europe
      • Alder
      • Apple
      • Ash, European
      • Ash, Olive
      • Beech, European
      • Birch
      • Birch, Karelian Burl
      • Black Locust
      • Bog Oak
      • Cedar, European
      • Cherry, Sweet
      • Chestnut, Horse
      • Chestnut, Sweet
      • Cypress, Mediterranean
      • Elm
      • Fir, European Silver
      • Hawthorn
      • Hazelnut
      • Hornbeam
      • Laburnum
      • Lagerstroemia
      • Larch, European
      • London Plane
      • Lime, European
      • Madrone
      • Maple, European
      • Mulberry
      • Oak, Sessile
      • Olive
      • Olive, Russian
      • Poplar, Yellow
      • Pine, Maritime
      • Pine, Swiss Stone
      • Pine, unspecified
      • Pear
      • Poplar
      • Spruce, Fiemme (Ciresa tonewood)
      • Sumac
      • Walnut, European
      • Yew
    • North America
      • Ash, American White
      • Alder, Red
      • Beech, North American
      • Beech, North American
      • Boxelder
      • Butternut
      • Catalpa
      • Cedar, Eastern Red
      • Cedar, Western Red
      • Cherry, Black
      • Cypress, Bald
      • Cypress, Lawson
      • Desert Ironwood
      • Desert Ironwood
      • Dogwood
      • Fir, Douglas
      • Giant Sequoia
      • Hackberry
      • Hemlock
      • Hickory
      • Holly
      • Honey Locust
      • Juniperus misc.
      • Koa
      • Magnolia
      • Maple, Bigleaf
      • Maple, Bigleaf
      • Maple, Hard
      • Mesquite
      • Mesquite
      • Oak, Red
      • Oak, White
      • Osage Orange
      • Osage Orange, Green
      • Red Gum
      • Pecan
      • Pecan
      • Redwood
      • Sassafras
      • Service Tree
      • Sycamore, American
      • Sycamore, American
      • Walnut, Black
      • Walnut, Claro
      • Walnut, Claro
      • Willow
    • Oceania
      • Agathis
      • Ash, Crow’s
      • Australian Blackwood
      • Black Bean
      • Cedar, Australian Red
      • Eucalyptus
      • Eucalyptus Regnans
      • Eucalyptus (River Red Gum)
      • Eucalyptus (Tasmanian Oak)
      • Jarrah
      • Maple, Queensland
      • Oak, Northern Silky
      • Oak, Southern Silky
      • Pine, Huon
      • She-Oak, River
      • Spotted Gum
      • Tasmanian Myrtle
      • Walnut, Queensland
    • South and Central America
      • Angelim
      • Araucaria
      • Aspidosperma
      • Bloodwood
      • Bocote
      • Canarywood
      • Carapa
      • Cedar, Spanish
      • Cerejeira
      • Chechen
      • Cumaru
      • Curupixa
      • Freijo
      • Garapa
      • Goncalo Alves
      • Goupie
      • Granadillo
      • Guanacaste
      • Guatambu
      • Imbuia
      • Ipe
      • Jacareuba
      • Jatoba
      • Jequitiba
      • Katalox
      • Leopardwood
      • Lignum Vitae
      • Louro Faia
      • Louro Preto
      • Mahogany, Cuban
      • Mahogany, Honduras
      • Massaranduba
      • Nothofagus
      • Osage Orange, Argentine
      • Pao Rosa
      • Peroba Rosa
      • Piquiarana
      • Podocarpus
      • Primavera
      • Rosewood, Brazilian
      • Rosewood, Cocobolo
      • Rosewood, Honduras
      • Rosewood, Kingwood
      • Rosewood, Santos
      • Tatajuba
      • Timbauba
      • Tineo
      • Tulipwood
      • Ziricote
  • Case studies
    • Roasting Curly Maple
    • Epoxy resin
    • Bleaching Sapele
    • Sapwood vs Heartwood
    • Different Materials
    • Sunlight & Weather
      • Sunlight exposure on purpleheart
      • Sunlight & Weather exposure on sweet cherry
      • Sunlight exposure on field maple
      • UV light exposure
    • Finishing
      • Finishing Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple – part 2
      • Surface preparation on Curly Maple
      • Incremental grit and finishing on Curly Maple
      • Finishing Okoume
      • Finishing London Plane
      • Finishing Blonde European Walnut
      • Finishing European Ash
      • Finishing European Elm
      • Finishing Etimoe
      • Finishing Sweet Cherry
      • Finishing Ovangkol
    • Progressive grit sanding
    • Ultra-fine sanding
    • Supersurfacing
    • Raw Veneer vs fine sanded
    • Cleaning Black Walnut
    • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on London plane
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on Red Oak
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on European Beech
    • Runout Angle
    • Mud Curing on Osage Orange
    • No. 1 – Hawaiian Koa
    • High-res videos
    • Large GIFs [heavy pages…]
      • Large GIFs 1
      • Large GIFs 2
      • Large GIFs 3
      • Large GIFs 4
      • Large GIFs 5
      • Large GIFs 6
      • Large GIFs 7
      • Large GIFs 8
      • Large GIFs 9
      • Large GIFs 10
      • Australian species
    • Wood samples
    • Fresh-cut wood
    • From firewood to PZC results
    • Included branches
  • Services
  • Credits
  • Contacts

Quartersawn vs Flatsawn

We often get asked: is there a relation between chatoyance and Quartersawn / Flatsawn cut?

This implies another question: is a Quartersawn surface different from a Flatsawn surface?

Yes, especially with woods that show evident Medullary Rays, or Flecks, like Lacewood or Sycamore. This subject is discussed in deeper detail in the page Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on London plane dealing with London plane and in page quartersawn vs flatsawn on red oak dealing with red oak.

This page shows PZC measurements on Quartersawn and Rift or Flatsawn surfaces with species with non-evident flecks.

Our first example is a Teak piece from Seralvo which was re-sawn into 12 samples ranging from Quartersawn to Flatsawn, as shown here:

Analyzed surface is on the left of each sample.

This is how the samples look like:

Sample 1 – PZC = 18.8
Sample 2 – PZC = 18.6
Sample 3 – PZC = 16.6
Sample 4 – PZC = 16.8
Sample 5 – PZC = 19.0
Sample 6 – PZC = 15.1
Sample 7 – PZC = 17.7
Sample 8 – PZC = 22.7
Sample 9 – PZC = 15.0
Sample 10 – PZC = 14.8
Sample 11 – PZC = 18.8
Sample 12 – PZC = 19.2

As shown by chart below, there is quite a lot of variation within the piece, and no clear correlation between cut direction and chatoyance.

PZC Chatometry 2023 . Powered by WordPress