A cut where annual rings run perpendicular to the face. Shows straight grain and, in oak, dramatic ray fleck. Most stable; expensive yield.
Quartersawn for the tabletop — it'll move half as much as flatsawn.
Ribbon-like cells radiating outward from the pith. Most visible in quartersawn oak as the iconic ray-fleck pattern.
A cut where annual rings run roughly parallel to the face of the board. Shows cathedral grain on the face. Cheapest yield from a log; moves most across the face.
A cut where annual rings run at 30–60° to the face. Shows straight grain on all four faces, making it ideal for chair and table legs.
Shrinkage along the rays — the wide dimension of a quartersawn board. Roughly half the tangential value, making quartersawn the most stable cut.