"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
One other thing popped into my head while browsing the selection of
hardwoods at the yard - some of the pieces were separating or fraying in
sections. I don't know the technical term for it, but I would imagine it
is caused by uneven drying and having two halves of the wood crook in
different directions. Basically the edges of the wood are fine, its the
middle that has split apart.

So let's say you have 1 foot of that on an 8 foot board - would you
attempt to talk them out of making you pay for that 1 foot of useless wood
Here's a pic of what I mean - http://images.lowes.com/general/s/split.jpg

Depends on my needs, I may or may not buy that board.. Buying rough wood,
you will have waste. Most woodworkers figure 15% to 20% of the wood is
going to be scrapped. Trees don't grow to the dimensions of the wood needed
for every project.

In the case of the split, it is no necessarily useless wood. It may not be
needed today, but it may be tomorrow. I buy boards I like for the grain, for
the yield I can get for the project at hand. That useless end that you see,
may be perfect for a tray divider, drawer for a small case, etc. My wife
collects dolls and I often make her furniture for them and that 1' may be
perfect for my needs.

I would, however, give a tug on the end to be sure it is not a split running
up the board making it more difficult to use.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/