Wane in timber refers to the lack of wood on any face or edge of a piece of sawn timber.
Understanding Wane in Sawn Timber
Wane (sometimes also called Want) is a common characteristic found in sawn timber. It essentially signifies an area on the timber piece where the full, square profile of the sawn wood is missing. This absence of wood occurs because a portion of the original rounded surface of the log from which the timber was cut remains on the piece.
Key Characteristics of Wane
Based on the definition, wane can be characterized by:
- Location: Occurs on a face or an edge of a sawn timber piece.
- Nature: It is a lack or absence of the expected wood material in that area.
- Cause: It is typically caused by the presence of a part of the original log's curved surface.
- Bark: The original reference notes that bark may or may not still be present on the wane area.
Why Does Wane Occur?
Wane is a direct result of how a log is sawn into rectangular or square timber sections. When cutting timber, especially near the outside of the log, it's possible that the sawing lines don't completely remove the curvature of the log. This leaves a portion of the original rounded exterior surface on the sawn piece, creating the wane.
- Think of cutting a square beam out of a round log. If the square isn't centered perfectly or doesn't fully encompass the log's diameter, the corners of the original log might show up as rounded areas on the edges of the beam. That rounded area is wane.
Wane affects the dimensions and appearance of the timber piece and is often considered a defect depending on the intended use and grading standards.
