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Cross cuts are made perpendicular to the grain of a tree, while rip cuts go parallel. Crosscuts are used to fell trees, and crosscut saws have teeth for easier cutting. Wood grain runs from the base to the sky, making the wood stronger when pushed from the side. Crosscut saws have teeth that bend, making the cutting area slightly larger than the width of the saw. When a crosscut saw bites into a tree, it cuts in one main direction.
A cross cut is a cut made in the wood that goes perpendicular to the grain of the tree. This term contrasts with a rip cut that goes parallel to the grain. Crosscuts are the most common method of felling trees, as the grain of nearly all trees is perpendicular to the ground. Crosscut saws are a specialized type of human powered saw that has teeth to allow for easier cutting against the grain. While the term most often applies to cutting actual trees, any cut made against the grain of the wood during any machining point is a cross cut.
Most trees grow in spurts, and it is these spurts that result in growth rings and long fibrous lines within the tree. These lines help give internal structural stability to the shaft and allow it to flex rather than break. In almost all cases, the fibers run from the base of the tree to the sky. This means that the tree is stronger when pushed from the side than when pushed from above or below. This allows the wood to withstand high winds and momentary impacts without cracking.
These internal characteristics also define the wood grain of the tree. When something is with the grain, it runs parallel to the internal structures of the wood. Something that goes against the current runs perpendicular to those structures. These terms have a more general meaning deriving from the effort required to cut wood. Cuts made with the grain generally require less effort than cuts made against it.
When a tree is felled, the cut usually goes against the grain and is called a cross cut. To remove some of the effort required to cut against the grain, people use crosscut saws. These saws have small teeth that have a sharp and a dull edge. These teeth typically bend slightly from the plane of the saw in alternating directions, making the cutting area slightly larger than the width of the saw.
When a crosscut saw bites into a tree, it cuts in one main direction. On most modern saws, this cut is made as the blade moves away from the user. As the teeth bend on either side of the blade, the grain is severed in two places. The central part of the wood detaches completely and becomes sawdust. As the blade moves towards the user, the teeth collect the remaining dust and extract it from the cut.
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