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Which direction does wood shrink the most as it dries?

Tangential, around the growth rings, shrinks about twice as much as radial.

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  1. Radial, across the growth rings
  2. Tangential, along the growth rings ✔
  3. Longitudinal, along the length

Why: Wood moves much more across the grain than along it. Tangential shrinkage, measured around the rings, is about double the radial shrinkage. That difference helps explain why flatsawn boards tend to cup.

Huh, didn't know that: American beech shrinks about 11.9% tangentially but only 5.5% radially from green to ovendry.

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References

Answer: Tangential, along the growth rings. Wood moves much more across the grain than along it. Tangential shrinkage, measured around the rings, is about double the radial shrinkage. That difference helps explain why flatsawn boards tend to cup.

  1. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, 2021) research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/62200
    Tangential shrinkage is about twice as great as radial.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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Trades & ShopAs wood loses moisture, how much does a board shrink along its length?Trades & ShopAt about what moisture content does a drying board begin to shrink?Trades & ShopIn commercial practice, quartersawn lumber has growth rings at what angle to the wide face?

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