The structural orientation of wood fibers running parallel to the main axis of a tree trunk or a milled board. Cutting with the long-grain is called ripping, while cutting across it is crosscutting. Glue joints made face-to-face along the long-grain are incredibly strong, often stronger than the wood itself, whereas end-grain joints are weak and prone to failure.
Heard on the job
Make sure you glue the patch long-grain to long-grain, or it will just snap right off under pressure.
Insider tip
When planing long-grain, read the direction of the fibers and plane downhill to avoid tearing out the wood.
Also heard as
- face grain
- edge grain