What is wood grain?

			Wood grain is the direction or pattern of grains in wood. When scraping, you usually need to follow the direction of the grain with a cabinet scraper to get a smooth and even surface. Getting a smooth surface by scraping across the grain is very difficult, if not impossible.
			The main types of wood fibers are: straight, spiral, wavy, irregular and interlaced.
			The type of grain may vary depending on the type of wood. For example, walnut and yew can be very complex and twisty. The grain type can also vary due to the unique way a particular tree grows.
			straight grain
			This is when the fibers in the wood run in the same direction. Straight grain is formed as the tree grows, so that the wood fibers run up and down the length of the tree.
			spiral grain
			This type of grain occurs when the fibers in the wood twist and twist. As the tree grows, the wood fibers twist to form a helical structure.
			wavy grain
			This type of grain is formed by frequent changes in the direction of the wood fibers.
			Irregular grain
			The texture of the wood is described as uneven when twisted and twisted randomly.
			intertwined grain
			Trunks and branches are put on a circle of growth every year. By cutting the trunk and counting the rings, you can find out how old the tree is - each ring is counted as one year. Intergrown grains occur when the growth of a trunk or branch winds in one direction for one or more years, followed by a year or more of growth in the opposite direction. This leads to "locking" of various "cylinders" of spiral growth.
			Why is grain type important?
			The grain direction is simply the grain direction of the wood. When using a cabinet scraper, follow the lines (wood grain) as closely as possible. Change the direction of the scraper if the fibers turn in different directions.
			Scraping with grain makes the job easier and results in a clean and smooth surface. Moving against the grain when scraping is difficult and can damage the wood, causing it to split or tear.
			When cleaning, the grain should be tilted up and away from the scraper.
			Avoid scraping when the grain is pointing down towards the cutting edge, otherwise the scraper will dig too deep causing a break.
			Scraping across the grain means that the scraper blade will lie parallel to the grain of the wood. This type of scraping does not always guarantee a clean and smooth surface.
			Sometimes not all fibers are removed and parallel grooves remain in the wood. This means that the surface will need to be cleaned again until it is even and smooth.
			You should follow the direction of the fibers as much as possible, whether the fibers are wavy, helical, twisted, or irregular, or perhaps a combination of the two. For the best finish, no matter what type of grit it is, you should try to follow it or risk damaging the surface of the workpiece.