Which timber defect runs along the rings of the timber?

• A. Shake
• B. Warp
• C. Twist
• D. Bow

Answer: (A)

Understanding how defects align with the wood’s grain is key here. A shake is a crack that travels along the grain, typically following the growth rings. That means you can see the crack running in line with the rings around the piece, sometimes called a ring shake. This orientation is what makes it the defect that runs along the rings.

Warp, twist, and bow describe distortions in shape caused by drying and stresses, not cracks along the grain. Warp covers overall bending, twist rotates the board along its length, and bow curves in a vertical plane. Those are deformations, not cracks following the rings.