Don't use 2x4s

• Avoid any boards that contain pith.
• ▶Buy wider boards (e.g. 2x10s) and cut them down to 2x4s | Scott Walsh
  • ▶Buy as wide of boards as possible
• ▶What if you're using hand-tools? Then ripping sucks. Here's what to do instead. | Rex Krueger
• ▶Look for 'Common Pine' or 'Select Pine' wood
• A Photographic Guide to Selecting Lumber
  • Photos of flat-sawn, rift-sawn, and quarter-sawn.