Use the outer edges

The way a board is cut from a log affects its stability. Quarter-sawn boards are the most stable; they don’t “move” as much with changes in humidity. Home centers don’t carry quarter-sawn lumber; it’s too expensive. But when you’re sorting through the piles, look at the end grain. Sometimes you’ll find growth rings running perpendicular to the board’s face on the outer edges. This is essentially quarter-sawn lumber. You can rip these edges free of the less stable center.