Those are standard diagrams found in most wood books except that rift one. it's the second time I've seen it and it's just as silly the second time. No lumber producer would ever wast material to cut for rift that way. The pie shap diagram makes no sense either.
The "figure" in snakewood is a pigment classification and has no grain specific direction. It's similar in origin to ink line markings in rosewood and the dark bands in zebrawood. It is not a result of grain undulation in either tangent or radial planes. Snakewood figure has several presentations and several market names world wide. Spotted snakewood is called "leopardwood" (fish tail oak is now marketed as Leopardwood) and jumbled markings called "letterwood" due to it's resemblance to alphebet letters. Like Chuck said, cut snake wood for yield taking consideration for known cracks and how the figure presents itself. Mother nature paints her wood with a broad pigment brush with lots of variation. Snakewood "figure" comes and goes and my personal preference is landscaped ink lines mixed with the bands. Sapwood is white and is never imported with log or lumber form..it's hacked off by axe.
Snake wood has a species average specific gravity of 1.4, slightly higher than average African ebony. It takes a super long time to dry and will crack no matter the care used because it is very stiff and brittle. Snakewood does not dissipate heat well and will heat crack if sanded hard. Use clean, new paper. Because of it's stiffness, drilling pin holes in thin scales must be slow and careful. No over heating with the bit and clear the hole of debris or it will crack the wood side wall since the wall will not flex.
Impregnating thick snake wood with acrylic resins is not difficult with proper protocols, equipment and knowledge. A thinner resin is needed. Keep in mind to impregnate a 1" thick block you only need .5" penetration since pressure is equal on all sides in a pressure chamber. Proper pressure is necessary of course...don't try it in a paint pot. I have routinely infused 1" snake wood. Years ago before I perfected my own acrylic impregnation system I sent snakewood to Ken at K & G and he gets impregnation thru and thru on 2" thick stock for sure. Snakewood does not gain much weight due to it's density after processing and I've found over the years "stabilized" snakewood cracks about the same as natural snakewood. I have cut hundreds of pounds of quality snake wood over the years, but refuse to buy log chunks.
