an improved orienting disk is provided for better wood strand alignment in wood strand orienter machinery . the disk has a plurality of fin - like teeth projecting upwardly from the periphery of a generally circular plate . in a preferred embodiment each of the teeth has a straight leading edge facing the direction of rotation of the disk , and a curve trailing edge . most preferably , the disk has six such teeth , each separated from another by 60 ° about the periphery of the disk .