Hardwood Measurements

[Minnesota scroller]

Isn't 4" wide hardwood suppose to be 4 inches? I was getting ready to cut a few coasters and when when putting my pattern up against the maple, it didn't look right. My pattern with margin measures 4" but the board was a bit narrower. I measured the board and it's only 3 1/2". I picked up 2 of these 2 foot long maple boards locally yesterday and they are marked 4".

[BobD (Archive)]

I think you got caught by the nominal hardwood measurements!

It probably was 4" when rough-sawn. After planing and joining, the wood ends up around 3 3/4" t- 3 1/2"

BOb

[Dragon]

A 4" used to be a 4" back in the days when a cord of wood was 4x4x8. Nowdays prices are up and measurements are down.
No measurement is what it says. All of it is a bit smaller. I always go in with my measuring tape to be sure that I get what I need.

[Minnesota scroller]

Whenever I buy wood from Sloan's, it's always the width I order. I just measured a couple pieces from them and 6" is exactly 6". Leave it to a local retailer to screw me over.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Hey Dragon.

back in the days when a cord of wood was 4x4x8

It still is where I live. I go through 4 of those cords a year to heat my house.

When I lived in Ontario a cord was considered 4' x 8' x 16" and classified as a face cord

Out west here where I live a cord is 4' x 4' x 8' and is called a box or a bush cord. It's like three face cords in one.
W.Y.

Here is one of pine and larch.



and two of white birch with real good measure because it is 4' wide x 4' high at the ends and 16 feet long. But it is rounded up to over 5' high in the center.

[workin for wood]

Sloans is different than nominal lumber. Sloans is not selling 1x6's , they are selling 6" wide boards and by a specific thickness too.

The 1 and the 6 such as when you go to a normal lumber store is exactly like Bob says it is. It is milled at the saw one inch think and 6 inches wide...when it dries it shrinks a bit, and then it is planed to clean it up and straight edged, where it ends up at 3/4 thick and 5 1/2 wide. or possibly only 5 1/4 wide !

Think wendy's ...the 1/4 pounder weighs a 1/4 pound before it is cooked.

[William Young (SE BC)]

And a Big Mac
W.Y.

[Marcel in Longueuil]

When ordering wood, finished (milled) wood is smaller as explained previously

Rough wood, be it softwood or hardwood, is mesured in quarters (4/4, 5/4, 12/4 (pronounced four quarter, five quarter, twelve quarter) ) when refering to thickness, so if you want to end up with 1" thick wood when planed both sides you're better off getting 5/4 rough wood to start with.

As for the width it varies, but note that rough wood is priced and measured in board feet (equivalent to 1" x 12"x 12") = thickness x width x length (measured in inches / 144)

so a piece that is 12/4, 6" wide and 6' in length is ( (3x6x72)/144) or 9 board feet.
and a piece that is 4/4 x 12" wide x 9' long is ((1x12x108)/144) also 9 board feet.

Regards,
Marcel

Edit : changed the term linear feet for board feet (translation confusion: French term is pieds planche lineaire, translates as linear board feet)

[Dragon]

Bill
A cord around here is 4' x 8' x whatever length the wood is cut to. So it is usually 16" but can be 18" or 14". And the price is between $90 to $100 for that little.

[Minnesota scroller]

I guess I assumed since it's a "hobby board", the measurements would be exact. At least the thickness is what the label reads.

[bearfretworks]

I agree with you Mike. Take em back........

[Minnesota scroller]

Gill, all I can say is SHAME ON YOU!

[Trout]

you have to watch the thickness...

your right about 3/4 isn't always 3/4....I've bought 3/4 walnut, cherry and other hardwoods from different sources and a lot of times they don't match up..

I've learned, if I run out of wood on a project....go back to the same place you bought the original wood from...

Trout

[Marcel in Longueuil]

[Dragon]

Have not heard that one yet Marcel but I love it.
Diane