Newbie questions

[ncreefer]

I'm still very new so I have a couple of questions regarding the ads selling bf that have been posted lately.

1. What is a board foot?

2. Are all of these rough cut or would I need to use a planer to smooth them out? I do not have a planer, and these ads seem to sell cheaper then the retail giants.

Thanks.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I'm still very new so I have a couple of questions regarding the ads selling bf that have been posted lately.

1. What is a board foot?
1" thick X 12" wide X 12" long before prepping for use.


2. Are all of these rough cut or would I need to use a planer to smooth them out? I do not have a planer, and these ads seem to sell cheaper then the retail giants.
You can buy lumber that's already planned to a thickness (usually 3/4") that's ready to use for your projects from lumber yards and BORGs. I think it's the best way to get started.
Thanks.

Joe

 

[JimmyC]

Kevin,

A board foot is a measurement of 12" x 12" x 1" or 144" total.

So if you have a 12' long board that's 6" wide and 2" thick you would multiply 144" (12') x 6" x 2" = 1728", 1728" divided by 144" = 12 bd/ft.

Alot of wood is sold rough using dimensions such as 4/4, 6/4, 8/4, etc. 4/4 is a measurement for a 1" thick board, 6/4 is ameasurement for a 1.5" thick board, etc.. When sold rough the measurement is slightly larger than size mentioned, ie. 4/4 is usually about 1and 1/8' thick to allow some room for drying and milling.

S2S is usually surfaced two sides, which means it is already milled to thickness, a 4/4 board that has been S2S is usually 13/16" thick.

Your best deals are usually on rough lumber that's been either AD (air dried) or KD (kiln dried) and these boards need to be run through a jointer to flatten them and then a planer to make the edges parallel and to bring them to the proper thickness.

I hope this helps.

 

[CarvedTones]

Going in the other direction, multiply the width, thickness and length in inches for a board you need, divide by 144 and that is board feet. Add all your boards together, then add about 25% for surfacing and unusable offcuts to buy rough lumber.

 

[Trent Mason]

Kevin,

Joe hit it right on. Here is a link to a board foot calculator. The main difference is that people selling rough cut lumber use the actual dimensions ex: 4/4" is 1 inch thick, etc. The BORG's construction lumber is actually smaller than they say ex: a 2"x4" is actually 1 1/2"x 3 1/2", etc.

If you get rough cut lumber, it would definitely help to have a planer, or someone nearby that has one. If there is a local hardwood shop in your area, they could probably mill it for you and it wouldn't be that expensive. Aside from the planer/jointer, the main thing you need is a straight edge to start from. I bought a slab of Ash once to use as a coffee table top. I ended up using a chalk line and skill saw to get a straight edge. :swoon: HTH. :icon_thum

 

[CarvedTones]

A couple of additional rambling notes that Trent's post made me think of...

For a small project, you can usually find someone nearby to help you with surfacing by posting here. For a large project, it might be worth your while to get a planer.

You can adjust the thickness up or down on a lot of projects. Not all projects - some things really need the specified thickness for structural reasons. What I am getting at is that the 3/4" hard wood sold at the big stores can be used for a lot of plans that show 1/2" or 1". Just be sure to adjust lengths if the board thickness is a factor.

 

[DaveD]

Keep in mind that if you get a board S2S (surfaced 2 sides (both faces planed smooth)) that you will have two ragged edges to deal with. For someone starting out with limited tools try to stick to S4S (faces planed and both edges sawn straight).

Lots of ways to make one/both edges straight but that is for another thread.

 

[Jeff]

The other member posts are right on target; all useful information as you learn something new.

I too went through this learning curve a couple of years ago (and I'm still very much on it). I've bought most of my lumber surfaced S4S or S3S from The Hardwood Store of NC in Gibsonville. They're really great to work with and the surfacing charges are pretty reasonable ($0.80/bf for S4S). I don't have space for a jointer or planer, but also figure that I can buy a lot of surfaced wood vs. the tool investment. :icon_cheers

They'll mill the wood to your specifications. I like to buy longer & wider boards and then rip/crosscut them to actual size for better grain and figure match. UPS also will deliver, but they'll only take 4' long boards.

Good luck and welcome to the clan!

 

[b4man]

Welcome to the wide, wild world of woodworking and to our cyber family!

I'm not new to this and the answers your questions evoked taught me a little so thanks for asking!

Barbara

 

[Bas]

Lots of good info posted already. A few other thoughts:

The lumber selection at Home Depot or Lowe's is very limited, usually just pine, poplar and red oak. The price is easily 6-7 times that of rough lumber. If you use a lot of wood, then a jointer and planer will pay for itself over time. But there's some $$ involved. Even if you buy used equipment off Craig's List, you're still looking at a $500 investment. And then you'll need a dust collector. Replacement knives. More space and electrical. But it does open the possibility of using walnut, maple, sycamore, beech, cypress etc. etc. So it's not just cost, you also have more options. Also, if you want thick boards (> 3/4" finished), you're generally out of luck with the big box stores.

If you're reasonably close to a supplier that will do the surfacing for a reasonable price, that's a good option. Keep in mind that it means you need to know ahead of time how thick you want the lumber to be. Also, wood likes to move, so a board that was once perfectly flat might decide to curl a little after it's been planed. Having your own equipment allows you to take it down in stages, which means more stable material.

Of course, you can also use hand tools to joint and plane your boards. Not a whole lot cheaper though.

And before you know it, you're looking at a 12" Jointer/ Planer combo with shelix head for $3000 :tool:

 

[ncreefer]

Thank you all for the great information.

 

[Jeff]

Lots of good info posted already. A few other thoughts:

The lumber selection at Home Depot or Lowe's is very limited, usually just pine, poplar and red oak. The price is easily 6-7 times that of rough lumber. If you use a lot of wood, then a jointer and planer will pay for itself over time. But there's some $$ involved. Even if you buy used equipment off Craig's List, you're still looking at a $500 investment. And then you'll need a dust collector. Replacement knives. More space and electrical. But it does open the possibility of using walnut, maple, sycamore, beech, cypress etc. etc. So it's not just cost, you also have more options. Also, if you want thick boards (> 3/4" finished), you're generally out of luck with the big box stores.

If you're reasonably close to a supplier that will do the surfacing for a reasonable price, that's a good option. Keep in mind that it means you need to know ahead of time how thick you want the lumber to be. Also, wood likes to move, so a board that was once perfectly flat might decide to curl a little after it's been planed. Having your own equipment allows you to take it down in stages, which means more stable material.

Of course, you can also use hand tools to joint and plane your boards. Not a whole lot cheaper though.

And before you know it, you're looking at a 12" Jointer/ Planer combo with shelix head for $3000 :tool:

Bas is right on there. Ya gotta figure how much woodworking you're going to do in the long haul to justify the equipment costs, your level of expertise and comfort. Last, and most importantly; your budget and your wife's opinions on your new hobby. Usually it works pretty neat after the first few pieces of "custom" furniture that you both didn't buy at WalMart or Rooms To Go! ccasion1