11
votes
Accepted
What is a board foot?
A board foot is a volume of wood 1 inch by 12 inches by 12 inches; i.e., 144 cubic inches.
If the board is 1/2" thick and 12" wide, one board foot would be 24" long.
If the board is 2" thick and 6" ...
rob♦
- 18.7k
10
votes
Accepted
2x4's are not really 2x4. How does this affect the integrity of a structure?
The strength of wood is established for various species based upon the actual cross section area of material. Industry standards set over 50 years ago established the actual dimensions of a nominal ...
- 8,129
7
votes
Accepted
What would be the UK equivalent of the common US 2 by 4 (not just by size)
Does the UK have a piece of wood that is universally commonly used for hobby / domestic projects that it is simple referred to by a common name and is this typically a suitable substitute for the US 2 ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
Accepted
What is the yellow stain on the end of this pine I bought?
The paint isn't only used to identify the wood boards by lumber yards, but it's also used to seal of the end grain to slow down the drying process.
Because exposed pores or tracheids on the end-...
- 2,400
5
votes
Accepted
What are good reasons to return hardwood boards selected by a lumber yard?
If the lumberyard selected and delivered it, I would feel comfortable returning for exchange any pieces that I could not use due to either straightness or cosmetic defects. Some yard workers will use ...
- 66
5
votes
Accepted
Why is a 1x2 nominal planed to 0.75x1.5?
This has been answered elsewhere on the Internet, though there seem to be a few different stories running around.
The one I currently believe is that nominal 1" is actually 1" unsurfaced -- but what ...
- 9,171
5
votes
What is a board foot?
As rob pointed out a board ft. 144 cubic inches.
When dealing with rough cut lumber that is always how it is calculated for sale. Partially because it is NOT the final dimensions of the board, you ...
- 15.6k
5
votes
What is the yellow stain on the end of this pine I bought?
Lumber mills mark their boards with different colors to quickly identify them. Generally you'd cut off the end of a board after ripping it to get a nice square end. Sanding works too but is a lot of ...
- 4,798
5
votes
Sourcing Wood for non-commercial DIY Projects
Trying to source materials for free I think the main thing is to keep your eyes open and nab anything suitable you find as and when you see it, like when looking for pallets.
Basically you'll be ...
- 63.5k
5
votes
Strength of board from squared branches as opposed to trunk wood
In basic outline there's no real problem with what you want to do, after all these days many panels are made in somewhat this way, except that the wood is from branches.
Branch wood, unlike the ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Sourcing Wood for non-commercial DIY Projects
Of the builder's merchant chains, some are more professional and some are aimed more at DIY'ers. The more DIY ones tend to be more expensive with lower quality wood but they have better websites with ...
- 526
4
votes
How to safely cut old lumber with old nails in it?
Before you start, rather than just winging it as many do when faced with the prospect of using reclaimed wood (I'm very much including pallet wood here for some of the direct parallels) it might be ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
Reuse old cedar clapboards?
The Cedar siding probably cracked when it was being removed. Cedar is very rot and weather resistant but is somewhat fragile when it is thin as in siding boards. I would not hesitate to reuse the good ...
- 31
3
votes
Lumber Dimensions for Brachiation Ladder (Monkey Bars)
First, my flat answer:
For a 12' span backyard monkey bar set I'd use four clear (no knots) 2x8's - two each side. Use threaded pipe flanges screwed to the inner (hidden) face of the inner 2x8's (in ...
- 96
3
votes
Lumber Calculator
The question is inherently too subjective for any single calculator. There are whole industries dedicated to this, and even then the software must be constantly amended, and customized to each company'...
- 1,828
3
votes
Accepted
Using newly cut wood with dry wood
In short, don't do it. Drying wood is subject to a lot of shrinkage and at different rates depending upon whether you measure across the grain rings (radial) or with them (tangential). (There is very ...
- 8,129
3
votes
What are the techniques to seal or remove sap?
I burned my pine sign and the pitch was sealed. (The wood I used was old pine siding that I planned thin). Mineral spirits takes most of the pitch off but working at inspecting loads of wood I have ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
What are suitable indoor storage options for wood
Some of the images I just posted to another Question apply here too:
- 63.5k
3
votes
2 3/4" x 1 1/8" board?
That is not an "off the shelf" board. Most likely you'll need a buddy with a table saw to cut wood from the BigBox store to the needed dimensions.
You might be able to contact a local lumber ...
- 1,446
3
votes
How to safely cut old lumber with old nails in it?
Short answer for this: no, there is no way using ordinary wood shop equipment to safely mill wood with embedded iron in it. Jointer, planer, and bandsaw blades will be ruined by even small amounts ...
- 1,401
2
votes
What are suitable indoor storage options for wood
Heavy shelf brackets, with the lumber forming its own shelves. There are versions of this marketed specifically for lumber storage; I have one such system.
The board you want still winds up being in ...
- 9,171
2
votes
Lumber Calculator
You might be able to do this for dimensional lumber (i.e., your standard 1x and 2x material), since there are several "standard" lengths - 6', 8', and 10' being the most common*, with 12' and 16' ...
- 2,602
2
votes
Building a pergola on a new patio slab - wood quality
It seems like you have 3 questions:
Is Ponderosa Pine a good choice?
It's not a great choice as the heartwood is rated as moderate to low in decay resistance. It depends on your local climate and ...
- 21
2
votes
Should I use a track saw to cut through 2x12 lumber?
It sounds to me like your wood is moving after the cut (closing up the kerf) and binding your blade. Assuming this is the case, I'd suggest that you make the cut in several passes.
Clamp your track ...
- 5,490
2
votes
Accepted
Simple Joint for 2x4 frame to 2x4 post?
What are your thoughts on this type of joint?
It's needlessly complicated and fussy, for the job it has to do.
There are numerous other ways of doing this (understatement!) many of them much simpler ...
- 63.5k
2
votes
Natural pine wood bed has strong chemical odor, why is this and how to stop it?
I do have a question, do other people notice this odor/chemical? I ask because it's possible you are/becoming chemically sensitive to something. As jdv said, there is a good chance the wood was ...
- 15.6k
2
votes
Lumber thickness
Since it is not a load bearing opening, and all it needs to do is hold the doors up a much smaller header would be required. it is still a long gap to span and the doors will have some weight. the ...
- 15.6k
2
votes
Can I span across 22' without support for an outdoor pergola?
I actually built a trellis that had an approx. 22' span using 2"x12"x12'treated lumber. It consisted of two thicknesses joined together with one face centering the 12' piece with 5' pieces ...
- 8,129
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible