Your Lumber

How Much Lumber Will I Get From My Logs?

There are many factors that will influence how much useable lumber you will get from your logs. The primary factors are log diameter and length, but the quality of the logs will also influence the lumber yield. Some of these quality factors include wood rot, sweep (curve), foreign objects, shake (cracks) and damage done when the trees are felled.

There are three common methods for estimating lumber yield from a log. The three methods are Doyle, Scribner and International. Each method uses a formula to calculate the number of board feet of lumber in a given size log. For a bandmill like the Wood-Mizer, the International scale usually gives the most accurate estimate of lumber yield. However all of these scales assume straight, healthy logs. Any defect in the logs may reduce the amount of lumber produced. Your can use the calculator at this link to give you a rough idea of the the amount of lumber you can expect from your logs

Board Foot Measurement - A board foot (BF or bdft) is the basic unit of measurement for hardwood lumber. A board foot (or bdft) is 1 foot long x 1 foot wide x 1 inch thick. Its one square foot of boards, one inch thick, or one half square foot of boards, two inches thick. The formula for determining board feet is: height in inches multiplied by the width in inches multiplied by the length in feet divided by 12. (Height * Width* Length) /12. It's easy to remember. You see most of the formula when you look at the sign in the lumber yard. It says 2" x 4" x 8' Just multiply all the numbers together and remember to divide by twelve and you have board feet for any board. Board footage is a nominal, volume measurement and meant for rough lumber. If a board is less than 1 inch thick, then it is still calculated with a thickness of 1 inch.

For example:

A standard 2x4-8 foot long is: 2 inch thick x 4 inch wide x 8 ft long /12 = 5.3 bdft

A board 12 inches wide 8 feet long and 1 inch thick is: 12 inch x 8 ft x 1 inch /12 = 8 bdft

A board 6 inches wide, 10 feet long and 1 inch thick is: 6 inch x 10 ft x 1 inch / 12 = 5 bdft

Lumber volume is measured in "board feet". One board foot is defined as 144 cubic inches. 1"x12"x1' equals one board foot (bf). So does 2"x6"x1'. For example a 1"x12" ten feet long contains 10bf. A 1"x6" ten feet long contains 5bf.

Your New Lumber

The lumber we produce will be rough sawn and green. "Rough sawn" means it will have blade marks on the surface of the wood. Lumber from the Wood-Mizer is generally fairly smooth and is suitable for any uses where rough sawn lumber is acceptable. If you plan to use it for furniture, cabinets, flooring, etc. it will need to be planed smooth.

"Green" means that the wood still contains the moisture it had in it when it was alive.

For most purposes it needs to be dried. Lumber may either be dried in a kiln or it may be air dried. Air drying takes more time - one month to a year or more depending on species and thickness. Pine and cedar usually dry fairly quickly (1 to 2 months). Hardwood typically takes longer, usually 6 months to a year. Read the section below for more information on air drying lumber.