Lumber 101: How to buy hardwoods like a pro.
Coming to a lumber mill can seem like a daunting task. The first time I went to a mill by myself, I remember feeling overwhelmed despite having tagged along on many trips with my Dad as a kid. Lacking confidence and a command of the jargon, and especially being a woman, I felt like I had just arrived in a strange land full of flannel, smelly gloves, and sawdust. (Little did I know I would later embrace the flannel and become one of them…). While we are always excited to answer questions and we welcome woodworkers of any skill lever, there are a few things to know about shopping for hardwoods that will help you feel more confident walking into a Planing Mill like ours.
Surfaced lumber is always available at Shenandoah Planing Mill.
You will need to buy the whole board.
Just like you have to buy the entire bag of flour, or the whole head of lettuce, even if you only need a cup or a piece for a recipe, you have to buy the whole board, even if you only need 4’ for your project. Many times we will have shorts lying around, so don’t hesitate to tell us what you need, but don’t be surprised if you end up leaving with a little extra. The good news is that properly stored wood doesn’t go bad, so you can save the rest for your next project!
Hardwood Lumber is sold by the Board Foot.
This can be one of the most confusing things when you’re trying to order lumber, or when you’re looking at your receipt afterwards. Because hardwoods are sold random width and random length, we use a volume measurement to know how much we are producing, buying, or selling. One “Board Foot” (BF) is the equivalent of 1” x 12” x 12”, or 144 cubic inches. Pricing will be given to you as price/BF.
Every old fart that works at a mill will tell you a different way to calculate your board footage, but this lumber lady and math lover uses the following formula:
(Thickness in inches x Width in inches x length in inches) / 144 = board footage
So for a board that is 1” thick, 6” wide, and 10’ long and cost $2.50/BF, the equation would look like this:
1 x 6 x 120=720
720/144=5 BF 5BF x $2.50=$12.50 cost for the board.
If this is confusing, we are always happy to show you how we’re doing our math!
4/4 and 8/4 Soft Maple is always in stock at Shenadoah Planing Mill.
Rough lumber thickness is measured in quarter inches.
You will hear us ask what thickness you want- 4/4 (said “Four Quarter”), 5/4 (“five quarter”), 6/4 (“six quarter”), 8/4 (“eight quarter”). These measurements help us to know that we’re talking about rough lumber. 4/4 is usually the thinnest that lumber is sawn on a sawmill. From there it can be planed down thinner, but board footage is calculated from the original sawn dimension. You can usually expect to lose 1/4” of thickness in order to get a board that is completely smooth on both sides, so plan to buy lumber that is 1/4” thicker than the finished dimension you seek.
When ordering, you might ask for something in this way- “I need 50 BF of 4/4 red oak, planed to 3/4” with one straight edge”. But as always, we will help you get there if it’s all new jargon!
At Shenandoah Planing Mill, we want everyone to feel comfortable walking into our warehouse and finding something that inspires them. If you’re nervous, give us a call and let us know you’re coming, or stop in the office when you get here and we’ll walk you around and show you the ropes!
The Lumber Lady
Amanda McDaniel is Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Shenandoah Planing Mill and Mom to shop dogs Birdie and Boo. Her passions include music, gardening, and making Red Oak cool again.