Grading Hardwood Logs

[Good Feller]

I was wondering if there is a log grading "bible" that has been published.  A book with everything about log grading including colored pictures of logs and defects.  If not, is there anything on the internet?    Thanks

[Ron Wenrich]

These seem to be pretty good:

Log grade link #1

Log grade line #2

And if you're into veneer, try this one:

Veneer grade link

Be aware that a lot of mills don't use the Forest Service log grades.  Some of them have made up their own, and buy accordingly.  Know your market ahead of time.

[VTLogSlayer]

NHLA (National Hardwood lumber Association) makes an inspection training manuel that we use here at Paul Smiths College for our sawmill and lumber grading class.  This manuel has everything you need to grade hardwood lumber. 

[beenthere]

Good Feller
There are published Log grades and also Tree grades (based on the log grades).
As Ron pointed out, the publications show standard log grades that may not used by the buyers, however there are lumber yield figures for each of the log grades, by most species of hardwood logs, and by diameters of logs.

Allows anyone to grade a log, figure the yield in NHLA lumber grades, and from those yields get a pretty good estimate of log value based on lumber prices by lumber grade.

Log grading usually requires looking at least at the best three faces of a log.

The last log grade research done 1973 in the US Forest Service was out of the NE Exp Sta project in Princeton, WV. Referenced in the link #1 that Ron posted, as Rast, Sonderman, and Gammon. The yields are still valid as the lumber grades have not changed since then.

[Ron Wenrich]

We do have a tree value calculator developed from that research. 

http://www.forestryforum.com/calcs/treevalue.htm

But, although the grades haven't changed, there is a wide variability of any tree species within the range.  And, different cutting patterns will yield different sawn volumes and values.

I pretty sure that for the research all logs were sawn into 4/4 lumber.  There were no cants.  I don't know of too many mills that saw in those patterns.  So, the amount of 2 and 3 Common lumber would be greatly reduced.