How to grade lumber

[rambo]

Could anyone suggest a good book or some info on how to grade lumber?

[beenthere]

Hardwood lumber?  cutting grades?  structural?

Softwood lumber?  cutting grades? structural? dimension?

[jdtuttle]

Woodmizer has a video series with a good section on grading.
jim

[ickirby]

Could anyone suggest a good book or some info on how to grade lumber?

Here is a copy of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) 2003 rule book for grading hardwood lumber.

Also the NHLA has other publications and videos etc... if you are interested in purchasing them. 

[Ron Wenrich]

Here's a discussion we had a couple of years ago:

http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,29330.msg422156.html#msg422156

It deals with hardwood lumber grading.

[rambo]

Beenthere,
Sorry my question was so wide open. I am such a greenhorn I did not know how specific to ask that question.

jd,ickkirby and ron,

Thank you very much for the feed back.

Ron,
I printed out all the info you posted and I am going to digest that for a while and them I am sure I will have more questions. Right now I am like a sponge soaking up all the knowledge I can. Thanks again!!   
 

[rambo]

ickirby,

I also printed out the rules and will be studing that info as well.

thank you

[Cedarman]

Some of the best money I ever spent in the early days of my sawing 25 years ago was to take the week long hardwood lumber grading short course.   That kept me from wasting more money than I imagined possible.  I wouldn't have known I was even wasting money. Also go to any field days where logs are graded and then sawn for grade.  Won't make you an expert but will point out how much more education is available.   
The education you get, whether formally or from this forum or word of mouth is more important to making the business work than any amount of machinery you can buy.

[ickirby]

The education you get, whether formally or from this forum or word of mouth is more important to making the business work than any amount of machinery you can buy.

Now thats some truly valuable advice right there.

[rambo]

Some of the best money I ever spent in the early days of my sawing 25 years ago was to take the week long hardwood lumber grading short course.

Where would I find a course like this?

[Ron Wenrich]

Penn State offers those courses.  Here's their webpage:  http://woodpro.cas.psu.edu/Programs.htm

I don't see any offered at this time, but maybe you should shoot them off an e-mail and find out when they have a course.  I took one there in the early '80s.  It was only a 4 day course, but worth the money.

There's also one in Ohio in June:

http://www.ohioforest.org/pdf/2010lumbergradingshortcoursebrochure.pdf

[rambo]

Ron,

Thanks again for all your help.

[Gblombo]

Check out my moulderblank.com site.  I do on-site intensive short courses for sales, receiving, sawyers, and lumber inspectors.  I'd be happy to talk with you about time and fees.

Greg