Log scale / Board Feet

[DDobbs]

How do you figure your footage before / after / true sawed footage?

Hope this doesn't come off sounding to dumb of a question?

I am a 25 yr Journeyman Carpenter I understand boardfeet .

Just asking how you figure boardfeet to get paid when sawing.

[dboyt]

Good question.  Before sawing, the International 1/4" scale is the most accurate.  A web search will turn up some charts and calculators.  Measure diameter inside the bark at the small end.  If the end is oval, use the average diameter.  It was designed for 1/4" kerf, and you can add 15% if the wood is milled on a band saw with a 1/8" kerf.

After sawing, most sawyers keep a talley of board widths, thickness & length as they come off the mill.  For hardwoods, width is rounded up if it within 1/8" of the next increment.  For example,anything 5-7/8" to 6-7/8" gets scaled as a 6" wide board.  As you probably know from your carpentry experience, you'll lose about 10% of the width and thickness to shrinkage after kiln drying, those 4/4 6" boards will become 7/8" by 5" wide.  If cutting thinner than 1" it is common to charge as 1" thick boards.  Of course this is all agreed to by the customer before the sawdust starts to fly.  I charge by the hour, but keep track of production so that the customer knows the cost per board foot.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

DDOBBS.....I use the Forestry Forum tool box a lot of times.

Look on the left hand side of this page and scroll down under our sponsors until you get to the bottom.
By using this tool box, you will be able to figure out most everything you need.

I have it in my phone plus I use the Board Footage slide chart I purchased from WoodMizer.

[giant splinter]

DDobbs
Wood-Mizer has a small sliding log rule & lumber scale with International, Doyle, Scribner and a lumber scale in a compact pocket sized package.
The Wood-Mizer Custom Cutting Tally Sheet  Part#C12343/ form#260/9/03 is a very complete log tally, lumber tally and onsite record of your cutting information on any Sawing Project.
Between these two items you will have most of the information needed to keep an accurate record of your productivity and production as well as the actual yield from each log.

[DDobbs]

Thanks guys  didnt know the tool box was there........... handy tool box...............lol

[Jeff]

Its available on our mobile version as well, if you have a smart phone or tablet.

[red oaks lumber]

if your sawing other peoples wood and your paid by the boardfoot, dont measure the log! you'll be sawin 10-30% extra for free. tally the lumber when your done

[Brad_S.]

I found it was too time consuming to measure each board as it leaves the saw so I pile it neatly and measure the stack when done. Not as precise but faster.

[Delawhere Jack]

Width in inches x thickness in inches x length in feet, then divide by 12 to get board footage.

You can tally up the total width of all boards which are the same thickness and length. Ex, 20 boards 4/4 x 6" x 10' long. 120" x 1" x 10 = 1,200 / 12 = 100bf.

This method give you the actual green board footage, which is then subject to shrinkage and drying defect losses.

[Chuck White]

We calculate board footage like Jack does.

We stack all like boards in the same pile, all 1x6x8 in one pile 1x6x10 in another pile, 2x6x8 in another pile, etc.

At the end of the day, we just count the number of boards in each size pile and do the math and that gives us the total board footage!

[Nomad]

     I just finished a job with a bunch of logs, all the same length and all boards 1x.  Easy to figure.  I had my helper make the stacks 48" wide.  (These boards were all 4, 6, 8", etc.)  If the stack is 12' long and 48" wide, each layer is worth 48 BF.  If the boards are shorter or longer, adjust accordingly. 
     It isn't always possible to do this.  But when it is, it's a lot easier to say x bf in a layer, 18 layers today, so that's xx bf.  Just an example.
     Last year I did my first job for the same outfit.  Sawed about 5000' for them.  I measured it my way; the owner had 'em measure each individual board.  The tally was he figured about 15' higher than I did.  I told him I liked my numbers better and that would be the bill. 
     He hasn't questioned a number I've given him since.  I honestly don't think he even checks anymore.

[drobertson]

DDobbs, all I can say is to scale the logs, on the small end, then consider and sweep you might encounter.  the amount it takes to get a clean face, usually in the 4" range,  It takes careful planning on the slab cuts,  The only problem I have seen is when too much is wanted or desired from too little log count.  Then there is the factor of log quality, which will yield good  stock or  less than what is wanted.   Careful cutting will yield more than than the  log scale, but not always what is desired for the intended purpose.   time and experience will help in these cases, but not always, lots of hidden disasters with logs,    david

[Tom the Sawyer]

Ddobbs,

Everyone seems to find a method that they are comfortable with.  I'm rather detail oriented and that extends into the way I figure board footage.  My clients tend to have mixed diameters, lengths and species of logs so I track each log I saw.  I like to know whether I run over or under and how long it takes to saw each log. 

I measure the length of the log, rounded down, and I use that length for all boards from that log, unless I saw some shorter ones from a heavy flare.  I know what thickness I am sawing and the widths are easy, I have a ruler mounted on the first bunk directly under the cant (widths are also rounded down), all of the boards sawn on a particular face are the same width.   


 
I also measure with a tape when the client and I are discussing how to proceed with their cant and if they aren't wearing a tape I furnish them one so they can be involved.

At the end of each pass, while raising the head I hit the button on a digital counter.  Whenever I turn the cant I note the number of pieces on my clipboard and zero the counter.  At the end of the job, or during breaks, I enter the numbers into a program I have on my phone.  All of the entries use pop-ups with common defaults so when I make the last entry for a group of boards the board footage is displayed along with the fee (mine varies by the thickness). 

I have clients who specify thicknesses less than 1" and my thickness entries are in quarters, including 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4.  Rounding anything less than an inch up to 4/4 would give an inaccurate yield for that log.  Due to rounding down my measurements they know that the board footage I report is always an "at least" figure.   

I have tried counting a stack of mixed widths, lengths and thicknesses after a client has loaded his trailer, or carried boards into the barn - what a mess.  This way takes a little more time at the end of the day (maybe 15 minutes) but it eliminates math errors.  I'm not saying it is a better way, its just the method I use.  Evaluate the options and you'll find one you like. 

[Peter Drouin]

We calculate board footage like Jack does.

We stack all like boards in the same pile, all 1x6x8 in one pile 1x6x10 in another pile, 2x6x8 in another pile, etc.

At the end of the day, we just count the number of boards in each size pile and do the math and that gives us the total board footage!

Thats how I do it too

 

and If a board is, say 12' long but wane on the end I put it in the 10' pile you can see one on the right of the pic.

[Chuck White]

Yup, I do the same thing Peter, if a board is not true it's full length it goes on a shorter pile!

[Solomon]

I cut that board three times and it's still to short!

[terrifictimbersllc]

I saw by the hour but still like to have an accurate account of how much is sawn. I also find it makes for a more interesting day and think it helps my business to keep track of the board feet.  Recently I started taking a clipboard and pencil with one piece of paper on which I  put LxW dimensions across the top and lengths down the left side.  For example across the top I might have 1x: 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 2x4 2x6 ,   and down the side on the left, 8 10 12 14.  I draw a grid free-hand, so there is a box for each combination. Takes a minute to make up and one can add other sizes and more boxes during the day as needed.  The example I just gave  would leave 8 columns and 4 rows.     Then as boards come off I tally them in my head while sawing, and after each log spit them out on the paper by putting numbers in the appropriate boxes.  For example a 10' log giving 2x6's, and 1x 8, 6, 4" lumber would just give 4 numbers to write down for that log.    At the end of the day (in my truck) I transfer the total of the numbers in each box to an Excel spreadsheet on my laptop, which does the math and I  print out the tally sheet for the customer.  It takes  about 5 minutes.  I give it to the customer along with the invoice.  They seem to appreciate it.

One could also just make a the same grid using 2 papers with carbon between and put the math and tally on the bottom by hand.  Staples sells carbon paper still about 14 cents a sheet. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I like that Terrific. You sound like you enjoy it......I know I do. Figuring BF is just part of the fun to me.
The more you figure Bf......the better your estimations will get when you don't have time to figure.

[DDobbs]

thanks a bunch guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!