Large Scale Central

Lumber size

General Discussion
#1

I’m not really sure which forum this one belongs in … so I’ll deposit it here, and hope for the best.

I’m in the process of constructing my turntable pit (finally!) and am having a little math trouble.

The fellow who builds the stuff (which by the way is fantastic!) is an engineer and thinks in thousandths.

I grew up with my dad bonking me on the head because he wanted a nine sixteenths, and I brought him a five eighths… and while I made it through Calculus in only three tries, I find that even if I manage to do the conversions the lumber isn’t what it says it is.

SO

Assume shopping at Lowes in the Southeast (since it seems to matter.)

1.) What are the actual dimensions of a 2x4?
2.) How thick is 3/4 inch Plywood? 1/2 inch?
3.) How thick is lumber representing itself as 1 inch by … as in 1x3’s …

I’d like to avoid my engines climbing stairs to get on the turntable!

Matthew (OV)

#2

My house was built with 2X4’s.
Whenever we changed something upstairs, we had to “fir out” the new stuff to match.
The guy that built it was the foreman at the mill that used to be up here, and they were 2" by 4".

That said, over the years it has changed, but now generally 1.5X3.5", but, I have watched construction crews measure the things to make sure theirs is “as advertised” in a close fit space.
3/4" ply is gnenrally about 3/4".
Same with 1/2".

Depends.
I have some here that IS one inch, but most is like 3/4" wide.
Then there is 5/4 stock…

#3

TOC is correct with today’s lumber. You do run into a problem if you are working on something built before the mid 70’s. During that time they changed the specs on lumber. Before that time I believe a S4S 2x4 was 1 3/4" x 3 3/4". The standard was changed to 1 1/2" x 3 1/2". This allowed them to cut smaller trees and get more lumber out of them because they could get closer to the outside edge and use more of it. Rough lumber should still be 2" x 4" S4S means that the lumber has been planed on all 4 sides. Rough lumber has not been planed.

#4

We ran into this over the summer when we had an addition put on our (built in 1954) house. It was sheathed in 1x pine, and used real 2x4’s. The framing contractor had to cut down 2x6s froor a piece of wall, and use 3/4 ply for sheathing over a couple holes…

#5

I’d check your thicknesses of plywood… at our local home depot, 3/4" is now 1/64" less, and if you read carefully, either on the plywood itself, or on fine print on the rack tag, it is usually indacated, even though sold as 3/4" … was only a matter of time until this happened.

I believe the veneer-sided (more expensive) plywood is true to size.

Regards, Greg

#6
Greg Elmassian said:
I'd check your thicknesses of plywood.... at our local home depot, 3/4" is now 1/64" less, and if you read carefully, either on the plywood itself, or on fine print on the rack tag, it is usually indacated, even though sold as 3/4" .... was only a matter of time until this happened.

I believe the veneer-sided (more expensive) plywood is true to size.

Regards, Greg


Here too, but I think it’s more like a 16th shy, not a 64th. This really got me P.O.sd when I was trying to extend a piece of 1/2" benchwork. Homely Depot sign says 1/2" but when you look at the wood it is stamped 7/16" Perhaps the furniture grade wood is still nominal dimension, but all o the construction grade has shrunk. I’m told this is so it measures out to an even metric measure, but I’ve never converted the numbers.

There is a website that lists all of the “nominal” dimensions somewhere on the web - try Googling Dimensional Lumber. I had to find exact sizes of large timbers for a sign frame I was building so I could draw a scale plan for it a year or so ago.

JR

#7

Well, the die is cast. I’m now the proud owner of some 3/4 inch plywood (not quite.) Hopefully things will line up, and I’ll soon have turntable and pit photos to post on here… the missing dimensions are actually going to work to my advantage, I think, as I need just shy of what it WOULD have been if it was correct… ok, now I’m confusing ME.

Matthew (OV)

#8
Bob McCown said:
We ran into this over the summer when we had an addition put on our (built in 1954) house. It was sheathed in 1x pine, and used real 2x4's. The framing contractor had to cut down 2x6s froor a piece of wall, and use 3/4 ply for sheathing over a couple holes....
I ran into the same thing when replacing some boards on the deck. Even though the house was built in 1991 the lumber, all Port Orford Cedar, was cut by a small local mill to full dimension. That mill has since closed so I had to buy regular 2x8's and rip them to a full 2x6 to fit the deck. Even then the thickness wasn't a full 2" and I had to shim beneath every one of them.

As to panels almost all available around here are measured in metric and are, therefore, just a tad smaller than the advertised size in inches.

#9

I am looking at doing some repair work on the fence around the house I grew up in. My dad, back in the 50’s, built the fence out of rough cut cedar in true dimensions. A 2X4 actually is 2X4 inches. The 1X6 fence boards actually are 1X6 inches. The boards were never run through the planer to get to the smooth, smaller size. The way I learned it, at my daddy’s knee, was that the lumber was sold by its rough cut size, before it was run through the planer.

The fence posts are bolted to 2 inch galvanized pipe sunk into concrete. It has held up well for 50 years, but now needs some attention. I think the fence will outlast my daughter’s family. They are living there now. Once the minimal repairs are done, it should be good for another 50 years before it needs attention, again. It was stained, once, 50 years ago, and needs it again.

I have no idea where I will be able to find what few replacement parts that I might need.

Any ideas?

madwolf

#10
Steve Featherkile said:
I am looking at doing some repair work on the fence around the house I grew up in. My dad, back in the 50's, built the fence out of [b]rough cut cedar in true dimensions.[/b] A 2X4 actually is 2X4 inches. The 1X6 fence boards actually are 1X6 inches. The boards were never run through the planer to get to the smooth, smaller size. The way I learned it, at my daddy's knee, was that the lumber was sold by its rough cut size, before it was run through the planer.

The fence posts are bolted to 2 inch galvanized pipe sunk into concrete. It has held up well for 50 years, but now needs some attention. I think the fence will outlast my daughter’s family. They are living there now. Once the minimal repairs are done, it should be good for another 50 years before it needs attention, again. It was stained, once, 50 years ago, and needs it again.

I have no idea where I will be able to find what few replacement parts that I might need.

Any ideas?

madwolf


In Washington…the land of the worst shopping in the country…forget it. They want you to start all over. Remember, repair isn’t the way of the capitalist. Tear it down and purchase new. Keep them in their big SUV’s and million dollar homes…:smiley:

#11

Ain’t gonna happen. I’ll figure something out.

Mebbe I’ll go see Jens.

#12
Steve Featherkile said:
I am looking at doing some repair work on the fence around the house I grew up in. My dad, back in the 50's, built the fence out of [b]rough cut cedar in true dimensions.[/b] A 2X4 actually is 2X4 inches. The 1X6 fence boards actually are 1X6 inches. The boards were never run through the planer to get to the smooth, smaller size. The way I learned it, at my daddy's knee, was that the lumber was sold by its rough cut size, before it was run through the planer.

The fence posts are bolted to 2 inch galvanized pipe sunk into concrete. It has held up well for 50 years, but now needs some attention. I think the fence will outlast my daughter’s family. They are living there now. Once the minimal repairs are done, it should be good for another 50 years before it needs attention, again. It was stained, once, 50 years ago, and needs it again.

I have no idea where I will be able to find what few replacement parts that I might need.

Any ideas?

madwolf


If you have someone in your area that cuts and sells cedar fence posts, they might fix you up.

#13
Steve Featherkile said:
I am looking at doing some repair work on the fence around the house I grew up in. My dad, back in the 50's, built the fence out of [b]rough cut cedar in true dimensions.[/b] A 2X4 actually is 2X4 inches. The 1X6 fence boards actually are 1X6 inches. The boards were never run through the planer to get to the smooth, smaller size. The way I learned it, at my daddy's knee, was that the lumber was sold by its rough cut size, before it was run through the planer.

The fence posts are bolted to 2 inch galvanized pipe sunk into concrete. It has held up well for 50 years, but now needs some attention. I think the fence will outlast my daughter’s family. They are living there now. Once the minimal repairs are done, it should be good for another 50 years before it needs attention, again. It was stained, once, 50 years ago, and needs it again.

I have no idea where I will be able to find what few replacement parts that I might need.

Any ideas?

madwolf


Steve, :wink:

You look across the border http://www.rouckbros.com/ Excellent service, very fair prices and nice people to deal with.
Just around the corner from where I live!

#14
Steve Featherkile said:
I am looking at doing some repair work on the fence around the house I grew up in. My dad, back in the 50's, built the fence out of [b]rough cut cedar in true dimensions.[/b] A 2X4 actually is 2X4 inches. The 1X6 fence boards actually are 1X6 inches. The boards were never run through the planer to get to the smooth, smaller size. The way I learned it, at my daddy's knee, was that the lumber was sold by its rough cut size, before it was run through the planer.

The fence posts are bolted to 2 inch galvanized pipe sunk into concrete. It has held up well for 50 years, but now needs some attention. I think the fence will outlast my daughter’s family. They are living there now. Once the minimal repairs are done, it should be good for another 50 years before it needs attention, again. It was stained, once, 50 years ago, and needs it again.

I have no idea where I will be able to find what few replacement parts that I might need.

Any ideas?

madwolf


Try a hardwood lumber dealer, one that specializes in furniture grade lumber.

#15

Ken, Steve (and myself) live out in the middle of nowhere. Spokane is the worlds worst place to go shopping. It’s 20 years behind the times, no selections and nobody with 2 grains of intelligence on any sales floor. :frowning:

#16

I drive over to spokane twice a year to go to the “White Elephant”

#17

Camping, hunting, fishing, toys and Bachmann…all outdated factory overstock that’s dumped to get rid of it. A lot is really over priced…including the Bachmann, and their marketing strategy is that of a second hand junk store. That’s why it’s called “The White Elephant”. We used to have a half way decent gun dealer but they lost their license because they were too stupid to figure out how to keep their records straight.

#18
Warren Mumpower said:
Camping, hunting, fishing, toys and Bachmann....all outdated factory overstock that's dumped to get rid of it. A lot is really over priced...including the Bachmann, and their marketing strategy is that of a second hand junk store. That's why it's called "The White Elephant". We used to have a half way decent gun dealer but they lost their license because they were too stupid to figure out how to keep their records straight.
Hey Warren, :D ;)

Does that mean you’re the only smart guy in town??? :wink: :slight_smile: :wink:

#19

Maybe I’m not so smart. I’m still here…:confused:

#20

There is a guy in Springdale who runs a custom lumbar yard and he does mostly cedar and the like. The only problem is that I don’t need all that much. I wonder what Jens could do for me? He works in the lumbar industry, doesn’t he?