Replies

1. 
   sschefer | May 24, 2002 11:08pm | #1

   This is a real tough question to answer and I suppose there will be plenty of responses telling me that the info I'm giving you is wrong but this works for me consistently so I'm gonna give it to you anyway. What I like about this method is that it works with out regard to how the wood is sold. It can be sold as board foot or linear foot and you will always get the correct amount.

   Wood is priced differently, its either linear or board foot. A board foot never changes, its 1 x 12 x 12 or 144 square inches. The problem is that when you buy wood that is sold by the board foot, you rarely buy it in those dimensions. Because of this a lot of wood is now sold by the linear foot.

   What I do is find out what wood I want then get pricing on different widths. I then draw out to scale the minimum size piece that would be required to make each individual piece. This is allowing for saw kerfs, jointing, curved pieces, etc.

   Essentially each piece becomes a square or a rectangle. I then try to fit all of the pieces on to the different widths of wood and see what I come up with. If they all fit on a 6" wide 8' long piece of wood then I buy an 8" wide piece of wood 10' long. If the wood is 1" x 8" x 10' then the math would be (1 x 8 x 10 x 12) / 144 for total bf of 6.66. Jumping up a size from what your plan says you need ensures that you will have enough compensate for defects and god forbid, mistakes.

   What you will find is that the wider the board the more the price is per board foot and there are usually length limitations also.  A 1 x 6 x 8 might be 1.00 a bf and a 1 x 8 x 8 might be 1.30 a bf. A bf is constant so even though the wood is 2" wider, if you by 6 bf of each, you're not getting any more wood just paying more money. I call it sucker profit and sometimes if you argue it they will back off but its pretty rare. Usually, someone starts up the forklift and heads towards the side of your truck with the forks about three feet off the ground, (just kidding).

   When you go to layout your pieces you have to know these things in advance or you will either buy too much or as is most common, too little.

   Does this help ?

   Steve - in Northern California

   
   

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   Edited 5/24/2002 4:11:12 PM ET by Steve Schefer

   
   

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   Edited 5/24/2002 4:18:05 PM ET by Steve Schefer

1. 
   badoyn | May 25, 2002 12:21am | #2

   Yes, this helps tremendously. I kinda sketched out the pieces on paper and was going in this direction but I thought I'd ask for some help so I don't really screw it up and get what I don't need or ask for.

   Thanks again.

   PS. I saw your thread about the marble table, do you have any images on the web to look at?

1. 
   sschefer | May 26, 2002 06:36am | #3

   Great, glad to be of help. The pics are over in the gallery. Believe it or not, those pic's just got me another commision for a very similar table.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   badoyn | May 26, 2002 08:29am | #4

   What gallery?