Lumber Grading 101

Brmorgan · Mar 10, 2009

Fellow AS member Deeker was asking me about lumber grading info a few weeks ago, so I told him I'd work on scanning all my grading training materials and post that here when done. However I ended up housesitting for a neighbor for the last 2-1/2 weeks and haven't been able to get around to it. I'm back home now though, so I'll be digging through all my books and papers and scanning whatever might be of use. And there won't be any copyright issues with this one! All my training materials were prepared locally by the lumber association so I don't have to worry about publishers etc.

The info I have is more specific towards structural & softwood lumber, but the general concepts can be used as guidelines for all wood types. Hardwood grading is a completely different animal altogether, but most of the training info is regarding different wood defects etc. and how/why they affect a piece of wood, and this information is applicable to all grading processes.

So if anyone has anything specific they'd like to know about grading lumber, post it here and I'll impart whatever knowledge I can.

Kicker_92 · Mar 10, 2009

One topic of interest would be to explain grading of logs and standing timber.

eg. Say I wanted to buy a truckload of D.Fir logs, what is classified as a saw log vs peeler log vs pulpwood?

This could also help explain why the decrepit old walnut in someones yard isn't't actually worth what the homeowner thinks it is.

BIG JAKE · Mar 10, 2009

Right on BR thanks for taking the time!

opcorn:

Brmorgan · Mar 11, 2009

Kicker_92 said:
One topic of interest would be to explain grading of logs and standing timber.

eg. Say I wanted to buy a truckload of D.Fir logs, what is classified as a saw log vs peeler log vs pulpwood?

This could also help explain why the decrepit old walnut in someones yard isn't't actually worth what the homeowner thinks it is.

OK, you're getting into what's called log "scaling", which is completely different, and unfortunately I don't really know anything about that. I always wanted to take the scaling course, but unlike grading it would have required me to take time off work and would not be paid for by the company. As a general rule though, good peeler logs and headrig saw logs up here are at least 18" diameter and fairly knot-free, Chip-N-Saw or Scragg saw logs range from 6" to 18" or more depending on the capability of the mill's small-log line, and anything smaller, too dry/rotten, or too crooked is left in the bush, burned, or chipped for pulp or electricity production.

As for old yard trees, they can still be worth tons of money and contain amazing wood, but most mills aren't willing to take the risk of hitting an old nail (or much worse) that had been forgotten in the tree decades ago.

deeker · Mar 11, 2009

Brmorgan said:
Fellow AS member Deeker was asking me about lumber grading info a few weeks ago, so I told him I'd work on scanning all my grading training materials and post that here when done. However I ended up housesitting for a neighbor for the last 2-1/2 weeks and haven't been able to get around to it. I'm back home now though, so I'll be digging through all my books and papers and scanning whatever might be of use. And there won't be any copyright issues with this one! All my training materials were prepared locally by the lumber association so I don't have to worry about publishers etc.

The info I have is more specific towards structural & softwood lumber, but the general concepts can be used as guidelines for all wood types. Hardwood grading is a completely different animal altogether, but most of the training info is regarding different wood defects etc. and how/why they affect a piece of wood, and this information is applicable to all grading processes.

So if anyone has anything specific they'd like to know about grading lumber, post it here and I'll impart whatever knowledge I can.

Thanks for your help.

Kevin

dallasm1 · Mar 11, 2009

It is good to see that you have not gone cynical after your massive "Maloff" project. It would be great to see how grain orientation affects timber grading as many of us mill large timbers (at least us Chain Saw millers!) and it would be helpful to know the advantages of different ways of canting up the timbers when we cannot get a straight grain all the way through a long timber. Keep up the great work.

046 · Mar 11, 2009

thanks for sharing!!!

Sawyer Rob · Mar 11, 2009

Sawmill and Woodlot magazine has some very good articles on sawing and gradeing lumber... It's a good magazine for those folks interested in sawmilling and sawmill related subjects...

Rob

Brmorgan · Mar 12, 2009

I've never seen that magazine before. Maybe it isn't normally available north of the border, but I'm going to ask at the bookstore next time I'm there. Sounds good.

DRB · Mar 12, 2009

sawyer rob said:
sawmill and woodlot magazine has some very good articles on sawing and gradeing lumber... It's a good magazine for those folks interested in sawmilling and sawmill related subjects...

Rob

+1

Sawyer Rob · Mar 13, 2009

Brmorgan said:
I've never seen that magazine before. Maybe it isn't normally available north of the border, but I'm going to ask at the bookstore next time I'm there. Sounds good.

http://www.sawmillmag.com/

Bill_G · Mar 14, 2009

There used to be a training program online, I think maybe Virginia Tech. It was a Hardwood edging program that you could download for free. IT LET YOU SET THE EDGING LINES ON DIFFERENT BOARDS and would show you the footage and grade results for each board you edged and then would show the correct way to do each board for maximum yield and value. Kind of a neat program. Also if you contact your local cooperative extension service they will give you lumber grading materials. In NH its out of The University of NH, great service.

Brmorgan · Apr 27, 2009

I know, this is really late, but I finally got around to scanning all my materials and uploading them. This should give you guys some evening reading material. Any questions or if you don't understand something just ask or PM me.

046 · Apr 27, 2009

wow... thanks.. what a ton of great material!

SilverBox · Apr 27, 2009

Thanks!

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