Materials List text

[bernienufc]

Hi
In a materials list text it has dimensions I am not quite sure I understand (they are in American format).

It states '5/4 x 6 Quarter Sawn' I thought this to mean 5 pieces of 4in x 6in, but it seems not, I then thought it meant 1 1/4" as 5 quarters, but then why would it say 4/4 for dimensions later for another piece!
I am a bit perplexed, can anyone advise please?
cheers
Malc

 

[Cheshirechappie]

It's a common American practice to give thicknesses in 'quarters', so 4/4 stock is 'four quarters' or 1 inch thick (2" would be 8/4, 3" 12/4 and so on). Thus, 5/4 x 6 means 1 1/4" thick by 6" wide - there should be either a length required in the cutting list, or a reference to so many board feet required. A 'board foot' is one foot length of a board one foot wide, so 1 board foot of 4/4 x 6 would be 2 feet long.

By the way, 1 board foot is the same as 1/12 of a cubic foot, which is a quantity used more often in UK timber yards (for smaller quantities - bulk buys tend to be in cubic metres). So if your American cutting list calls for 12 board feet, you need to order 1 cubic foot, and so on.

 

[bernienufc]

Thank you very much

 

[Brentingby]

A little clarification: Typically if the thickness is given in quarters, this is referring to rough lumber. If the materials list is for a plan, it's a strange way to provide the dimensions. 5/4 x 6 would indicate 6 in. wide boards that are 5/4 thick before surfacing. It's probable that the 5/4 stock will finish out at about 1 in. to 1-1/8 in. thick depending on how it was sawn. 4/4 typically finishes at 3/4 to 13/16 in. thick.