By Remembering a Few
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How to Economize in Elementary Facts Concern Timber Buying
• By a Timberman
RATHER than return a vehicle to the bodybuilders, thereby losing its service for an uncertain period, many small owners are . themselves buying timber and executing their own repairs. This may, or may not, be sound economy. Unless one has had experience in buying, it will soon be found that the cost of the wood is outweighing any saving effected in time.
Motor vehicle owners are, as a rule, expert engineers, but few have much knowledge of wood. We in the yards are often amazed at the careless way in which the most expensive hardwoods are ordered by some motor concerns. Is this extravagance good for the timber merchant? No, not in the long run. Such methods increase the consumer's costs, and sooner or later he is driven to seek what he thinks is a cheaper substitute.
A few hints to the small buyer (it is usually he who '' pays through the nose" for his wood) may be helpful to those who have riot the time to study the subject.
How Hardwoods are Measured.
The measurement of hardwoods, and the way they are sold, seem to be outside the knowledge of the average buyer, and many rely solely on the honesty of the timber merchant. Ash, oak, teak, mahogany, (tc., are measured by the ft. super, or sq. it. and, when delivered, each piece should be marked with its face measure. This should be carefully checked, as the practice in the yards is to measure only one board, and then copy the measurement on to the other boards of the same size.
To find the ft. super of a board or plank (usually called a " plank " when over 1 in. thick), multiply the length by the width, and divide by 12. Thus, if the piece be 15 ft. long and 8 ins, wide, the result of the multiplication is 120, which, divided by 12, equals 10 ft. super. When the planks are 1 in, thick or more, the price quoted is always at per ft. super " as inch." That frequently puzzles the buyer, and is where many fall into error in their estimates.
:Let us suppqnse that ash planks 14 in. thick are required, and the price quoted is 1s. per ft. super. This
would mean that the price is is. per It. super " as inch." If the planks totalled 60 ft. super' face measure, their price would be 60s., plus half that amount, as the planks are 1-4in. thick, which would make their total cost £4 10s.
Thus it will be seen that a mistake of even 6 ins. in the measurement means an increase 'of Ad. every time it is repeated. In thicker planks it would, of course, be proportionately greater. Boards under 1 in. are always quoted at their actual thickness.
A Price.governing Factor.
It is important to remember that width governs the price of all hardwoods. The wider the boards, the higher the rate per ft. super, so do not buy wide boards with the idea of cutting them into strips, or the wood will cost much more than if one had purchased narrow boards. That fact seems tO be quite unknown to anyone outside the timber world.
In buying odd pieces of hardwood the small consumer nearly always pays dearly for his timber. Hardwood sawing, when effected at a mill, is most expensive, and will often cost more than the wood itself. The person who requires a small piece of hardwood of odd size should buy the whole board and cut it himself.
Any craftsman should be able to work these small pieces out of a board, at a quarter of the cost charged by a timber merchant, and less than a quarter if the merchant has no mill on his premises. Then, instead of the merchant having the waste pieces, for which the customer will be charged, the latter will have them to use for other purposes. A merchant cannot be expected to spoil a board without covering all hi § costs, including that of time to and from the mill, etc.
When ordering, always state the quality required. There are many grades of timber and each reflects a different price. Failing to state the quality may render one liable to pay for " prime" quality, when, perhaps, a lower grade would have been suit able. Some merchants have a habit of describing all hardwoods as " prime," if nothing to the contrary be stated on the order.
The grading of timber is too complex a subject with which to deal minutely in this article, but, generally, prime-quality wood is that which is free from such defects as large knots, shakes (splits), and sap. For many purposes the presence of knots in the timber makes no difference. Likewise, shakes may not be an objection if the timber is to be cut—the shakes may be cut out. A few such brief particulars given to the merchant will make all the difference in price.
Try to avoid ordering by instal; ments. That is not always possible, but many firms order, say, half a dozen boards of a certain width, necessitating the rummaging of a whole pile (hardwoods are piled in all manner of widths) in order to obtain them, later to discover that two more boards of the same size are required. It takes much time and labour to shift timber, and the consumer pays for both.
Pointers on Plywood.
Never waste time by ordering plywood as " three-ply," "five-ply." " seven. ply," etc. Plywood is sold by the thickness, irrespective of the number of plies.
As with solid timber, be careful to state the quality required. Do not buy A-quality panels if a B or C grade is suitable. The difference in price between the grades is even greater than that of solid wood. When buying a reasonable quantity of plywood, ask to be quoted a price per 100 ft. super, because this method is considerably cheaper than is purchasing at a price per panel.
Plywood can be obtained veneered on only one side with mahogany, oak, walnut, etc., and in this form is much cheaper than is wood veneered on both sides. That fact seems to be unknown to numerous buyers, for panels faced on both sides with seine expensive decorative wood are frequently bought for purposes where the back is either covered or not visible—a sheer waste of money.