I picked up my black walnut at the sawmill I buy from today and found that they have several thousand bd.ft. of really fabulous hardwood. Hackberry.. for only 17 cents a bd. ft. Now sheetrock is more expensive!
What’s better is these are the nice boards on the outside. A lot would be graded FAS (furniture and select) Clear white boards. or mostly white with splotches of brown in them..
If you want them either contact Johnson bros lumber in Cannon Falls MN or E-mail me and I’ll connect you..
Act fast or they will send them off to the pallet mills..
Replies
I'm In!
shoot me an email.
Down here, hackberry is a trash tree.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Here is some info on hackberry...be buildin' a tobaggen.http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Uses_for_Hackberry_Wood.html
Didn't know you guys had trees in Texas. ;)View Image
those are those things stickin' up way out on the other wise featureless horizon...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
those are those things stickin' up way out on the other wise featureless horizon...
True dat
Any trees in Texas are trash wood trees. That explains it
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Hey! We have trees here. Some even get 30 ft tall. I don't think the mesquite would be considered trash. It sure make for some good BBQ flavor.
Actually, now that I think about it, the mesquite is a nuisance tree. You can get wide boards, or long boards, but not both.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
that's a conspericy put together by the glue industry...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Fast Eddie,
Hackberry is a wonderful wood, used for fancy cabinets and I've seen very high end tables made from it.. while it's a member of (I think my referance books are tucked away right now) the elm family it doesn't have many of the shortcomings of Elm. The sawmill I buy used to sell all the hackberry they could get to the Netherlands, however that buyer hasn't been around lately and there was a call for some hackberry timbers and these are the result..
Jeez Frenchy, FAS stands for firsts and seconds. Select and better is next down the list, then #1 and #2 common, etc., then mill run. The highest grade available is FEQ, First European Quality, which is firsts in our grading system and not used in our country.
Now, there are plenty of sellers making up their own rules but these are the ones that matter in hardwood grades.
Lee
Here you go, a primer...In the United States, standards for grading hardwood are set by the National Hardwood Lumber Assn. The standards are voluminous, replete with exceptions, special rules for certain species, and many details. Here we will only try to illustrate the principles behind the grading, with a few indications of how the home woodworker can use them. For details, contact the association.Unlike softwood, most hardwood is used in applications where appearance is crucial, such as furniture. Hardwood being a natural product, no two boards are alike, and almost all contain defects like knots that would be unacceptable in a piece of fine furniture. In most cases, however, only one side of the board will show. The grading of hardwood reflects that; it is based on the number and size of the “clear face cuttings”–rectangular pieces free of defects on the graded side–that could be cut from the board being graded. The other side of a clear face cutting may contain defects, as long as they don't affect the strength of the cutting. The fewer and bigger the clear face cuttings, the higher the board's grade. Grading a board doesn't involve actually sawing the clear face cuttings from it; they are purely conceptual.The three top grades are * FAS
* Selects
* No. 1 commonThe remaining grades–2A, 2B, 3A and 3B–rarely reach the retail market; manufacturers make flooring, pallets and similar products from them.The best way of grasping the puzzle-like nature of grading hardwood is to consider a real example. Here is one from the Wood Handbook, by the Forest Products Laboratory of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (Washington, 1974).In this case, the grader gets a board 12 feet long and 12 inches wide. He examines both sides and senses it will make No. 1 Common, so he turns to the poorer side, pictured above. One end is cracked, bark shows along both edges, and there are several knots. According to the standard for No. 1 boards between 11 and 13 square feet, a maximum of 4 clear pieces may be cut, which, if 3 inches wide, must be at least 3 feet long, and if 4 inches wide at least 2 feet–and the cuttings must take in 66 2⁄3% of the area of the board. Can the grader do it?
FASAlthough the National Hardwood Lumber Assn. defines grades called “Firsts” and “Seconds,” in practice the best boards are almost always sold as a combined grade, FAS (which stands for “firsts and seconds”). From 20 to 40 percent of the boards in a lot graded FAS must be Firsts; the actual percentage required depends on the species. Boards must be at least 6 inches wide and from 8 to 16 feet long; in a lot no more than 30% of the boards can be shorter than 11 feet, and only half of those can be 8 or 9 feet long.FAS grading is based on the poorest side of the board. The clear face cuttings must be no smaller than 4 inches by 5 feet, or 3 inches by 7 feet. As many as 4 cuttings are allowed, depending on the board's area. For a 4 square foot board to qualify as a Firsts, for example, only 1 cutting can be made, but 3 cuttings are allowed in a board with an area of 15 square feet or more. For larger boards, a choice of two numbers of cuttings is offered, but the larger number must take in a greater percentage of the board's area. For example, if the grading of a particular 12 sq. foot board as Seconds is based on getting 3 clear face cuttings out of it, those cuttings must include 83 1⁄3% of the board; but if 4 cuttings are planned, they must take in 91 2⁄3% of the board's total surface.
SelectsUnlike the other hardwood grades, Selects are graded on the basis of the best side. Minimum width is 4 inches and lengths run 6 to 16 feet. In a lot, 30% of the boards may be 6 to 11 feet long, but only one-sixth of those may be 6 or 7 feet long. Except for those restrictions, Selects over 4 square feet are graded by the same criteria as Seconds. Since Selects are cheaper than FAS, the home woodworker should seriously consider them for any use in which only one side of the board will be seen.
No. 1 commonA No. 1 Common board need only be at least 3 inches wide; the minimum clear face cuttings size drops to 4 inches by 2 feet, or 3 inches by 3 feet. In a lot, 10% of the boards may be 4 to 7 feet long, and half of those may be 4 or 5 feet long. Even in the larger boards, where as many as 5 cuttings are permitted, the clear face cuttings will take in at least 66 2⁄3% of the board.
LeeYou will have to forgive frenchy.He goes my the grading rules on Neptune. That is where they also have lumber grade of SDry for Shipped Dry.Nowhere elese in the universe does frenchy's standards apply.
So, you think I should just let it go?Lee
>>"So, you think I should just let it go?
As another perspective, arguing with good ole' Frenchy can be like chasing a greased pig. It can be fun and will really keep you on your toes, but at a certain point you just let it go. ;-)
It's also entertaining to watch. ;-)
If it's any consolation, you made your point and I'd hope most got it. ;-)
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Okay, I'm prepared to let it go now.Lee
Lee,
I don't know what grading system you use but first and seconds doesn't tell you anything about the quaility of the wood. It's simply the first and second slice off the log Furnature and select on the other hand has very definate rules (which vary depending on the wood) basically it requires knot or defect free for six foot and then only allows a minimum of a couple of knots or defects..
Select (again depending on the wood) lowers that to 5 feet free and clear and roughly a total of 4 knots or defects. There are also minimum board width requirements and a grain deviation allowance that escapes me right now (it's 3:15 in the morning)
Allright, Frenchy, having never been to Neptune I do plead ignorance to your grading rules. However, on this planet, in this country this is what we use. The National Hardwood Lumber Association, NHLA, has set these rules for us Earthlings and it is the standard for us.Here is a link to some information, http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/sw_lumbergrades.htmlLee
I am glad here in KY we are still on earth...I'd hateto have memorize a new definition from allthe yrs finally memorizing what the grades mean. LOL
"FurnAture and Select"? or what did he say?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You gotta be kidding me ..Jorge is @ what %? Now?
Down here it Texas it's a trash tree, kinda like p!ss Elm. It's soft and fuzzes up when sanded. Pallets and hidden construction is about the only thing it's good for. I've run across it in old locally-made furniture where they used wide (12") X1/4" sawn planks for backs and bottoms. Cottonwood too.
BTW, a friend and I were discussing BBQ of different cultures in the US the other day, and couldn't figure out what people of the Gallic persuasion "Q'ed." We finally decided on one thing that we know that ya'll eat, and might "Q."
So the question is, how do ya'll keep them itty-bitty snails from fallin' through the grill into the fire?