And now, not so deep thoughts

[Ghoulish Delight]

What the hell? Am I the only one who hadn't been informed of the great lumber consipracy.

If one were to grab something labled 2X3, what might one reasonably expect the dimmensions to be? 2X3 no? Well, no! Try 1.5X2.5. What about the fabled 2X4? Why, of course that measures 2X4 you say? Nay, I say. 1.5X3.5!

What the hell?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

What the hell? Am I the only one who hadn't been informed of the great lumber consipracy.

If one were to grab something labled 2X3, what might one reasonably expect the dimmensions to be? 2X3 no? Well, no! Try 1.5X2.5. What about the fabled 2X4? Why, of course that measures 2X4 you say? Nay, I say. 1.5X3.5!

What the hell?

I wonder if you actually reported your findings to store managers whether they would laugh at you or be shocked.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I wonder if you actually reported your findings to store managers whether they would laugh at you or be shocked.

Laugh. I looked it up, it's the standard. I guess it's sort of like the whole "quarter thing", except in reverse. With meat, it starts at near-exact X weight, and reduces down to a non-exact weight when you cook it, but it's still called "X lbs". Whereas with timber, it starts at non exact dimensions of AXB, then it's planed down to near-exact smaller dimmensions but is still called AXB.

Lame.

[Alex]

Well, it is a very old conspiracy, if it is one. The number comes from the size of the board when it is cut from the log, not the size when it is bought at the store (after being dried and planed).

There, finally got something out of a lumbermill grandfather.

Kind of like penises, the measurement at its largest size is the one that is reported.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

What the hell? Am I the only one who hadn't been informed of the great lumber consipracy.

If one were to grab something labled 2X3, what might one reasonably expect the dimmensions to be? 2X3 no? Well, no! Try 1.5X2.5. What about the fabled 2X4? Why, of course that measures 2X4 you say? Nay, I say. 1.5X3.5!

What the hell?

shrinkage? Maybe it was a cold day.

In our cabin we have 2x4's that are actually 2 inches by 4 inches. Also watch out for lengths. I went to get a 2x4 that should have been 8 foot long, instead of 96 inches it was 92 inches. More shrinkage?

more info here.

Nominal Size - is the size of a piece of lumber before it is dressed and seasoned. It is used to designate a particular size piece of lumber, such as 2x4, 2x6, etc.

Actual Size - refers to minimum acceptable size after it has been dressed and seasoned. A nominal 2*4 can have a minimum actual size of 1.5" x 3.5". When referring to a specific piece of lumber, the nominal size is used.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

What the hell? Am I the only one who hadn't been informed of the great lumber consipracy.

If one were to grab something labled 2X3, what might one reasonably expect the dimmensions to be? 2X3 no? Well, no! Try 1.5X2.5. What about the fabled 2X4? Why, of course that measures 2X4 you say? Nay, I say. 1.5X3.5!

What the hell?

OK, I know this thread is supposed to go without explanation, but I am going to break the rules (cuz I'm just that way).

You are paying for a piece of wood that is 2" x 4" when ROUGH CUT. It takes 1/4" of each surface to get to the smooth, usable surface that you need. These are VERY rough surfaces and you need the full 1/4" to smooth it out. This is for "S4S" lumber = Surfaced (fiinished) 4 Sides. Some lumber (thought usually not construction grades like 2 by X) is sold as S2S.

Also, if you need something besides 2 x 4's, I suggest finding a dedicated lumber shop. I frequent Reel Lumber in Anaheim ('though I tend to be buying kiln-dried hardwoods such as maple, cherry, etc.).