Trade Customs of The Hardwood Lumber Business

fssued by the Service Department, White Brothers, San Francisco

The present day trend towards centralized purchasing in business, particularly in the larger concerns, mak'e it quite necessary that the purchasing agent must be well versed in a great many lines of trade and trade customs. To absorb all this knowledge requires a great deal of effort and in addition we must take into consideration that trade customs are constantly changing.

Orders or inquiries placed for hardwood lumber requirements with the local hardwood lumber dealers, when analyzed, show that there is a lack of knowledge as regards the trade customs of this important business.

This article is written for the purpose of endeavoring to assist the buyers with the purchase of their hardwood requlrements.

The lumber business of the Pacific Coast is divided into two distinct and separate businesses, which constitutes the softwood yards and the hardwood yards. Softwood yards stock onl;y' the coniferous woods produced onthis coast, such as pine, fir, spruce, cedar, redwood, etc. Hardwood yards stock all commercial broad-leaved woods from all parts of the world, such as oak, maple, ash, hickory, poplar, birch, basswood, walnut; ironbark, teak, mahogany, lignum vitae, etc. Oak and mdple flooring and dowels are also carried in stock together with veneers and plywoods made from different kinds of cabinet woods, including fir and cedar.

By following the suggestions given belorv, misunderstandings in filling of orders will be entirely eliminated:

How to Specify Hardwood Lumber

First-Number of 'pieces or board feet required.

Second-Thickness in inches.

Third-Width i'n inches.

Fourth-Length in feet.

Fifth-Name of wood required.

Sixth-State whether air dried or kiln dried.

Seventh-State lvhether rough or surfaced. If to be sur- faced state whether one side, two sides or four sides. When stock is required surfaced be sure to state whether sizes given are rough sizes or net sizes after surfacing.

I'.ighth-State whether stock is to be called for at yard or delivered and where to, or shipped and where to and how. Prices are based ex yard and charges for cartage are extra.

How To Specify Hardwood Flooring

First-Number of board feet required.

Second-Thickness in inches.

Third-Width in inches.

Fourth-Name of wood required (oak or maple).

Fifth-Grade required (first grade, second giade, third grade).

Sixth-Whether tongue and groove or square edge.

How To Specify Hardwood Dowels

First-Number of pieces or bundles required.

Second-Diameter in inches.

Third-Length in inches.

HowTo Specify Plywood Panels

First-Number of pieces required.

Second-Fraction of an inch required in thickness and whether3or5ply.

Third-Width across grain in inches.

Fourth with the grain in inches.

Fifth-Kind of wood required.

Sixth-Whether one side good with reject back or two sides good.

How To Specify Veneers

First-Number of pieces or square feet required.

Second-Fraction of an inch required in tiickness.

Third-Length in feet required.

Fifth-Kind of wood required.

General Information

The highest grade in hardwoods is termed firsts and seconds, and this is the grade universally stocked by the dealers on the Pacific Coast. Lower grades are carried in stock in some woods, but it is always understood that firsts and seconds will be furnished on all orders unless lower grades are specified by the purchaser.

In the majority of woods the grading rules of firsts and seconds require stock to be six inches and wider and eight to sixteen feet long. Due to the fact of the high grade demanded by the trade here, the percentage of wide widths and long lengths is limited. For this reason stock twelve inches and wider and sixteen foot lengths take a premium in price. To secure a better run of stock and ata much lower price, it is advisable to buy narrow stock and short lengths, when possible. To make really the most satisfactory bargains, give your cutting sizes, which will enable the dealer to fill your order to better advantage.

A few woods may be had in lengths from 18 to 48 feet long. These lengths are much higher in price than standard lengths. Occasionally orders will be received for stock 18 feet long out of which customer intends to cut 2,3,6 or 9 feet lengths, the same applying to even longer lengths. This is not economical.

Several years ago ohe of the departments of the United States A.rmy mailed out an inquiry specifying one piece of. llxl6xl6 feet clear hickory. Our firm was unable to quote on this width and length. Upon telephoning to the officer responsible for this inquiry and endeavoring to ascertain for what purpose a board of these dimensions was intended, he replied that he did not know, but would investigate the matter for us. ft was learned that a carpenter had made out the requi'sition for this specification and that the piece was to be ripped up into a number of pieces llx3x3 for axe handles. This instance is not intended for the pur- pose of casting any reflectiori upon the Army, but it is a common occurrence with the purchasers of hardwood. Several pieces of 6 inch, o.r 9 inch wide and 6 feet, 9 feet or 12 feet long would have served the purpose at a much lower pflce.

To eliminate waste in the mahufacture of hardwoods, boards are edged only sufficiently totrim off defects, with the result thaf widths run in fractions of an inch. Lengths are trimmed to odd or even lengths.

To facilitate the tallying of these odd widths, all boards are tallied with what is knowh as a board rule. This rule is three feet long with a graduated scale of figures. By first measuring the length and then applying the rule across the width and reading the scale, the actual square feet of surface measure is oblained, and from this the board feet contents are easily computed.

Due to the firm texture of hardwood, the ends usually develop a few inches of season checks and this condition must 6e taken into consideration when figuring your requirements.

Flooring which for instance measures 13/16 feet x 2'/.4 feet face is figured as I foo! x 3 feet for footag-e, as this is the size neceisary to make the finished size. In this particular size of tongue and groove flooring, to a given amount of square feet of floor surface to be covered add 33-l/3 per cent to figure the board feet of flooring required. - This procedure applies to all other sizes of tongue and groove.

Panels and veneers are sold according to the square feet of surface measure.

A Score of Warehouses to Sene You.

Scores of Satisfi€d Dealers to Refer to.

Scores of Staple ltems to Draw on A Perfect Score of Dependable Qualitv to Bank orr"

Scores of Years of Senice Experience to trust to' Tieing to " .Score Like That Can't Bust You.