HINTS ON SELECTING HARDWOOD LUMBER What are your discounts? What are Hardwoods? How Much is Shipping? What is  4/4,8/4, 12/4 Mean? What does S2S mean? What is Board Foot? Is There a Minimum Order? What Widths Do You Sell? Is Your Lumber Rough or Planed? How are Hardwoods Graded? How Do I Calculate The Number of Board Feet?     What are your discounts? Quantity discounts are available for lumber and veneers. Normal discounts are as follows: LUMBER DISCOUNT 20+ board feet   15% 100+ board feet  25% You may mix or match species to get the best pricing.  For example, 5 board feet of Hard Maple, 10 board feet of Red Oak, and 5 board feet of Honduras Rosewood would all receive the 15% discount. VENEER DISCOUNT 5+ SHEETS      20% You may mix or match species to get the best price as well. Sale items have a reduced discount and some items may have a different discount schedule. What are Hardwoods? Hardwood is a popular name given to angiosperms; deciduous, bread-leafed, flower-bearing trees. The term does not actually describe the hardness or density of the wood. Hardwoods vary from very light, soft woods (Balsawood) to very heavy, hard woods (Lignum Vitea). Generally, they are quite easy to work and finish.  [TOP] How Much is Shipping? Shipping costs are determined by exactly what UPS charges for shipping the package plus a $5 per bundle charge for packaging. One package can have up to 70 lbs of wood, and usually fit up to 20 - 25 board feet. Orders over 200 pounds ship at a reduced rate.  Click HERE for more detailed shipping information.  For orders over 500 pounds, we can ship by common carrier service to a location that has the capacity to unload the truck (for instance, a forklift). For convenience, we offer packages of lumber that include the shipping cost - Project Packs and Craft Packs. [TOP] What does 4/4, 8/4, 12/4 Mean? These fractions refer to the thickness of lumber and read in quarters of inches i.e. four-quarters, eight-quarters, twelve-quarters.  4/4 lumber is sawn off a log at one inch and then surfaced on two sides to 13/16" to 7/8" thick. 8/4 lumber is sawn off a log at two inches.  12/4 is sawn off a log at three inches.  [TOP] What does S2S mean? S2S is an abbreviation for “surfaced on two sides.”  All of our lumber is surfaced on two sides - the faces are planed and the edges are rough.  The actual thickness of 4/4 S2S lumber is 13/16” or greater.  8/4 S2S lumber measures 1-1 3/16” thick.  If lumber is not surfaced, it would be called rough and would require surfacing. [TOP] What is a Board Foot? A board foot is a unit of measurement, and not necessarily a certain size. For instance, each of these sizes are equal to one board foot: 4/4 x 4” x 36” 4/4 x 12” x 12” 8/4 x 6” x 12” Square footage multiplied by the thickness of the lumber (4/4=1; 8/4 =2; etc.) equals the board footage.  Take all measurements in inches and use the following formula: T x W x L / 144 = BF.  To calculate your board feet Click HERE for a handy pop up calculator.  [TOP] Is There a Minimum Order? There is no minimum order. Shipping small amounts of lumber, such as one piece 4/4 x 6" x 72", may be costly due to the odd size of the package. UPS charges for 30 pounds for packages that are large and light. If you need only a small amount, request that the boards be cut in order to avoid high shipping costs. [TOP] What Widths Do You Sell? Hardwood lumber is sold random in width and length, and therefore we stock a variety of widths. Generally, widths range between 4" and 12" with exceptions for some species. Some may only be as wide as 6", and some may be as wide as 16".  Since lumber is sold uniform in thickness but random in width and length, it must be sold by the board foot instead of being sold by the piece or by the lineal foot. [TOP] Is Your Lumber Rough or Planed? Most boards are surfaced on the face and back. The edges are rough. We are able to give you one straight edge on each board for a milling fee of $0.25 per board foot.  It costs $5.00 to have 20 board feet straight-edged. [TOP] How are Hardwoods Graded? Typically we offer only the highest grade commonly available for each species. Grading rules are set by the National Hardwood lumber Association: FAS- Hardwood's best grade yields about 85% to 90% clear cuttings. Most boards are 6" and wider, 8' and longer. (Exceptions: Walnut, Butternut are 5" and wider, 6' and longer.) FAS 1 FACE & BETTER- Subject to the same grading rules as FAS except that the board is graded from the better side and backside must grade at least No. 1 Common. SELECTS- 4" and wider, 6' and longer. Better side grades FAS; reverse side grades No. 1 Common, short and narrow boards are usually clear. No. 1 COMMON- An economical grade. Yields over 67% clear cuttings. Most boards are 3" and wider, 4' and longer. [TOP]