Basic question about timber sizes

Uncle Pierre

Hi all. Very much a hobbyist and not particularly skilled woodworker here. Have put together various pieces over the past few years from recycled pallet wood, but am now thinking of a project where I need the wood to be more uniform in size than you can count on from pallets. Rough timber will be fine for the job.

Thing is, I've never actually bought timber before. There's a hardware & building suppliers just down the road from me (rural Co. Wexford) where I regularly buy lots of other stuff all right, and where I know they'll be helpful, but I don't want to look a real eejit when I go in there all the same, so would like to have at least some idea.

Have been having a look at places where you can order online, including this one:
https://tjomahony.ie/timber-products/rough.html

Question is, are they all standard sizes that should be available in my local place too?

In particular, what about this one? - https://tjomahony.ie/031752254-1.html

That's 5.4 metre lengths of 175mm x 22mm rough timber, for anybody doesn't want to click the link.

Should I be able to buy that locally, or is it an unusual size? If it's unusual, is there a standard size some way close to it, that should be available?

Thanks!

muffler

As Tom Jones would say .... it's not unusual

listermint

alot of local yards communicate in the imperial vernacular.

i,e you would walk in and ask (or phone them) and as for what lenght they have boards in 7 x 1. They will check the system and tell you.

Some do mm's but many will open conversation in inches.

Stigura

Uncle Pierre; That sounds familiar enough. I bought a load of 2 x 2" recently. We (The yard and I) talk in terms of sixteen foot lengths. 5.4 metres is, I think, a shade over seventeen? So, ye won't go far wrong just talking about " Lengths ". Sound quite the confident expert

Uncle Pierre

listermint wrote: »

alot of local yards communicate in the imperial vernacular.

Thanks. I actually meant to ask that too. I'm old-school enough myself to have a preference for the imperial vernacular anyway

Lumen

The sizes are fairly standard but there is variation between PAO (planed all over) and rough, since PAO has had a couple of mm chopped off by...the planing.

In current times with restriction of movement, limited supply and spotty delivery I just find out what they have and see if I can make it work.

That said, it is really worth finding a good local place that can supply anything within reason. I just got my first delivery from Wood Industries in Rathdrum. They actually respond to emails and made me up some 38mm dowels for ladder rungs. Delighted! Bit far north for you though.

Dr_Colossus

If you can pick out the lengths yourself also in the yard and cast your eye down along them to ensure they're not all twisted/warped or even cracked. All too often they're left out in the elements and if you're lucky with a bit of a tarp covering them.
POA timber is kept inside so as least consistently dry.

J.R.

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

If you can pick out the lengths yourself also in the yard and cast your eye down along them to ensure they're not all twisted/warped or even cracked. All too often they're left out in the elements and if you're lucky with a bit of a tarp covering them.
POA timber is kept inside so as least consistently dry.

While you're out in the yard - have your tape measure with you...look at all the sizes on offer and measure...you'll remember most sizes there for future reference.

Stigura

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

If you can pick out the lengths yourself also in the yard and cast your eye down along them to ensure they're not all twisted/warped or even cracked.

This! I buy a shed ton of 9 x 1" rough planks. The number of times I've found them " ) ", when they should have been " | ". Or even just So cracked I could practically snap a 16' plank with my bare hands, right down the middle!

Yep. These days, I go down there and sort through the lot. Pulling out the exact, individual planks I want delivered. Lot of work. But, the effort's saved me a LOT of bloody money and heart ache!

Uncle Pierre

Sincere thanks to all here for the advice. All good to know for somebody who's never actually bought timber before!

jack of all

Plenty of sound advice above, I'll add my tuppence worth. Timber (particularly rough sawn) is still referred to in both imperial and metric sizes. For timber lengths these will be in 2 foot increments from 8' up to 16 or 18'. Rough sawn section sizes are nominal and will vary slightly from one piece to the next typically. For planed all round (PAR) or Planed all over (PAO) the sizes will be the nominal size less 3- 6mm to allow for re-sawing and planing/ thicknessing. Typical sizes in planed wood are 12mm, 19mm, 22mm, 32mm, 38mm, 44mm, 63mm, 69mm, 94mm. Therefore a 3x2" PAO will typically be 69x 44mm finished size, a 6 x 1" will be 144 x 19mm, 7 x 1" 169x 19mm. There will be variances but typically that's what you'll find.

The Continental Op

Also bear in mind that rarely will any lengths actually be the length stated. Say for example we start with a 16' length which is probably only 480cm so we are nearly 8cm - 4 inches short before we start and cut it into two eight foots we can't possibly have 8ft because of the width of the saw cut but more importantly because we didn't even start with 16'.

Uncle Pierre

Thanks. I need lengths 8' 3" long (2.52 metres), so am hoping to buy 17' or even 18' lengths and cut them to size. Would presume that even if buying nominal 17' lengths, and if they're actually a few inches short, I'd still have enough leeway to get a total of 16' 6" out of them?

listermint

They're decent sized timber. I'd try one of the sawmills for pricing, or even rathdrum as posted previously

jack of all

If you look at the Goodwins site it will give you a good idea of the actual lengths available, so as demonstrated 16' is only 4.8m, just to add to the confusion! One of the reasons that you've got to factor in waste when planning projects in timber.

Uncle Pierre

listermint wrote: »

They're decent sized timber. I'd try one of the sawmills for pricing, or even rathdrum as posted previously

Thanks. But I don't actually need a huge amount - for example, if I could get the same size as the ones in the link in my first post, they're priced at €10.50 each and I'd need just eight of them (total €84). Would assume my local place couldn't be too far off in price. Maybe a euro or two per length?

Would be surprised if savings anywhere else would be significant enough to make it worthwhile. Particularly since delivery charges would eat into savings anyway. Delivery from the local place is usually free because we're less than a mile up the road and they tend to just drop stuff off to us while passing by with other deliveries to other people anyway.

The Continental Op

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

Thanks. I need lengths 8' 3" long (2.52 metres), so am hoping to buy 17' or even 18' lengths and cut them to size. Would presume that even if buying nominal 17' lengths, and if they're actually a few inches short, I'd still have enough leeway to get a total of 16' 6" out of them?

What you tend to see is that the imperial size quoted is actually the nearest smaller metric size. Starting with 1.8m being sold as 6ft.

I haven't had any 18ft lengths in ages so can't be 100% sure what there "nominal" length is but iirc I think they are actually 5.4 meters so you are fine.

Don't be afraid to go in with a tap measure and measure everything.

jack of all

If you want to pick the best, straightest timber you'll have to pick it out in the yard yourself and then of course you're free to measure and check against what you need, but the stated lengths in metres should be very close in reality. If you buy unseen and just get it delivered you can be sure of the "occasional" length with a curve in it or twisted etc. I haven't bought any rough sawn timber in a couple of years but last time I bought a decent load I had to rely on delivery- I ordered a little over what I actually needed to allow me to pick out the straightest pieces for certain parts of the project, twisted or curved lengths could be cut to yield two or 3 usable pieces. It's part and parcel of working with real wood. I always find a use for the smaller offcuts anyway.

listermint

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

Thanks. But I don't actually need a huge amount - for example, if I could get the same size as the ones in the link in my first post, they're priced at €10.50 each and I'd need just eight of them (total €84). Would assume my local place couldn't be too far off in price. Maybe a euro or two per length?

Would be surprised if savings anywhere else would be significant enough to make it worthwhile. Particularly since delivery charges would eat into savings anyway. Delivery from the local place is usually free because we're less than a mile up the road and they tend to just drop stuff off to us while passing by with other deliveries to other people anyway.

But you increased the width by an inch and the depth by two inches.

So 7x1 became 8x3.

Can't get the same pricing on that

Uncle Pierre

listermint wrote: »

But you increased the width by an inch and the depth by two inches.

So 7x1 became 8x3.

Can't get the same pricing on that

Sorry if I muddled up what I was trying to say. What I mean is that I'd be using pieces of 7x1 that are each 8' 3" long. So if bought 7x1 boards that are 17' long, I should be able to cut out two of what I need, and have just a couple of inches left over.

The Continental Op

Another tip for the OP is take a saw with him and whatever he needs for cutting the timber.

I often cut timber to the sizes I need in the merchants yard to bring it home.

But one yard I use a lot let me use one of their bench mounted chop saws (lets not think about their insurance).

Quickcrop has been a disaster for me.
Onions out of stock fair enough but absolutely no communication.
Been a month now since I ordered.

Uncle Pierre

^^^^^^

I've been thanking all the posts here, and greatly appreciate all the advice. Don't know how to react to this one, though!