How Much Does Lumber Weigh?

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Edo
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How Much Does Lumber Weigh?

Post by Edo »

Im looking fo a chart or table of lumber weights. I've used 1 inch of plywood 4X8 weighs 100 lbs. but don't know what OSB weighs, i know its heavier.

What about lumber 2X6 and 2X4 8,10, 12, 16 foot lengths.

How much hevier is pressure treated wood. 4x4 posts etc..

thanks
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lilfssister
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Post by lilfssister »

I googled "weight of OSB" and "weight of lumber"

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=451409

http://www.globalwood.org/tech/tech_lumber_weights.htm

I guess you can do the same for pressure treated?
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bandaid
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Post by bandaid »

Weights depend on the species of wood. Fir is much heavier than cedar, oak is heavier than spruce. The whole hardwood soft wood thing.
http://www.websterchain.com/graphicsreduced/approx.htm
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Axial Flow
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Post by Axial Flow »

At your age the hardwood becomes a problem there Bandaid ;)
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Edo
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Post by Edo »

Thanks, never thought of google.

The board foot calculator seems good but im trying to remember back to highschool wood shop.

This is the one i used
http://www.globalwood.org/tech/tech_lumber_weights.htm

Ok board feet 1 BF = 12X12X1 right so a 2x6 x 16 would be 8 board feet?

so 8 BF of white pine is 24 lbs rough cut sounds close.

How can I calculate the BF for a 2x6 that has been planed and is really 1.5x 5.5

wow more complcated than i thought.

Aid - mostly SPF for cabins, thankfully noone has had me fly 2x6 oak rafters yet.
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bandaid
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Post by bandaid »

Again the young buck taking a pot shot at the old guy. Sure talks tough from across the country. Bring it on albino boy :wink:
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200hr Wonder
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Post by 200hr Wonder »

As I work in a lumber yard, we do this sort of calculation all the time for loading trucks and what not.

The number one thing to remeber is that all weights are approximate! I would not bet my weight and balance on being correct with them, a heavy chunk of lumber could easly be off by more than 10%. Infact we have had some trucks overweight due to the natural variations.
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Post by . ._ »

Mmm. Yeaaah.

I'm gonna have to go ahead and guess, oh say, 180lbs mmmkay?



Image

OH LUMBER!

I don't know.

-istp :?
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MUSKEG
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Post by MUSKEG »

If 1x12 x8ft is 8 brd ft the 2x6x16 is 16 brd ft no?
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El Comat
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Post by El Comat »

hahahah....that was great. Watched Office Space a few times back in the Soo, what a flick. A guy in my class even made a Lumbergh sound board.

As for the lumber dilemma, I'm of no use.

EC
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snag
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Post by snag »

There's only one good way to get a weight. Either you are flying heavy machinery and can weigh each load, or something like a caravan, in which case I have to ass-u-me you are shipping wood in managable sizes.

So..

if you are shipping 400 2x4's for example. Pull 10 out, weigh them, mulitply by 40. For 4x8 plywood, weigh one sheet and multiply by number of sheets. Etc. How hard is that? No need to find what each square inch of your balsa-oak-pressuretreated-super-plywood (or as the natives say "one fancy window, eh?") weighs on google either.

If its a small random load, well...weigh it bit by bit. If you are shipping truckloads, your company better have a scale to weigh whatever the forklift plunks on it.
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mellow_pilot
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Post by mellow_pilot »

Pressure treated can vary emensely, depending on how much of the treatment has been absorbed. I loaded many pieces this summer and wieghts varied noticably in wood from the same stockpile. For that matter, any wood will soak up water. If it's been outside, you can't count on any calculation being right. I'd weigh each piece on a bathroom scale before loading and add it all up. It might be tedious, but you're playing with your life here.
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niss
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Post by niss »

I thought I heard somewhere that its Impossible to estimate what the weight of wood would be because the density can vary so much from tree to tree.

Here is a question. Way up north above the frost line trees are hundreds of years old but may grow to a maximum of like 6" or less in diameter, are these trees much denser and theirfore heavier than their southern counterparts on account of cramming so many more rings in such a small package?
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Post by ... »

Pratt X 3 wrote:
I am Birddog wrote:Unless this post is aviation specific, I will be moving it to misc. forum as outlined in the rules section.

Please read the rules before posting if you're new.

Thank you.
Guess you've never flown a load of lumber before. Seems like a request by a pilot to other pilots on trying to figure out how much a load of lumber weighs so that they may complete their weight and balance before departure. But go ahead and flex your moderator muscle and move it. Whatever...
What your problem sweet heart? I understand it may be a request by a pilot but no where in the post is that pointed out.

Due to the recent campaign of spam lately on this site...we are a bit tired of searching and removing it on a constant basis that it's a bit fustrating.

Having to moderate real members contributions that don't follow the general 'theme' of posting is also frustrating and if not done would make this site chaotic to read and hard to understand.

Sorry, I don't walk on water. I'm not perfect. I tend to get snippy.

BTW...yes, I have hauled lumber. You eye it, unless Transport is on the field, then have you have it weighed, and take a delay.
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Post by desksgo »

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Wilbur
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Post by Wilbur »

The weight of a load of lumber will vary depending on species, density, and moisture content. Species is what it is, and density will vary depending on the rate of growth (more rings per inch is heavier and stronger). Moisture content is affected by a number of factors; green, air dried, or kiln dried, pressure treated or not, stored indoors or outside, relative humidity of the air, and age of the lumber.

You will be able to find a table giving you the average weight for each species, but there is now way I know of for estimating the impact of the other variables.

However, the weights of single pieces of dimensional lumber, OSB, or ply within a load should be fairly consistant with all other pieces if it all came from the same mill. They will be the same species, and have been similarily impacted by the same environmental influences and manufacturing methods. Weight one 2X4, and the others will all weigh about the same.
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mellow_pilot
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Post by mellow_pilot »

I've loaded wood all from the same pile, with drastic differences in weight. The stuff on top sees more rain and is heavier than the stuff on the bottom, its gets mixed with other piles in shipping, etc.

If you reeeeaaallly want to be sure (ie you're close to the limit and indanger of going over MTOW) weight each piece. If you're no where near haveing a problem with w&b, average a couple and estimate.

$0.02
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Post by Blakey »

Pick up one board and stand on the scale; note weight and call it "A". Put the board down and get back on the scale; note weight and call it "B". Subtract "B" from "A" and multiply by the number of boards. Ta da! The weight of the load. If you're really keen, you keep a note of how much each species and size of board weighs and you don't have to break the bundles open or do the scale dance any more. If you're worried about moisture changing the weight, then add a good fudge when it's not kiln dried.
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Post by North Shore »

Why not just pile'er on until you've got two rivets showing at the tail of the float, and then you're good to go! :wink:
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Post by Pratt X 3 »

I am Birddog wrote:What your problem sweet heart? I understand it may be a request by a pilot but no where in the post is that pointed out.
Sweet heart? Does this mean we're dating? Aww, shucks, you had me at hello. :oops:
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