If I need clean edges X inches wide...what should I start with?

[dirk martin]

If I need boards, that once clean and flat, they are 3" wide...what should order from my lumber dealer?

Now I imagine it depends on the lumber grade. Or not?

So, if I was working with lumber of grade FAS, and needed 3" clean boards, would I order 5" or could I get away with ordering 4". Does that change if it's #1Common? Or Select and Better?

Or is there really just no way to answer this? Is it always a crap shoot?

[Eiji Fuller]

4" in the rough should be fine. Also depends on how long the finished boards need to be. 4" in 8-10' I would bet would work out but if you need 12-16' then you may not be able to get the bow out of them and still have 3" in some of the boards.

[Mike Harrison]

Here is the national standard lumber grading charactoristics including widths.

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/hardwood_grades.htm

[Darnell Hagen]

Order your lumber "net 3"".

[scott vroom]

The original poster asks a great question. I'm doing a cut list today for some maple office cabinets (sugar maple, select and better). My face frames will be 1.5" wide. Asumming the average board is 6" wide, how many face frames would I expect to yield from a board (cabinets will be painted so small clean knots are OK)? I was figuring on 3 (3*1.5 = 4.5 net from a 6" board). Is this realistic? I don't mean to hyjack this thread; I think this is what the OP is asking as well.

Additional question: If I'm painting my faceframes is there a reason I can't glue up 3 six" boards from which I'd cut the face frames? Seems this would reduce scrap.

[Eiji Fuller]

Scott,

I would think you would get that. just rip the rough boards to 2" or 1 15/16" then dimension to 1 1/2"