New from Germany

[George Gibson]

Hi, I'm George


Grew up in Hessen, Laubach, Germany. In March 2017 i joined the military and started my Army Nurse Corps career or ANC as a clinical assistant nurse position, at the Büchel Air Base in Büchel, Germany. Now i joined a health care center in Laubach as a principal nurse to continue providing my health care experience.

Note: It is a great pleasure to be a part of this community. I hope to get future help from fellow members and moderators.


Thanks -
GG

[Jamie Buxton]

Welcome, George!

Perhaps you can answer a question which was asked on this forum a few days ago. In the US, hardwood for making furniture is generally priced by the board-foot. That's a unit of volume 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch. In Germany, what unit of measure would you be using when you buy hardwood?

[Lee Schierer]

Welcome to the creek. We look forward to see your posts.

[Frederick Skelly]

Welcome George! Glad to have you join us!

[Mike Kreinhop]

Welcome, George!

Perhaps you can answer a question which was asked on this forum a few days ago. In the US, hardwood for making furniture is generally priced by the board-foot. That's a unit of volume 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch. In Germany, what unit of measure would you be using when you buy hardwood?

I'm not George, but I can answer that question from the perspective of businesses in Hessen that I frequent. Timber is sold by the cubic meter (CBM) instead of the board foot, with 1CBM equal to about 424BF. Two weeks ago, I bought a kiln dried beech plank that was 340cm long, 27cm wide, and 5.2cm thick, or 0.048CBM (about 20.3BF). The base price for KD beech at that store is €1,190 per CBM (about $1,358), so my cost was €57.12 (about $65).

At another store near me, here are the prices as of last year for KD timber:

American Black Walnut: €3,300CBM or $8.84BF
English Walnut: €3,500CBM or $9.37BF
American Maple: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Maple: €1,435CBM or $3.85BF
American Cherry: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Cherry: €1,600CBM or $4.29BF

[Mike Kreinhop]

Hi George! Welcome to SMC!

I live between Darmstadt and Mannheim. Fliegerhorst Büchel is about two hours from me.

[mike stenson]

Herzlich willkommen! I am originally also from Hessen :)

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy George and welcome to the Creek.

jtk

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I'm not George, but I can answer that question from the perspective of businesses in Hessen that I frequent. Timber is sold by the cubic meter (CBM) instead of the board foot, with 1CBM equal to about 424BF. Two weeks ago, I bought a kiln dried beech plank that was 340cm long, 27cm wide, and 5.2cm thick, or 0.048CBM (about 20.3BF). The base price for KD beech at that store is €1,190 per CBM (about $1,358), so my cost was €57.12 (about $65).

At another store near me, here are the prices as of last year for KD timber:

American Black Walnut: €3,300CBM or $8.84BF
English Walnut: €3,500CBM or $9.37BF
American Maple: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Maple: €1,435CBM or $3.85BF
American Cherry: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Cherry: €1,600CBM or $4.29BF

We also use cubic meter here but never would some abbreviation or acrostic like CBM... is it common? We use simply m3 (actually the number superscripted).

[Mike Kreinhop]

We also use cubic meter here but never would some abbreviation or acrostic like CBM... is it common? We use simply m3 (actually the number superscripted).

Yes, CBM appears to be the standard abbreviation at the timber stores here for the cubic meter. Likewise, the square meter is QM, for quadratmeter, and is the unit of measure for sheet goods and bulk fabric.

[Jim Tobias]

Welcome George! I think you will enjoy being a part of this forum. A lot of knowledge and expertise here.

Jim

[Mike Henderson]

I'm not George, but I can answer that question from the perspective of businesses in Hessen that I frequent. Timber is sold by the cubic meter (CBM) instead of the board foot, with 1CBM equal to about 424BF. Two weeks ago, I bought a kiln dried beech plank that was 340cm long, 27cm wide, and 5.2cm thick, or 0.048CBM (about 20.3BF). The base price for KD beech at that store is €1,190 per CBM (about $1,358), so my cost was €57.12 (about $65).

At another store near me, here are the prices as of last year for KD timber:

American Black Walnut: €3,300CBM or $8.84BF
English Walnut: €3,500CBM or $9.37BF
American Maple: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Maple: €1,435CBM or $3.85BF
American Cherry: €2,150CBM or $5.75BF
European Cherry: €1,600CBM or $4.29BF

Thanks for that information, Mike. How are the prices listed at the hardwood store. That is, if I went into that store in Hessen and saw some American Black Walnut, would the price on it be €3,300CBM, or something else?

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

Welcome, George. You will get lots of help, advice and support here - just ask.

Mike

[Mike Kreinhop]

Thanks for that information, Mike. How are the prices listed at the hardwood store. That is, if I went into that store in Hessen and saw some American Black Walnut, would the price on it be €3,300CBM, or something else?

Mike

Mike, at the store I visit, the wood is priced by the plank using the CBM unit price, and the retail price for each plank varies as the size of the plank varies. Each plank has a store ID number on it and the clerk has to look it up in the computer to find out what the cost is. When the wood arrives, someone inspects it, measures it, and assigns an ID number for each plank. It is then restacked in the order it was sliced from the log and stickered on a shelf ready for purchase.

At that time, any internal defects are noted and deducted from the plank. If there is any splitting at the ends, the length measurement will start a few centimeters inside the split on one end and continue to the other end, or a few centimeters from the split on that end if there is one. Then the width and thickness are measured to determine the volume of wood in that plank. At the time of selection, the clerk scans the barcode on the plank, or enters the ID number, and the plank is added to the invoice. If you buy three planks from the same log, each plank will have a different price depending on the width and excluded defects.

If you found a nice example of American Black Walnut that was 300cm long, 40cm wide, and 6cm thick (about 118 x 16 x 2 inches), and free of defects or splits, the total volume would be 0.072CBM (about 30.5BF). At €3,300 per CBM, the cost for that plank would be €237.60, or about $271.73 at today's exchange rate.

This is about $8.91 per BF, but I don't know how that compares to U.S. vendors. All of the ABW I looked at here was at least 6cm thick, which is a little thicker than 8/4. The good customers get to select from the stack, but I'm not in that league, so I have to draw from the top of the pile.

[mike stenson]

That's cheaper than black walnut in Tucson. At about $16/bdft for 8/4 that same board would be $457.50.. and then we'd add tax (since Mike's price includes taxes) and we're at 497.30 (8.7%)

I'd rather pay the 237.60€

[Jim Koepke]

My main store for hardwood (Crosscut Hardwood in Portland) writes the BF and an abbreviation of species on each piece in stock. It is stored in vertical racks making it easy to sort while still respecting the stack.

There are often pieces in one area sold by the pound. They usually have a mark on the end like # of LB. These are often cut offs or lesser quality pieces, usually four feet or less in length.

My favorite store for softwood is in Vancouver, WA and sells pieces priced per foot in length. The pine/white fire/facia is in stacks. Maybe they do not mind me sorting through the stacks since it isn't 'book matched stacks' and my habit is to leave it at least as neat as found and occasionally neater.

jtk