What’s even more annoying is that a 2x4 (pronounced two-by-four) isn’t 2 by 4 inches. It’s 1.5 x 3.5 (sometimes even a 1/16 under).
It’s all because of some unfinished lumber bullshit, but it’s still not as confusing as pipe and hose fitting sizing at least.
pronounced two-by-four
Unless you're in the south, in which case it's pronounced "tuba-fur".
And I also forgot about the Mainers and their two-by-faws
Worse still, the pattern does not continue like one would expect.
- Nominal: 2x4 -- Actual: 1.5" x 3.5"
- Nominal: 2x6 -- Actual: 1.5" x 5.5"
- Nominal: 2x8 -- Actual: 1.5" x 7.25"
- Nominal: 2x10 -- Actual: 1.5" x 9.25"
- Nominal: 2x12 -- Actual: 1.5" x 11.25"
There's just an arbitrary point where they decided to take an extra 1/4" bite out of it. I'm not sure whether that's more of an effect of shrinkage from kiln drying being proportional to the original length or an effect of industry practice to mill smaller boards to eke out more cuts per tree.
And for the record, yes, I am aware the discrepancy is not entirely explained by shrinkage. They do a planing step after drying. But the shrinkage is a not insignificant part of it. They have to round down to the nearest convenient dimension from wherever the shrinkage stops.
If longer boards shrink more, the finished boards would necessarily have to be smaller. I question whether that's the effect at play, though, because I believe there was a phase in the industry where that extra quarter inch wasn't taken off, and they changed their minds about it later.
It's because the actual cut is 2x4, and the wood shrinks. The typical shrinkage is known and accounted for. It is a treat when a house has an actual 2x though, i.e., it was cut divided by the shrinkage ratio, or cut dry. Related to why framing is done "on center", i.e., "16 on center".
That’s not from shrinkage (well the 1/16 might be, especially newer fast heated junk at the Homely Despot). It’s from when they mill the rough sawn 2x4 down to “finished size”. You can buy actual 2x4s, but they won’t have the nice planned surfaces or beveled edges.
I’m not wondering why it’s that sized, I’m annoyed why they insist on calling both rough saw and finished items 2x4s.
The European mind cannot comprehend that as wood expands, dicks also expands
This makes total sense
That's why pools are so expensive.
Measure twice, cut once!
https://vegantheoryclub.org/comment/1586115
You got got
LMAO
I assume they're erect but are they end to end or side to side?
Docking
my forst thought would have been dicks lumber down the street but I dont know if they put their name on the wood
silly americans have units of time where there are 60 seconds in a minute, 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, and every four years there's an extra leap year! LOL backwards hicks
You got the leap year rule wrong.
Every fourth year unless the year is divisible by 100 unless the year is also divisible by 400
And it's a leap day that's inserted, not a leap year
And anyway we're talking here about measuring in dicks
metaphor
You got the leap year rule wrong.
Every fourth year unless the year is divisible by 100 unless the year is also divisible by 400
You got the leap year rule wrong.
Every fourth year unless the year is divisible by 100 unless the year is also divisible by 400
But wait, those might be metric dicks.
