KEVOS® MAKEOS · Materials
Timber Order Plan (Board Feet, Cost, Moisture, Weight, Deliveries)
How much timber do I order with a waste allowance, what will it cost, is it dry enough to use, and how heavy is the load to deliver?
Plan for a timber order: pieces with a waste allowance, board feet, volume and cost (as the lumber board feet tool), moisture content from an oven-dry test of a sample and the density at that moisture content from the specific gravity (as the wood moisture and density tool), the mass of the order, the deliveries for your vehicle payload, and a check of moisture content against your limit.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | mm | Thickness of each piece. |
| Width | mm | Width of each piece. |
| Length | m | Length of each piece. |
| Pieces needed | Pieces the job needs. | |
| Waste and defect allowance | % | Extra pieces ordered for defects, splits and cutting waste. |
| Price given | choice | Whether the price is per cubic metre or per board foot. |
| Price | $ | Price of the timber. |
| Moisture and weight | ||
| Specific gravity of the wood | Specific gravity of the species (oven-dry mass, green volume basis as in the handbook formula). | |
| Sample mass as tested | g | Mass of a sample cut from the delivery. |
| Sample oven-dry mass | g | Mass of the same sample after oven drying. |
| Largest moisture content for use | % | Highest moisture content you accept for the use. |
| Vehicle payload | kg | Mass one delivery vehicle may carry. |
Method and formulas
- Pieces ordered = ⌈needed × (1 + waste)⌉; board feet = t(in) × w(in) × L(ft) ÷ 12 per piece; cost by board feet or volume (as the lumber board feet tool).
- Moisture content = (wet − dry) ÷ dry; density = 1000 G (1 + M) ÷ (1 + 0.009 G M) with M in % (as the wood moisture and density tool).
- Mass = volume × density; deliveries = ⌈mass ÷ payload⌉.
- Example: order 220 pieces, 2.1384 m³ for 1,390 $; at 18% moisture it weighs 1,058.3 kg.
Limitations
- Nominal sizes as entered; dressed sizes are smaller than sawn.
- One sample may not represent the whole delivery: test several pieces.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Order timber for crates, pallets, patterns or framing
- Check delivered timber is dry enough
- Plan delivery loads
Who it is for
- Fabrication supervisors
- Buyers
- Pattern makers
What you get
- Pieces ordered, board feet, volume and cost
- Moisture content and density
- Mass and deliveries
Interpreting the result
- Timber used above about 19% moisture shrinks and distorts as it dries in service.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 386–387, 3018–3019. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Timber Order Plan (Board Feet, Cost, Moisture, Weight, Deliveries) calculator
