Estimating BF yields

Home » Knowledge Base » Knowledge Base Article





	Today's Sponsors: Schmalz, Inc. Schultz Forming Products Scientific Dust Collectors SCM Group USA, Inc. SCM Group SCM SDN Contracting Seagrave Coatings Corporation Sears Trostel Lumber Co. Shade Dri Shomaker Lumber Company ShopBot SII Dry Kilns Silvaris Simantech SIS Machinery Nebraska Tool NEMI New England Kiln Drying Association Newman Whitney Norment and Lambert North Pacific Lumber Northtech Machinery NPO BARS Nydree Flooring Nyle Dry Kiln Systems O'Shea Lumber Company Old Mississippi Brick and Heart Pine Company OMGA, Inc. Omnitech Systems Onsrud Cutter Opti-Sand Original Saw Company Osolnik Machinery & Supplies Patton Cabinet Doors Paul Saws and Systems People Logic Software Corp. Pinske Edge Pioneer Lumber Company Planit Solutions Inc. plastiMACH Plogic Solutions Ltd. Pond Cove Paint Porter-Cable Precision Drive Systems Precision Saw Sharpeners Premium Specialty Hardwoods Pricecutter.com Prime Estimating and Software Services, LLC Pro.Woodworker.com Pro100 Professional Hardware & Supply Co. Quality VAKuum Products, Inc. Quick Machinery Company Quickscrews International Corporation QuickScribe QuickWood QuikDrawers Quis Machinery R&R Drummond, Inc. R.A.W. R.D. Billhofer Company Rangate Rawles-Aden Lumber Corp. RazorGage Reliance Building Products Restoration Specialists Rex Lumber Company Riethmiller Lumber Ritter Manufacturing Inc. Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Roger Shaw and Associates Rose Machinery Routech Royce Ayr Cutting Tools RT Machine Co. Safety Speed Cut Sand-Rite Manufacturing Sandman Products Saw Trax Mfg. Sawmill and Woodlot Magazine

WOODWEB DISCLAIMS any and all RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY for the accuracy and application of the information below. Readers agree to evaluate the significance and limitations of the information provided, and accept full responsibility for the application of this information. Read More ...

Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?

Estimating BF yields Some formulas for calculating board foot yields from rough logs. March 1, 2000

Question
I am new to sawmilling and I would appreciate it if you could give me a formula for calculating board feet of usable boards from a specific size log, i.e. 18" x 10'. I understand that this might be different if sawn differently -- quartered or whatever.

Answer
There are probably over 100 log rules that estimate footage in logs. Most of them are empirical. However, a few are formula-based. Some have regression equations. For example, Scribner is V = (0.0494 x Dia x Dia x Length) - (0.124 x Dia x Length) - (0.269 x Length).

International is V = 0.905 x ([0.22 x Dia x Dia] - [0.71 x Dia]) for every four-foot length of log. There is also a longer equation for any length log.

Doyle is V = [L x (Dia - 4) x (Dia - 4)] / 16

Doyle is also V = [0.0625 x Dia x Dia x Length] - [0.500 x Dia x Length] + [1.000 x length]

In all cases, diameter is inside bark, small end. It is rounded to the closest inch. (Sometimes the scale includes the outside bark diameter.)

Length is the last full foot, no fractions.

Often the footage is rounded to the closest 10 BF. Then, since all the numbers are a multiple of 10, the "0" is dropped (e.g., 120 BF becomes 12) and the scale is called "decimal" which means you have to multiply by 10. But sometimes the decimal values do not drop to "10" and then you do not have to multiply by 10., etc.

Gene Wengert, forum moderator

For more info, see Log Volume

Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?

KnowledgeBase: Primary Processing: Kiln Operation

KnowledgeBase: Primary Processing: Sawmilling

KnowledgeBase: Wood Engineering: General

KnowledgeBase: Woodworking Miscellaneous: Woodworking

KnowledgeBase: Knowledge Base

Would you like to add information to this article? ... Click Here

If you have a question regarding a Knowledge Base article, your best chance at uncovering an answer is to search the entire Knowledge Base for related articles or to post your question at the appropriate WOODWEB Forum. Before posting your message, be sure to review our Forum Guidelines.

Questions entered in the Knowledge Base Article comment form will not generate responses! A list of WOODWEB Forums can be found at WOODWEB's Site Map.

When you post your question at the Forum, be sure to include references to the Knowledge Base article that inspired your question. The more information you provide with your question, the better your chances are of receiving responses.

Return to beginning of article.

Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy

Letters, questions or comments? E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site.

To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster

Copyright © 1996-2008 - WOODWEB ® Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor.
Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy.

The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.

WOODWEB, Inc.
RR4 Box 265A
Montrose, PA 18801

Contact WOODWEB