When I was studying architecture in my younger days (before I discovered
electronics and then computers), I learned a fair amount about dimension
lumber. 2X4's are called that because that is their rough sawn size. Back in
the beginning of the 20th century, when my house was built, rough 2X4's were
used as everything was plastered and straight walls and square corners were
not expected. But as we moved into the plasterboard and drywall era walls
needed to be straighter so 2X4's were planed down, first to 1.75X3.75 and
then 1.625X3.625. The 1.625X3.625 was the standard at the time I was
studying. Later it was reduced to 1.5X3.5 in an effort to make measuring
walls easier. You would be surprised how many people, even skilled
craftsmen, cant handle adding fractions more complicated than 1/2 or 1/4.
And it was not just 2X4's that were changed, all dimension lumber is
measured rough and then planed. 1X6 are only 3/4 inches thick 4X4's are
really 3.5X3.5 even hard would measured in quarters (IE. 5/4) are measured
rough. But in hard woods you can buy the rough, planed one side or planed
both sides. So the thickness of a piece of 5/4 can be three different things
depending on how it was planed or not. I hope this serves to illuminate and
confuse.
Matt (Ducky) Howe
Owner of a MP2000U and an Emate
mhowe@gfn.org (Newton)
matthowe@comcast.net (Desktop)
http://home.comcast.net/~mhowe41/
Steve Scotten wrote:
<snip>
Yup. That's been the standard size for a tubafore since I was a kid,
and if I remember him saying so correctly, since my stepfather was a
kid as well. I don't know what the logic is, but at least it's
consistently illogical. =^)
<snip>
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Received on Wed Apr 30 11:42:16 2008
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