Question
Can someone tell me how many board feet are typically expected when someone is requesting "1 T/L per month"? Also, can someone tell me about #1Com Sap/Btr. I get the Number One Common, but what's the "Sap/Btr"?
One more set of terms. Any idea what this means? "Clear cut stock KD 8-10% Rougher Headed 4 Sides". That "rougher headed" part has me stumped.
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
I wonder if Sap/Btr means Select (SEL) and Better. The board feet will vary by species, as the weight usually determines when you have a truck load. Also, if it is planed, that will change the answer. As a rough guess, 12 to 15 MBF.
SAP/BTR means Sap and better. Sap is not considered a defect in lumber. Putting both of your posts together I read that he says he wants roughed lumber 4S with at least 66.66% clear cuttings and sapwood in the lumber is acceptable. Minimum width for #1C is 3" and 4' in length but he can call for his own minimums and with roughed 4S specified he probably has.
Rougher heading is the process of using a planer with reeded shaped knives to give the surface of the wood a texture. I don't know if it serves any purpose other than cosmetic. The big boys use lasers to do it now. I think this is mostly done to softwoods though. I'm not an expert on grading so I will be watching for a better reply. Hardwood grading rules differ from softwood grading.
Check out the Knowledge Base article below – it may be helpful.
Understanding Hardwood Lumber Grading
It is a less strict color selection than a 1 and 2 white grade, but much more strict than unselected for color (obviously). The majority of H and S maple is being sold with some sort of color spec applied, depending on the quality of the lumber - usually sap/btr or 1 and 2 white. This is clearly explained in the NHLA rule book, or on their website.
What is confusing to me is the expression SAP/BTR; how there can be anything better than SAP? A piece either qualifies as Sap Hard Maple or it does not.
Maybe the intention is that the regular grade is "No.1 Common and Better" and ALSO that the cuttings used to establish the grade will also have one clear sapwood face (SAP). In other words, the BTR refers to better than No. 1 Common and not better than SAP. So, it would be clearer to me if it said 4/4 No.1 Common and Better, Sap Hard Maple. Note that Sap is used only for hard maple.
In my experience, I almost always see hard and soft maple when sold for color using the designations of "No.1 white maple" and "No.2 white maple." These phases are added to the regular grade designation; for example, "4/4 FAS No.2 white soft maple."
Note: "white" and "sapwood" mean the same thing in this case.
Within the Sap Hard Maple designation, the piece of lumber is either in or out. With a grade like No.1 Common, a piece, if it is better will move up a standard grade. That is why a piece that is #1 or #2 white hard (not soft) maple is always a Sap Hard Maple piece as well.
If I read you correctly, you are saying that is one has a Sap Hard Maple piece and it also could be a #2 or #1 white hard maple, then if the specification is SAP/BTR, you cannot take the #2 and #1 pieces out. I do not think that you will find anything like that in the rule book. Once you have one clear cutting face, it is Sap Hard Maple and there is nothing better.
If you want all the white produced at a given time, then it must be so stated, and the designation would be 4/4 No.1 Common, Sap, #2 and #1 white hard maple. I have never seen that grouping called Sap/Btr.
Have you seen that in the U.S. or Canada? Have you seen it applied to soft maple and if so where is that in the book?
According to the rules for maple to make a #1white color grade the piece must have all sapwood on both faces and edges in the cutting unit.
#2 white - one face and both edges must be all sapwood, and the reverse face must be no less than 50% sapwood. Sap/btr simply requires each cutting unit to have 100% sapwood on one face. No regards to back face or edges.
Therefore not all pieces which fall into the sap and better grade would necessarily make a #1 and 2 white grade, which is the main reason why maple or other species sorted as 1 and 2 white are substantially more expensive than sap/btr or unselected.
Second, I am not clear what is better than Sap, as it is not a progressive grade like the standard grades. (I do believe that all #2 and #1 white will also grade as SAP if they are hard maple, as they are better quality...more white. I did not see a reference to Btr in the link you provided.
In my work with sawmills, I cannot recall any that sold saps. It seems that grade is not popular here or else I missed that. Does the HMR list Sap and better or just sap? If you had better and it would meet #2, wouldn't the money be better to sell that way?
Note: There is a the regular grade of maple (FAS, Select, No. 1 Common, etc.) and then added to this grade can be a color specification, #1 or #2.
When applied to cut stock and not lumber, then it applies to the items produced. Cut stock can have pin knots, stain, etc., so it is important to indicate what the definition of a defect (not clear) will be. Again, the grade of SAP only applies to hard maple in the rule book. It does not have the designation of BTR defined.
Bottom line: Communication between buyer and seller is certainly important. Another example of confusion is the term "kiln dried" or "KD." This is a term without a good definition in the NHLA rule book. For softwoods, it is fairly well defined.
