board feet gauge

Re: Never heard of such...

Dale Lenz-Tahlequah, OK

>Sounds like a lumber/log scale stick. It's a taper wooden device that you hook the metal tip over the board/log and read the correct table on the stick. Could that be it?

Re: board feet gauge

John McCullough

>You hook the metal end over the narrow end of the board. Board length 6,8,10 ft marks the scale you use. The number on that scale will tell you the board feet in a 4/4 board. 8/4 would be twice the shown measurement. Similar to a log scale but not the same

Re: board feet gauge

George Makowski

>John, I am sitting in my office looking at just the item you describe. It was given to me by a man who worked in forestry and lumber in the 1940s-1960s. I, sadly, don't remember much about his description of how to use the scales. I would love to find out more.

Speak up folks! Any knowledge or sources?

George in AL

Re: board feet gauge

Bob Hackett

>If I remember correctly there were 3 main scales,Doyle,Scribner and the last escapes me.

Basicly the gage would tell you the yield in board feet once you measured the length and diameter of both ends and referenced them on the tables.

Mainely,Bob

Re: board feet gauge

John McCullough

>There are two different devices that appear the same. One device with a handle on one end and ametal end measure the board feet in a log.

The device we describe here has a series of scales on each side and at the end of each scale toward the handle there is a number at the end of each scale. my short side measurement has scales for 6,8,10 and the scales on the other side are for longer boards.. You hook the metal end over one side of the board, at the narrow end and look fore the proper number on the scale that fits the length of the board. Yhat is the number of board feet in that board if it is 4/4. It would betwice the number of feet ir it is 8/4 or 1 1/2 if it is 6/4.