What is a Board Foot? - Ask Matt #10

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The concept of a board foot can see confusing at first. We are so used to looking at materials in terms of their surface area and that's why I think board feet confuses so many people. What we need to keep in mind with board feet is that it is a unit of volume just like a gallon or a liter.
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2 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 202

@dpmakestuff 9 лет назад

My wife and her sister were arguing over who's butt was bigger. I told them the only way to settle it was to calculate how many board feet each of there butts were. Great success.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Dustin Penner Board foot of booty. Works for me!

@sweethallewis 3 года назад

🤣🤣

@simonsanchez9608 2 года назад

7 years after this video was made and it's still valuable. I been in construction for years 20+ and it's never been a topic. And now I'm learning. Goes to show you never too old to learn. I'm glad I watch your videos so I know this old video was good. Thank you and keep up everything you're doing. Great work on addition you're making to your place.

@DaveGatton 9 лет назад

Great explanation Matt. Also, a "bored foot" is when you've been sitting in the same position for too long watching RU-vid videos. :-)

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Dave Gatton Thanks Dave! That happens to me a lot!

@BigRalphSmith 9 лет назад

Matt, great job explaining board footage but there might now be some confusion about the difference between how hardwood lumber is sized and how softwood lumber (or framing lumber) is sized. Some people might not understand why a 2x4 is not actually 2" x 4". Could you explain the difference? Thanks.

@MosquitoMade 9 лет назад

It's a lot of math when you're trying to do it on the fly, kind of annoying. Good explanation of it, though :)

@brokenwave6125 6 лет назад

Chris Albee Its really not. You're just seeing how many square feet of 1 by are in the material.

@SteveCarmichael 9 лет назад

Good explanation Matt! I'd love an ice cold board foot of beer right now!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Steve Carmichael Thanks, Steve! That's a pretty tall beer. probably last for a few hours lol

@scotthaun8582 9 лет назад

wouldnt be cold by the end of it

@AdventuresInDIY 9 лет назад

Really informative Matt! Thanks. I had that sticker shock the first time I went to the lumber yard :)

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Thanks Chris! Got to love that sticker shock :)

@CharlesDearingScroller 9 лет назад

I easily go through a board foot of Dr Pepper a day ;) Thanks for the lessons Matt.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Charles Dearing I love Dr. Pepper. yummy! Thanks Charles!

@ownmyowns28 8 лет назад

I love how you crack yourself up. great information and it's a pleasure to learn from someone in the know. looking to rip some oak lumber with a chainsaw because you make it look doable. should make nice ceilings and/or flooring!

@AndrewKleinWW 9 лет назад

What is a board viewer? Answer: a viewer who isn't watching Matt Cremona!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Andrew Klein hahahahaha! Thanks Andy!

@huntingfever88 8 лет назад

I love how every time I try to figure something out repeatedly and get stumped, all I have to do is watch one of your videos to say, "O, that wasn't that hard after all!". Thank you for making things easy! Keep it up!

@Robbiethewoodturner 9 лет назад

Nicely explained A board foot of ice cream

@mcremona 9 лет назад

That sounds awesome right now!

@alexreid2393 4 года назад

How do you calculate that so fast. I want to impress my friends also with some on-the-spot board foot calculations lol. For reals tho thank you for the explanation :)

@petenilsen985 9 лет назад

So in 49 states, an 8 foot 2x4 has 5.33 board feet. In California the same 2x4 only has 4.08 board feet. Got it.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Pete Nilsen magic!

@BrianPex 4 года назад

But isn’t 4 quarters actually .75 inches? Very confusing if you use the real world measurements no? I mean I’ve heard 5 quarters is actually an inch?!?!?

@KyleHarrisonRedacted 11 месяцев назад

I got really confused when I entered my local Home Hardware (not depot) and saw a standard piece of pine 2x4x8 going for labeled “2.10/ft” which to me in my mind made the piece $16.80 before tax, compared to Home Depot’s flat 3.99 for the same product I still don’t really “get it” to be honest

@nobleroofinggeneralcontrac7961 3 года назад

I am dizzy now. Just pass me the dam 2x4 would ya? Reminds me of my drywall supplier telling me how much per thousand???? My professional land surveyor giving me bench mark elevations in 100ths. I told my drywall supplier just tell me how much per 4x12x1/2 sheet and I asked my PLS if he could give me an assumed elevation at say 100 they both obliged.

@crappiesniper Год назад

Can some one tell me What is the purpose of board feet???

@Unclebuddy01 9 лет назад

I always thought when your foot went to sleep you had a bored foot . . . (sorry, could not resist).

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Michael Trent hahaha! Seems to be a common pun around here :)

@codyleehanson Год назад

Oh man, this helped so much. Trying to read about it didn’t click. But the visuals helped a ton. Realizing now buying lumbar for what I need won’t be scary expensive at all

@AndreaArzensek 9 лет назад

It's unbelievable how much trouble do USA citizens go through to calculate board foot just because of ''slightly'' outdated imperial system. I live in Mexico now and here they also use bf (spanish ''pie'' reads pe-eh) even though it's a metric system. I got used to it but those are just ridiculous numbers to calculate with...I know there is a calculator on every phone...but cutting the problem from the root and multiplying/dividing by 10 would solve the problem in an instant...but no...we can do it with 144 because...we can :D It just makes me laugh. Many people ask me why I use imperial in my videos and I tell them that the measures are those and I look at them as units and not trying to convert them...otherwise it becomes a nightmare... 1''=2.54cm, 1ft=12'' ok, now... 4'7''=cm??? (scratches on top of the head followed with expletive words) BTW your video explains bf very clearly and I could have only wished seeing it before. Thanks for great info(s). :)

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Andrea Arzensek Thanks Andrea! Got to love these crazy systems of measure :)

@delikid 5 лет назад

I'm just starting out with woodworking and am working to educate myself on the language of the skill. Thanks for explaining this the way you did. I know it's 4 years ago. But, still useful today.

@mcremona 5 лет назад

Glad it was helpful. Thanks!

@ZacHiggins 9 лет назад

You did a great job explaining that Matt. It's definitely confusing the first time you hear about it, but you laid it out really well. I had a question, not sure if you've covered it before... Do slabs sell per BF usually? I have only bought a couple from people trying to offload them quickly in the past, but I'd like to know how it works if I ever buy them in a typical setting.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Zac Higgins Thank you Zac! I sell slabs by the BF. I take my measurement inside the bark line. Some people just sell them at a flat rate too.

@Fly_Fishing_Fool 5 лет назад

So a board foot is 144 cubic inches, or 1 square foot of 4/4 lumber. It is NOT 1 cubic foot. Sorta confusing...

@charleyandsarah 9 лет назад

Nice video. After engineering school, all of the surface area/volume/conversions are pretty second-nature, but I don't understand why the thickness is described in increments of 1/4". I mean, when you can say 1" thick, it just sounds silly to say four quarter. Sure I'm a newbie, I just don't see the benefit. Do you have any idea why this was started?

@TheMetalButcher 9 лет назад

Because eleven quarter (for example) is easier to say than two and three quarter.

@charleyandsarah 9 лет назад

That's a good point. Although I think saying twelve-quarters is harder than saying three. Oh well, I didn't mean to be a butt, just curious. Thanks.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Slowvannah Farms On the old circular saw mills the carriage that moved the logs through the blade was indexed at 1/4" increments. The operator had a lever that moved the carriage over 1/4" for each pull. To make 1" lumber, that was 4 pulls or 4 quarters. Also it's easier to say :)

@charleyandsarah 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona Ahhh thanks, that makes more sense.

@NicholasGomez 9 лет назад

Great topic Matt!! Now I believe the Big Box stores sell their premium lumber by the linear foot. What would be the difference?

@gojessego 9 лет назад

You are just paying for someone to stand at an in line rip saw and then planer to get an s4s board. The cost difference is the added cost of the labor to take a rough 4/4 board and mill it to 3/4. Even though you get less material you pay for the labor and the sawdust that was created.

@Paul_Weedon 9 лет назад

Thanks for that, I'm learning a lot from these "ask Matt" shows

@mcremona 9 лет назад

KnotTheWood ? That's great to hear! I'm happy they've been helpful!

@tooljunkie555 9 лет назад

Good stuff matt! Dude thays so ironic ..yesterday I was at rockler getting some walnut and some more cherry for the desk build, and I was wondering how to calculate bf &sf ..I know sf just always forget so "tom" the wrker there told me AGAIN..HAHA so basically for bf u just ÷by 4 ti get the bf of a piece..?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Joe Walters Thanks Joe! Board foot would be the square inches x the thickness divided by 144.

@tooljunkie555 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona thnks man..now next time I gobin there ill know what to look for ..this was very informative. .for me at least:)

@ruminatebugadoo983 6 лет назад

Joe Basement Woodworking & DIY how to make cubic meter of logs

@edlandry9257 3 года назад

Great explanation. Thank you!!👍🏻👍🏻

@chadarcher4269 3 года назад

How do you figure out the width on something with highly figured edges like mappa burl?

@Mitermikeswoodshop 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona if i had a board that was 18 3/8" x 4/4 x 68 9/32" what would be my board feet......lol Nice explanation

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Miter Mike's Woodshop 8.71 board feet :)

@Mitermikeswoodshop 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona funny Matt

@AndreaArzensek 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona I like the fact that you actually took a minute and calculated it. Great PR Matt!

@job38four10 7 лет назад

We'll that sort of helped when you finally got to 3:18 ish, been better if you actually had a 1"x8"x8' board and brought out a 2x4x8', 6x6x8', pencil and paper and show how to do the math, the blue water jug didn't help me at all. On a positive note, one might say you have camera charisma.....

@mfwoodshop 9 лет назад

Great info, I always find it intimidation buying rough cut. This should help. Thanks Matt

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Mike Fulton Thanks Mike!

@JazSimone 6 лет назад

Am I the only one who goes down a deep dark path when guys talk about how many inches thick their wood is?

@david_4246 2 года назад

What if I'm ordering wood online and they only ask for BF but I need boards of a specific width? Let's say I need 1BF but I need the dimensions to be 12"(L)x12"(W)x1"(T) and not 72"(L)x2"(W)x1"(T) because they both equal 1BF.

@mcremona 2 года назад

you would need to specify a minimum width

@thomaslindgren4602 9 лет назад

I always like your videos. I end up at the Orange big box hardware store (H*ME DEP*T), donT know if I can say the name. Well, they add a new wrinkle and sell wood by the LF. I guess the linear foot is to help with the sticker shock at check out. I haven't seen a crib video yet. Also, have you ever worked with guava wood? I just acquire a couple of small logs for turning but haven't found out much about the wood. Keep up the great work! Thom in San Diego.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Thomas Lindgren Linear foot is commonly used for dimensional lumber where all the boards are the same size and at their finished thickness. I'll be starting on the crib shortly. I'm looking forward to that project. I've never worked with it. Let me know how it turns :)

@matt_williams1015 9 лет назад

Great explanation, much easier seeing it than reading about it when I first learned about board feet.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Matt Williams Thank you! I had to learn it the "hard" way lol

@andrus296 9 лет назад

I have watched a number of videos trying to describe board feet. All seemed to complicate it. Your explanation made perfect sense. For a newby like myself I find estimating how many board feet I need for a project kind of intimidating. Do you have any tips to simplify the process? Loving the vids.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

andrus296 Thank you! For estimating board footage of a project, the biggest tip is to look at your larger components and get an idea of how many board feet would be in those and also try to think about how wide of boards you would ideally like to use for those. That helps a lot when going out to look for materials.

@fishboy3179 5 лет назад

Great explanation but IDK what alien part of the US this info is still relevant but the only 1/4 lumber advertised these days is that hideous 5/4 deck lumber, and I have never seen wood sold retail by board feet. Change my mind.

@clayvansickle1 5 лет назад

this guy The big box stores don’t sell lumber this way, real lumber yards do.

@brianbennington8711 9 лет назад

Everyone needs to understand that is the measurement of rough lumber. That is why you go by a 2x4 and it is 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 . All boards are in the rough, not surfaced. But still good job Matt.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Brian Bennington Yes exactly. I think that's where even more confusion comes in. Thanks, Brian!

@TheDboardman 9 лет назад

Some lumber yards also charge a percentage from 10 or so percent extra for the dried board if it came to them wet due to shrinkage. This can sometimes throw off your calculations. I know that one of the larger lumber yards around me does this. It's because of that I usually never buy anything from them except from the massive downfall section where everything is sold at cost.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

david Boardman Thats interesting. I've never heard of that. Sounds annoying though..

@billnoe8728 9 лет назад

thanks for that explanation, I always thought it was length and width and now I know it's thickness as well.

@brokenwave6125 6 лет назад

Bill Noe Length and Width is just square footage.

@DavidBishopinc 9 лет назад

But how many feet are in a yard? Lol

@MosquitoMade 9 лет назад

Depends on how many people are standing in it!

@DavidBishopinc 9 лет назад

I knew some one wood know. It's an oldie.

@MosquitoMade 9 лет назад

David Bishop haha, figured that's what you were fishing for :)

@aarongibbons7700 9 лет назад

If I was a dairy farmer I would sell my milk in BF haha

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Aaron Gibbons That would be something funny to see done :)

@DemasShopforEverything 9 лет назад

Great info, but there should be an app for that. Don't say calculator lol

@mcremona 9 лет назад

There are :)

@KSFWG 9 лет назад

CAL CU LATOR.... or just visit the App Store.... lol

@clayvansickle1 5 лет назад

Add length +width+depth. Then divide by 144. That’s the easiest way to measure board feet on the fly.

@bjmgraphics617 4 года назад

When I use the BF formula I found that my table top will have to be made with staggering planes glued together like hardwood floors. If I want a more uniformed look to my table top joinery I would need to purchase more than the minimum BF. My table top is 24 inches wide by 42 inches in length and 1 inch thick. Seven BF. The planks are sold about 6 in wide by 72 in length. I would have to purchase 12 BF to make the table top uniform and not having it looking like a hardwood floor. Am I right?

@JackCamino 9 лет назад

Hey Matt, nice video. Do you guys also use the cubic feet unit when buying boards or that is only for estimating before felling a tree?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

***** Thank you, Jack! I've never used cubic feet for any of that. Buying boards and logs has always been in board feet for me.

@thekaylornator 3 года назад

Thanks Matt! Always wondered.

@Jay2525Jay 9 лет назад

Great explanation, now how about the best way to work up a cut list for sheet goods and regular stock. Thank you as always.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Jared English Thank you Jared! I'll see what I can do. I don't do a whole lot of planning lol

@traderjoe477 Год назад

Thank you for this explaining video. For a non American it was (and still is) a struggle for me with the imperial measurements. But now I know at least how the board foot work. Thanks

@MadHatter764 5 лет назад

When you got that giant bandsaw mill going on that giant log in another video, I think the Thanksgiving with Dad one, you probably generated a thousand board feet of lumber ! That's like 5000-10000$ at the lumber yard for most of us. Must be nice !

@woodturningjohn 9 лет назад

It is funny how confusing that seemed until you see it once, then it hits you lol.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

woodturningjohn Magic! :)

@NishantVermaPhotography 3 года назад

Would you be keen to buy teak wood from India ?

@seearress 5 лет назад

Hi Matthew, Cool video. Keep up the good work! You've got those dimensions down patt.

@Val_Halla777 7 лет назад

Thanks Matt. A. Im a bit confused as that's the same formula I use for cubic feet calcs . Why not simply use cubic footage then if they're the same? Isn't board feet volume based on pre-planes dimensions of the lumber? Ie cubic feet of actual 2"x4" instead of 1.5" x 3.5"? Online calculators have 1 Board foot (fbm)= .08 cu.ft so I thought the difference was what's planed away..(?)

@mcremona 7 лет назад

A board foot is 1/12 of a cubic foot. A 12"x12"x12" cube of wood would be 12bf. Yes, board footage will generally be describing rough sawn unplaned lumber

@ccow11 3 года назад

@@mcremona as an engineer it's so frustrating how it's not a ft^3 it's an ft^2 * in... Lol.

@cruzreyes6638 5 лет назад

as a reference board ft in in FT^3 and you are given ft^2 * in which makes no sense. thus length has to be in ft otherwise your formula makes no sence

@SYCHOTIC79 8 лет назад

Matt very well explained thanks a lot. Subbed instantly

@mcremona 8 лет назад

Thank you!

@wayneblalock87 5 лет назад

thanks for your time sir, speed talkers don't help me much. Reckon it will take me several looks to get what you presented. thanks again

@BillHantzopoulos 9 лет назад

Good explanation. Easy to understand once you have it explained like that.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Bill Hantzopoulos Thank you Bill! Glad it was easy to understand :)

@kperellie 9 лет назад

I'm not sure if for this video it matters, and thinking many people probably know the difference, but, just wondering if you should have mentioned that the size of your boards were for undressed lumber? Most people don't have access to sawmills or yards that sell rough sawn materials.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

kperellie That's a good point. I was trying to keep it to rough sawn lumber since I didn't want to get into all the surfacing acronyms as well but the mention of undressed would have been a good thing to add. Thanks!

@kperellie 9 лет назад

Your welcome.

@gardnerphotographs 9 лет назад

So there are 12 board feet in a cubic foot of timber?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Correct

@upnarage8771 4 года назад

3 videos before this one and it finally clicked very good presentation

@mcremona 4 года назад

Thanks!

@GrinfilledCelt 7 лет назад

So how do I better entertain my lumber so that it's feet don't get bored?

@mcremona 7 лет назад

Dancing?

@StoneandSonsWorkshop 9 лет назад

Very informative. Thanks!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Stone and Sons Workshop Thank you!

@ScottWright 2 года назад

Just know that this was super helpful 7 years later. Thank you!

@KSFWG 9 лет назад

What was in that gallon jug? Some new super secret finish for the secretary? Or is that a new Breaking Bad Ultra Blue formula you haven't finished cooking yet? ;) Nice explanation of board (vs. bored) foot. (one gets you volume of the lumber - the other gets you in the assterior...) Interesting concepts as I read through the comments section.... lol Thanks for the video!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

KSFWG I wish it was something interesting like half baked meth lol It was just water with some food coloring. Thanks! Good to note the subtle differences lol!

@chloehaven49 2 года назад

L*W*H 12*79*1/144=6.58

@MrBez007 9 лет назад

Really useful vid thanks . As a European use to working in "per cubic units" I had guessed what a board foot was but was not certain. Not really in to the whole metric vs imperial as both have there merits, and its advantageous to be able to use both, but that's some crazy way to classify timber

@mcremona 9 лет назад

o bez Thank you! It's a strange system. Especially since a board foot is 1/12 of a cubic foot.

@geedubb2005 9 лет назад

modern technology makes it easy nowadays. I remember using a wooden folding rule and a pencil. Calculators and iphones are marvelous inventions but still good to know how to do it.

@KSFWG 9 лет назад

My grandkids think I use cubits, charcoal, and a tanned hide to do 'cyphers'.... I really need to slap their daddies' heads and tell them to quit telling their kids that... lol

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Gee Dubb I agree. That's why its nice to have some common board sizes tucked away in your mind.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

KSFWG lol!

@jasonhoyt2268 2 года назад

very helpful thank you

@rafaelsurbano8077 8 лет назад

hi, mr. mathew..great video ..i wonder if it is possible to calculate if the given data is only board foot, and the thickness and width? and the missing is length... hope. to reply thanks.

@mcremona 8 лет назад

(BFx144)/thickness/width

@RPC1231 9 лет назад

Great. Thanks for the info. Here's an idea, maybe you cold do a segment on the pros and cons of working with three or four of the most popular hardwood species', what to look out for in terms of workability, how they take stain/finish , cost and availability, open or closed grain, etc.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Orion Thanks for the idea. I'll put that on the list. What's funny is I really only work with cherry, maple, and walnut. Those make up the majority of my projects so this topic will take a bit of prep work but I think it would be valuable. Thanks again!

@davidhenry32 9 лет назад

Very nice! It's great to see this basic point addressed so clearly.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

davidhenry32 Thank you!

@adamhollermann5208 9 лет назад

Good info Matt. I haven't been to a lumber yard yet, but this is obviously good to know for when I eventually do. Thanks for sharing!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Adam Hollermann Thank you Adam!

@AugustoCampos_pt 9 лет назад

Thanks Matt, I think I already told you, where in Portugal(Europe) usually lumber is measured in cubic meters.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Augusto Campos Yes, and that is far less confusing :)

@danmichael7506 9 лет назад

Hey Matt, when they say "allow for straightening" does that mean they will measure from the widest or narrowest width of the board? Thanks for the info

@mcremona 9 лет назад

dan michael I'm not sure. I would think they would measure the rough width and the statement of allow for straightening is just to let you know that you will lose width when straightening.

@greaterwesttownproject 4 года назад

Nice video Matt! thanks for sharing I'm going to use this with my students now that we are teaching remotely. great visual explanation

@mcremona 4 года назад

Thanks!

@hectorny94 9 лет назад

Well explained, thank you. I multiply inch x inch x foot then divide x 12, I think is the same, right?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

tepic94 Thank you! Yes, that also works. Math is fun!

@sandrusco71 9 лет назад

thank you, very informative.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Stephen Andrusco Thank you Stephen!

@watcherdude1330 5 лет назад

Excellent explanation

@billfromelma 9 лет назад

That's one of those formulas that needs a calulator. Heh. Hey Matt, what did you use to color the epoxy in the doors?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

billfromelma yeah it does! I used transtint.

@JeremyMcMahan 9 лет назад

Fantastic info. I kind of knew this at some level, but you taught it in a way that I now "get it!" Thanks!

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Jeremy McMahan Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful!

@playersidekick 9 лет назад

very informative thanks

@mcremona 9 лет назад

***** Awesome! Glad it was helpful!

@JustFoolingAround 8 лет назад

Thanks for this, I actually understand it!

@mcremona 8 лет назад

+Just Fooling Around awesome!

@wudistar2468 2 года назад

thank you Mr.Mat

@kevcramer4116 5 лет назад

I’m very new to your channel Matt, but I like the way you explain things.

@mcremona 5 лет назад

Thanks!

@rogmok 9 лет назад

super helpful. thanks, matt

@mcremona 9 лет назад

rogmok Good! :)

@tamaselkan8902 9 лет назад

Great explanation Matt! The math is a bit easier here in metric world though:)

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Tamás Elkán Thanks Tamás! I'm somewhat envious :)

@stacyturner3345 7 лет назад

You explain things so well! I understood right away. Thanks!

@mcremona 7 лет назад

+Stacy Turner thank you!

@Ruger41mag 9 лет назад

Now it all makes sense .... thanks for taking the time to explain it to us newbies ...

@mcremona 9 лет назад

BangFlop Thank you! Glad it was helpful!

@locohombre79 9 лет назад

Being a metric user I've never thought about this. Really clearly explained, you make me wonder if using feet and inches necessarily makes you more numerate just because you need to engage more with the maths?

@mcremona 9 лет назад

locohombre79 I grew up using metric and when I started woodworking I decided to use imperial because it was more challenging. I'm much better with fractions now because of it.

@AndreaArzensek 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona LOL!

@locohombre79 9 лет назад

Interesting. Have you thought about going back to stone tools also for the challenge? Lol... I'm only teasing;) feet and inches kinda just seem "right" for woodworking eh?

@TheRPhelps24 9 лет назад

Matthew Cremona , one of the things I recommend in math is to look for patterns in the numbers. As you already mentioned, 1in. x 12in. x 12in. is a board foot. So if you know it's only 6 in. wide, then double the length necessary to get the same number of board feet had it been 12 in. wide. If one of the numbers gets halved, then so does the board feet. If one of the numbers gets only a third, such as 4 in. being 1/3 of 12 in., then you would need to triple one of the other measurements to still equal the same board feet (since 4 in. goes into 12 in. 3 times). I hope that isn't too confusing. If you know that 12 in. x 12 in. x 1 in. is the standard. Just start from there. Finally, if anyone is wondering why it's divided by 144 (12x12 or 12^2 or 12 squared) and why not by 12 or by 1,728 (12x12x12 or 12^3 or 12 cubed)... Normally when you convert inches into feet, you just divide by 12, but that is a linear length measurement and does not fully work for area and volume. Area is length x width, so would have to divide by 144 (since that is 12x12). If we were converting the whole thing to cubic feet (ft^3), then we would divide by 1,728 (12x12x12). However, since the goal is to ONLY convert length & width to feet (NOT the thickness since it's based off of an inch thick standard), then that is just 2 dimensions to convert. So we use 144 (12x12) to divide by :) You can also divide your inch measurements for length and width, but not thickness, by 12 to convert them to feet first. Then multiply them together and multiply that by your thickness as a decimal (ex: 3/4 = 0.75 or 7/4 = 1.75 etc) and you'll get the same result. Don't get me wrong, your explanation was PERFECT. I was just offering some more insight or another method. It's the math teacher in me- I like to explain all aspects that I can think of about something.

@mcremona 9 лет назад

Phelps Helps That's an awesome explanation! Thank you for sharing all that!