Hardwood Grades

A hundred years ago, hardwood grading varied form mill to mill, but with the formulation of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) in 1898, grading became standardized. At first, the rules were based strictly on the number and size of defects, in 1932 they were broaden to reflect the proportion of a board that can be cut into smaller pieces, called cuttings. These pieces must be clear on one side and sound on the other. Their size also determines the grade. Today's hardwood grading standard as assume that boards are invariably cut into smaller pieces to make furniture; thus, grade is based on a board's poorest face, except in the case of select, which takes the board's best face into account.

Select is one of seven standard hardwood grades The top grade is FAS (an abbreviation of Firsts and Seconds), followed by Select No. 1 Common, No.2A and 2B Common, and No.3A Common and No.3B Common (chart, opposite). No.2A and No.2B Common are frequently lumped together as No.2 Common; likewise, many lumberyards sell No.3A and No.3B Common together as No.3 Common.

The better the grade, the higher the percentage of clear cuttings: 83.33 percent of select boards must be clear face cuttings; only 50 percent of a No.2 Common board need be defect-free But grading is a mores subtle art than these calculations indicate Two boards that are the same size with the same number of defects can end up in different grades: The position of the defect may prevent one board from having large enough clear cuttings to make the higher grade of the other board.

Although paying more for better-grade stock mean that you will end up with wood having fewer defects, this may not always be the economical thing to do. If your project is relatively modest, hand-pick the lumber yourself from a variety of grades, depending on the function of each board in the piece. Where only one defect-free face is called for, the select grade is a good choice. Or, for the pieces of your furniture project that are relatively small, for example, you may be able to get by with No.1 Common grade boards. No.2A Common boards are suitable for the parts of projects in which appearance is not of paramount importance, such as hidden furniture frames. If you do buy lower-grade lumber, however, plan on more waste when
your are calculating the number of board feet to order.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholders. Some cabinetmakers feel that defects such as knots add character to a piece of furniture. And if most of the parts will end up being small, lower grade wood is not only more economical, it may also be more suitable for the task at hand-by yielding more attractively figured wood.