9. To saw lumber of irregular dimensions.—(A.) Besides sawing dimension timber, joists, scantlings, boards, and planks of different thicknesses are sawed, as follows: 1”, 1¼”, 1½”, 2”, 2½”, 3”, 3½”, 4”; and thicker, if desired.
(B.) If lumber is cut again from its original dimensions, it is said to be resawed. When boards or planks of the above dimensions are dressed on both sides, they will be about ⅛” thinner; thus, a board sawed 1” thick will, when seasoned and dressed, be but ⅞”, and a 2” plank will be but 1⅞” or 1¾”, though still classed by their sawed dimensions.
Thicker lumber than that above-mentioned usually comes under the head of dimension timber, which is not used to the extent that it was formerly, as steel and concrete are replacing it upon heavy work.
Fig. 14.—Double Cut Band Saw.
If ½” boards are wanted, 1¼” or “five quarter” lumber is usually resawed to furnish it, and after resawing, is planed upon each side to the desired thickness. Boards for box stock and other special purposes are sometimes sawed as thin as ¼”.
Fig. 15.—Plain, Slash, or Bastard Sawing.
Fig. 16.—Four Methods of Quartering.
(C.) The method of cutting a log illustrated by Fig. 15 is known as plain, slash, or bastard sawing, and is the cheapest way to cut logs, both as to time and waste. The log is first squared to secure a bed upon which it may lie while being sawed, which also makes it unnecessary to run each board by the edging saw to straighten the edges. The slabs at a are sawed into boards as the log is squared, and the bark, or “live edges,” sawed off afterward. These make an inferior grade of boards, as they are nearly all sap, but they are well worth saving, if large logs are being cut.