I certainly am. Imperial is a far better system. One things the americans have definately got right by sticking to feet and inches.
Generally if you get a timber size in metric it is the finished size wheras if it is in imperial it is the sawn size so if PAR it will be around 6mm or 1/4" less. CLS is simply a grading for wood and comes in many sizes. I think lengths in imperial or metric but all other measurements are in metric and I work in millimetres.
Some measurements will always stay because of the language - miles, inch, 8x4, even MPG is still a quoted figure although we haven't sold fuel by the gallon for a long time
I'm with Sospan on this one. I'm 65 and it took me a year to get my head around metric and now I love it, it's much more logical to think in units of ten. Younger chippies look cross eyed when I occasionally slip back into yards, feet and inches. Mind you then they say things are da bomb and it's sick. You what?
SO is the thinner 4x2 CLS just as strong as the thicker 4x2 CLS. If i am looking at a span table for deck build for instance doesnt it make sense that thinner wood is weaker so therfor the span would be less?
Thinner wood is certainly weaker than thicker wood. Is there a "4x2" equivalent CLS/metric size? If so I would think it would be 100x50 which regularised would be 97x45 or something similar, perhaps the timber I got which is 95mmx45mm.
thats exactly what i assumed the dimensions would be. It would be good to know what size (metric or imperial) span tables are based on.
http://www.allowaytimber.com/c16_span_table.php timber span tables are based on these sizes so 45mm x 95mm would be 2x4 so it would seem that to comply with regs one would need to find a merchant that supplied that size of 2x4 instead of their "custom" size
Apart from the sizing issues, can't believe how cheap the CLS is, and apart from studwork, it has loads of uses Recently bought a load from Trade Point (borrowed a card) ! Had a deal on +20 lengths 2.4s, was around £2.40 a length, just seems crazy cheap. Was building some racking in garage and planters for garden and handy having a few spares whilst at that price
Not significantly - the rough sawn has all the exposed cut fibres which offer very little strength, so by taking 1 to 2mm off each side you are not reducing the strength by very much. Strengths of timber are probably based on it having been planed smooth. And then every piece will be different and strength based on something near the minimum found in that timber type. Then remember with C14, C16, C18, C22, C24, C27, C30 (and more) the grading can be visual.
so with that in mind Wickes seems to be ok (apart from the price) http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Treated-Kiln-Dried-C16-Regularised-45-x-95-x-3000mm-Single/p/190166
Higher up the thread, I mentioned I made a sideboard top out of the same stuff. However, I opened a sealed pack and got some really dry and straight lengths. I normally pay around £2 for a 2.4m length, prices my local timber merchants can't get near. I normally keep a stack of the smaller cls around as it so useful for formwork, creating moulding or even temporary work shelter using tarpaulin
Have a read of the Wickes page ... at one point it says C16 Regularised 45 x 95 x 3000mm then later on it refers to Nominal size 47 x 100mm and also that sizes are approximate! I thought that the idea of regularised timebr was that is was always the same size, with a little tolerance but not 5mm.