lumber grader class

[jdw]

Any one have any info on the lumber grader class? Such as cost and how long does it take to complete?

[beenthere]

Which "lumber grader class" might you be referring to here?

[Glenn1]

Penn State offers one as a 4 day course:

http://www.cvent.com/events/hardwood-lumber-grading-short-course/event-summary-b7dac8e4d7224cc4981e2e5b0bb175f8.aspx

[YoungStump]

I took the NHLA 4 day short course last year, here in Sandy Lake PA.
Check out this link it looks like there might be a course available not far from you. Costs are listed and I believe food and lodging is included, at least it was in the one I took, but I only had a 10 min drive home.
www.nhla.com/maincalendar?edl=all

[jdw]

They got one next month close to me. Is the class worth taking?  I think the cost is $650 for 5 days

[beenthere]

What do you plan to do with the lumber grading knowledge?

Use it to grade saw logs?  Use it to rip and trim boards to raise their grade and sell lumber?

Need some info. to answer the questions asked.  ;)

[jdw]

Mostly to grade logs. But it would be nice to grade lumber as well.

[beenthere]

Got it. Maybe a log grading course would help more then, and assume you are talking hardwoods, not softwoods.

Which courses have you in mind?

[Ron Wenrich]

I took one many years ago.  I could then stand on a stack of lumber and do a fair job of grading lumber.  For me, it paid off because I stayed in the business for 35 years and I could use the knowledge.  The return wasn't immediate.  Knowing what makes a grade of lumber will help you in figuring out best log positioning, how to upgrade boards for better value, and when to send your log into the next product. 

But, you have to be selling your lumber in the NHLA market.  If you're selling into an ungraded market like to hobbyist woodworkers, the lumber grading scheme can be completely different.  NHLA markets are wholesalers and commercial end users.  You'll also be able to talk to commercial lumber buyers intelligently.  You should also be able to meet their specs for lumber you send them.

In some situations, I had lumber inspectors come on the job and inspect lumber.  I was able to keep a few of them honest.  It was a good way to know who I could trust to give me the best deal with the least amount of grief.

It's worth it, if you know what to do with it after you have it.  It's another tool for your tool chest.

[Cedarman]

One never knows what tomorrow may bring.  Therefore if you are going to be sawing hardwood logs, it makes for a much more comfortable feeling knowing which boards have the greatest potential value for the regular markets.  I took the course a year after getting our WM in 83.  One of the most eye opening weeks of education I have ever had.  My money was well spent.  If you are going to be sawing hardwoods, I highly recommend the short course.

[beenthere]

A man once told me that he made a good amount of money buying rail cars of hardwood lumber, pulling them onto a siding, hiring a helper to unload the car while he just trimmed an end off to raise the grade, reloaded back onto another car on the siding, and selling a higher grade.
A lot of money can be lost to wrong trimming to length which becomes more evident when learning the NHLA grades.

Not likely possible these days to do such a thing, but in the old days hardwood lumber was hand loaded into box cars for shipment.

[Ron Wenrich]

I think the premiums come from trimming and selling loads of a certain grade.  We sawed casket lumber which were basically sound back select.  It brought a little less than 1 Com.  So, we were able to recover those pieces that were actually 2 Com and sell them at a higher price.  You can also gain on edging.  It doesn't have to be no wane to make FAS, but it does have restrictions.

Premiums are also gotten by pulling wide boards for a certain market.  Most mills don't have the capacity to sell F1F tulip poplar 10" and wider.  There's a decent premium.  Same goes for quartersawn.  Every mill makes some, but generally not enough to pull into a load.  The wholesalers will pull that out, since they go through so much more material.  They also get premium for straight loads of a certain grade. 

I remember when I took the course, one of the millers there had been selling his lumber at a Select price.  But, his selects had to be a minimum of 6" wide and 8' long, which is the description of F1F.  The price was $10 under the F1F price.  He was cheated out of that $10 for 20 years.  For him, the course paid for itself in short order.

[Billikenfan]

Does the course just teach you the basics?  Can you be a certified grader with a stamp afterwards?  Reason I ask is I can't use material I saw off my mill for building in my area.  It has to have a grade stamp to use it for structural framing.  I can't even cut pine for a pole barn.  The building codes will not allow it without a grade stamp.

Scott

[beenthere]

Scott
I believe the OP was meaning hardwood lumber grading, and you are thinking structural lumber grading which would be a some different.

Some states have a short course for structural lumber grading (softwood and hardwood used in construction) that the sawyer can take (one day in WI) and can use to meet the building code requirements to some extent. Best to work within your state and find out what the possibilities are for you.

Not likely can become a certified grader with a short course, nor a grading stamp. There have been some good information in previous threads on this certification.

[Ron Wenrich]

Certified hardwood grader takes a 6 month course at NHLA school in Memphis.  You also have to be sponsored by a member of the NHLA.    Not sure about the softwood stamps.

[hacknchop]

Stress grading courses are about one week in length but deal only with certain paragrahs of the NLGA manual and are not for appearance grading but rather to recognize certain defects and access their effect on the integrty of mainly( but not limited to) softwood lumber.