Calculate bdft of a slab question

[Jim_Rogers]

While we were sawing round edge flitches out of pine and maple with an Alaskan chain saw mill we made up some slabs that are the first cut and last cut from the log:



 

Above is a shot of the piece left on the bottom after we cut off all the 2 1/4" thick pieces.

I have several customers interested in buying these half round slab pieces to make benches out of them.
I need to come up with a price and I wanted to figure the bdft in each piece and base it off that.

How do I figure the bdft in a piece that is shaped like this?
It is not "half" of a circle so I can't use that method.
Any advice would be helpful.

If this post is not in the right section please move it to where it should be.

Jim Rogers

[beenthere]

I'd suggest only figuring the square footage of the largest face (SM = surface measure), and base your price per sq.ft.
Have different prices for each thickness in 1" increments, for starters.
I wouldn't try to go the bd.ft. route.

[drobertson]

Jim I believe you could figure the area (volume) of the cord on these, a little geometry exercise,, sorry don't have my notes handy at the present. Then figure it from the numbers you get once you know the volume.   Just read beenthere's post, and this is how I would most likely do it as well, but to figure the volume, if need be you will have to run some numbers,

[red oaks lumber]

i scale the log first,then subtract the amount of lumber used, then you have a pretty good number to work with .

[terrifictimbersllc]

Weigh it and a board of same wood & known bf and calculate from that.  :P

[Kcwoodbutcher]

A rough guess would be to measure it at its thickest point then assume it it is a regular board, calculate BF using the measured thickness then divide by two. this will get you close but just a little on the lean side of the actual BF.

[Jim_Rogers]

Thanks for all your advice and suggestions.

Jim Rogers

[Seaman]

Jim, I sell a good bit of those, I call them CAPS, cause I cannot call them slabs.
I just look at the individual piece and think of a number, then throw it out to the customer. Usually $50 for a small one , up to $250 for a large one. The sell like crazy. I have made more out of my firewood pile from some folk, than I would have the " nice" slab they were looking at !

ODD is BIG here, I sold a poplar cap in the wood pile, 16 to 2 inches thick, huge limb knots, 12 ft long, for $225. The fallow make two $600 dollar benches from it !He was happy !

Hope this helps, even when selling slabs, I come up with a price first, then figure bf, cause they are all so different. One or two slabs may be worth 3 times the others from the same log.

FRank 

[Jim_Rogers]

Jim, I sell a good bit of those, I call them CAPS, cause I cannot call them slabs.
I just look at the individual piece and think of a number, then throw it out to the customer. Usually $50 for a small one , up to $250 for a large one. The sell like crazy. I have made more out of my firewood pile from some folk, than I would have the " nice" slab they were looking at !

ODD is BIG here, I sold a poplar cap in the wood pile, 16 to 2 inches thick, huge limb knots, 12 ft long, for $225. The fallow make two $600 dollar benches from it !He was happy !

Hope this helps, even when selling slabs, I come up with a price first, then figure bf, cause they are all so different. One or two slabs may be worth 3 times the others from the same log.

FRank

Thanks for your advice, Frank.

Jim Rogers

[Peter Drouin]

No one wants them here unless you're starting a fire  :D :D :D :D :new_year: