The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
First Aid For The Ailing Houses
As an illustration, with the Power Shop, it is perfectly possible to do jobs ranging from cutting the wood for a new wing on a house to intricately patterned and fluted furniture and "builtins." With a little practice, plus the attachments available for this magnificent and versatile tool, many a home owner not only will find many repairs around the house easy to handle —but will add considerably to the value of his house with ad- ditions, "built-ins," and improvements; many items an average income couldn't afford if done professionally.
Above and beyond all the economic advantages to the house, using a tool is a lot of fun and satisfaction!
AT LEAST A NODDING ACQUAINTANCE with lumber, its grading and sizes, and something of how the lumber yard's product has been cut from forest timber, can be a great help to the home handyman.
Throughout the country, the lumber yard carries various woods that are in demand in its particular area. But all milk and yards use the same standard system of grading and sizing these stocks. Cutting and dressing have become almost as well standardized, and a knowledge of terms and methods should simplify ordering the right lumber for the job at hand.
If a log is cut in straight longitudinal slices from end to end, the boards, except those across the diameter of the log, will have a tendency to warp and twist, when dried. This method cutting is called "plain-sawing," and gets the most lumber from the log.
If a log is cut in quarters, lengthwise, and each quarter is cut in radial slices, it is called "quarter-sawed" lumber. This method wastes far more material, but it provides lumber that is not apt to shrink. True quarter-sawing gives far better results, but the wood costs more at the lumber yard.
American Lumber Standards classify all lumber into select or common grades by external appearance. Select lumber is graded A, B, C, and D. A and B grades are generally clear with few blemishes or defects and are suitable for finishes where the natural grain is exposed. Grades C and D are often referred to as "finish" lumber and have a relatively larger number of blemishes and defects, but are excellent for paint surfacing. Common lumber has five grades from 1 to 5, which indicates an increasing number of blemishes and defects, and such lumber is used for general utility and construction work where appearance is not an important factor. A craftsman might use a common grade, for example, as the frame and back of a cabinet.
