Thread: Bunnings timber size change...

Was it pine or hardwood? I know their hardwood measurements are a little oddball but haven't seen it on the pine....hopefully it was just A misordered batch ?

A few years a go I was at a plywood speciality supplier. I was looking for some good, solid plywood for a paint grade router table/cabinet.

The fork lift driver cut the steel bands on a lift (pallet sized) of plywood from the mill. (A quality mill) We discarded the top sheet from the lift and I took the next three sheets.

I cut the sheets into the pieces needed and measured one sheet with a vernier caliper. The sheet measured 23/32 inch or 18.26 mm. This is normal for 3/4 inch plywood. I cut all the dadoes and NOTHING fits. I went back and remeasured the three sheets of plywood. One was 23/32 as expected, the next was 3/4 and the third was 49/64. (18.26, 19.05 and 19.45)

The hard lesson learned, In plywood there ain't no such thing as consistency.
Thou shalt measure the thickness of every sheet IN SEVERAL PLACES.

Originally Posted by kekemo

... WHY 64mm... what a measurement.

64mm is pretty d mn close to 2 1/2 inches. Hasn't that always been a standard (actual? not nominal) size.

SWK

I agree, 64mm has always been the norm. 42, 64, 89, 140, 184, 235, 285. The first 4 are close to imperial equivalents but then they start to create their own standard after that. All stores will be the same.
Why do you say standard biscuits won't work?

Always careful about timber sizes since imperial was phased out!

Originally Posted by artme

Always careful about timber sizes since imperial was phased out!

Keeping Imperial hasn't helped here. Traditionally, 1 x whatever was actually 3/4 inch - fine for my purposes. Recently, I tried to get some 3/4 cedar planks for a project. Home Depot (Bunnings cousin) lists it as 3/4 inch. But it actually measures about 5/8; phooey. I bought some larger shapes elsewhere and ripped it to 3/4 inch.

Cheers,
Joe

<font color="#333333">Why do you say standard biscuits won't work?<br><br>Looks like you're using 20s, so go down in size to 10s...and there "should" be a easy stepped adjustment to set the BC to that size...make sure to check first before doing all the cuts...</font>

Originally Posted by joe greiner

Keeping Imperial hasn't helped here. Traditionally, 1 x whatever was actually 3/4 inch - fine for my purposes. Recently, I tried to get some 3/4 cedar planks for a project. Home Depot (Bunnings cousin) lists it as 3/4 inch. But it actually measures about 5/8; phooey. I bought some larger shapes elsewhere and ripped it to 3/4 inch.

Cheers,
Joe

For a project I needed some real redwood, a.k.a. The California Redwood species and not the "stained red wood" from the home center. I call around the Los Angeles area looking for a supplier of Redwood in 4/4. (One inch) I have no problems milling rough cut to the thickness that I need. I go to the yard and order the 4/4 that I need. They load my truck with 5/8 and hustle me to get out of the yard. I was not kind on Yelp. I had to have the Redwood and it was paid for.

Originally Posted by kekemo

...Now standard biscuits won't work. Does that mean I need to purchase new biscuit cutter also....

Don't understand this comment, the depth/thickness is the same, and the width is more than enough for biscuits

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Don't understand this comment, the depth/thickness is the same, and the width is more than enough for biscuits

Not if he is using Monte Carlo Biscuits

I agree with your comment, i can't see why there would be an issue with a standard biscuit.

No, the 'new' timber from Bunnings and soon everywhere IS smaller - it used to be 70mm DAR and they are playing with other sizes too. Soon they will be holding up a tongue depressor and telling us its a 2.4m x 290 x 18. I have a large collection of odd lengths and I am constantly finding the 'new' stuff is several millimetres narrower and a millimetre or so thinner than what I was buying 10 years ago.

Bunnings or their supplier did it with plywood - see Post 25

Bunnings "Premium" Pine Quality

I think the biscuit issue was sinking in the end grain. I use no.10's a lot, which when set correctly, cut the slot to about 60mm wide IIRC. Traditionally the pine has been wider than the hw dressed sizes. All the Bunnies pine is select grade from porta mouldings isn't it? The most expensive way to buy dressed timber is from the racks in that place. Maybe Its just the Porta pine size changed, to standardise their timber machining processes.

Bunnings DAR pine is marked as coming from 'Claymark' in New Zealand. If you have a local timber yard Bunnings will be the cheapest place to buy DAR. Bunnies only stock Porta in mouldings and 6mm to 12mm pine in shorts for drawer sides and such.