On Fri, 29 Dec 2017 03:48:54 +0100, Emanuel Berg
wrote:

krw wrote:

When buying hardwoods, one measures. ;-)

Really?

So what should you bring to the
sawmill/hardware store as not to expose
yourself as a rank amateur?

A measuring tape box and a folding rule with
inches as well as centimeters?

You don't generally buy hardwoods from a hardware store. If you're
buying from a sawmill directly you'll generally be going for a large
lot sawn to order, so you tell them what the width and thickness are
and will generally get random lengths depending on what they can get
out of the available logs.

Usually you'll be buying hardwoods from a hardwood lumber yard, which
will have rough-sawn boards in various thicknesses and with widths
that are somewhat random--very wide boards may be segregated and come
at a higher price.

So you take a tape measure and you use it to find boards that are wide
enough and long enough to allow you to cut the pieces you need.