# Abbreviations you may want to know



## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

This is a list of standard lumber abbreviations that are commonly encountered in the buying and selling of lumber in the United States.
AAR Association of American Railroads 
AD air dried 
ADF after deducting freight 
AF alpine fir 
a.l. all lengths
ALS American Lumber Standard 
AST antistain treated; at ship tackle (western softwoods)
AV or avg average
a.w. all widths
AW&L all widths and lengths
B1S see EB1S, CB1S, and E&CB1S
B2S see EB2S, CB2S, and F&CB2S
B&B B and Better
B&BTR B and Better
B&S beams and stringers
BD board
BD FT board feet
BDL bundle
BEV bevel or beveled
BH boxed heart
B/L, BL bill of lading
BLO Boiled linseed oil
BM, b.m. board measure
BSND bright sapwood no defect
BTR better
CB center beaded
CB1S center bead on one side
CB2S center bead on two sides
CC cubical content
cft or cu. ft. cubic foot or feet
CF cost and freight
CIF cost, insurance, and freight
CIFE cost, insurance, freight, and exchange
CG2E center groove on two edges
C/L carload
CLG ceiling
CLR clear
CM center matched
Com common
CONST construction
CS calking seam
CSG casing
CV center V
CV1S center V on one side
CV2S center V on two sides
DB Clg double beaded ceiling (E&CB1S)
DB Part double beaded partition (E&CB2S)
DET double end trimmed
DF Douglas-fir
DF-L Douglas fir, larch
DIM dimension
DKG decking
D/S, DS, D/Sdg drop siding
D1S, D2S see S1S and S2S
D&M dressed and matched
D&CM dressed and center matched
D&SM dressed and standard matched
D2S&CM dressed two sides and center matched
D2S&SM dressed two sides and standard matched
D4S dressed four sides
E edge
EB1S edge bead one side
EB2S, SB2S edge bead on two sides
ED equivalent defects
EE eased edges
EG edge (vertical or rift) grain
EM end matched
EV1S, SV1S edge V one side
EV2S, SV2S edge V two sides
E&CB1S edge and center bead one side
E&CB2S, B2S, BC&2S edge and center bead two sides
ECM ends center-matched
E&CV1S, DV1S, V&CV1S edge and center V one side
E&CV2S, DV2S, V&CV2S edge and center V two sides
ES Engelmann spruce
FA facial area
Fac factory
FAS free alongside (vessel)
FAS Firsts and Seconds
FAS1F Firsts and Seconds one face
FBM, Ft. BM feet board measure
FG flat or slash grain
FJ finger joint (end-jointed lumber)
FLG, Flg flooring
FOB free on board (named point)
FOHC free of heart center
FOK free of knots
FRT, Frt freight
FT, ft foot or feet
FT. SM feet surface measure
FURN furniture stock
G or GR green
G girth
GM grade marked
G/R, GR grooved roofing
HB, H. B. hollow back
hdwd. hardwood
HEM hemlock
H-F hem-fir
Hrt  heart
H&M hit and miss
H or M hit or miss
IC incense cedar
IN, in. inch or inches
Ind industrial
IWP Idaho white pine
J&P joists and planks
JTD jointed
KD kiln dried
L western larch
LBR, Lbr lumber
LCL less than carload
LGR longer
LGTH length
Lft, Lf, lin. ft. lineal foot or feet
LIN, Lin lineal
LL longleaf
LNG, Lng lining
LP lodgepole pine
LR log run
M thousand
MBM, MBF, M.BM thousand (feet) board measure
MC, M.C. moisture content
MCO mill culls out
MERCH, Merch merchantable
MG medium grain or mixed grain
MH mountain hemlock
MLDG, Mldg moulding
Mft thousand feet
M-S mixed species
MSR machine stress rated
m.w. mixed widths
N nosed
NBM net board measure
No. number
N1E or N2E nosed one or two edges
Ord order
P planed
PAD partially air dry
PART, Part partition
PAT, Pat pattern
Pcs. pieces
PE plain end
PET precision end trimmed
PP ponderosa pine
P&T posts and timbers
P1S, P2S see S1S and S2S
Qtd. quartered
RDM random
REG, Reg regular
Rfg. roofing
RGH, Rgh rough
R/L, RL random lengths
R/W, RW random widths
RES resawn
SB1S single bead one side
SDG, Sdg siding
S-DRY surfaced dry (19 percent moisture content or less)
SE square edge
SEL, Sel select or select grade
SE&S square edge and sound
Sftwd. softwood
SG slash or flat grain
S-GRN surfaced green (in excess of 19 percent moisture content)
SGSSND Sapwood, gum spots and streaks, no defect
SIT. SPR Sitka spruce
S/L, SL, S/Lap shiplap
SM surface measure
Specs specifications
SP sugar pine
SQ square
SQRS squares
SR stress rated
STD, Std standard
Std. Igths. standard lengths
STD. M standard matched
SS Sitka spruce
SSND sap stain no defect (stained)
STK stock
STPG stepping
STR, STRUCT structural
SYP southern pine
S&E side and edge (surfaced on)
S1E surfaced one edge
S2E surfaced two edges
S1S surfaced one side
S2S surfaced two sides
S4S surfaced four sides
S1S&CM surfaced one side and center matched
S2S&CM surfaced two sides and center matched
S4S&CS surfaced four sides and calking seam
S1S1E surfaced one side, one edge
S1S2E surfaced one side, two edges
S2S1E surfaced two sides, one edge
S2S&SL surfaced two sides and shiplapped
S2S&SM surfaced two sides and standard matched
TBR timber
T&G tongued and grooved
UTIL utility
VG vertical (edge) grain
V1S see EV1S, CV1S, and E&CV1S
V2S see EV2S, CV2S, and E&CV2S
WC western cedar
WCH West Coast hemlock
WCW West Coast woods
WDR, wdr wider
WF white fir
WHAD worm holes a defect
WHND worm holes no defect
WT weight
WTH width
WRC western redcedar
WW white woods (Engelmann spruce, true firs, hemlocks, pines)
YP yellow pine

I figured it would be nice of me to share this with you. You're welcome d;^)


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## Jvicaretti (Aug 24, 2009)

Thank you! That was really nice of you to put in all that time.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

thanks Keith..i do come upon some that i don't know..this will surly help..i think BLO should be added though…lol..Ive come across that one the last few days…....im anticipating the arrival of my clamp…first contest i ever won…....lol…...don't know if i should publish that or not..hope all is well in your world…70 degrees here today..and sunny…...grizzman


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Thanks, great job!! Here's another for you to add; CVG = clear vertical grain


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## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

Hey Grizz, It's mucho frio en la casa! LOL It's been raining here in SoCal for over a week and isn't supposed to let up until monday or something. My backyard is flooded. I can't get the tools out of my truck because if I step outside a terrencial down pour happens. LOL. Don't worry, there is a taunu (spelling?) on my truck. I have to go to get material tomorrow, and that will suck. I also need to do some spraying because I have an install to do on sunday, and the product isn't ready. I don't want to spray in my garage, but I guess I have to.
Anyhow, your prize is wrapped, just sitting here waiting for a mail trip. I'm not sure when that will happen, but I promise it will be soon. 
I added BLO.
Everyone can feel free to add abbreviations to this forum, but lets keep it woodworking related.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

that was an empessive list you have made some of it I understand but most of it is rusian to me
but maybee in 5year or so I will be able to compare it with the system we use in Denmark/europe

Dennis


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## JAGWAH (Dec 15, 2009)

Learned one years ago from a friend that worked at Los Alamos. When the ordered sand they listed how much as a Butt-Load. A Butt-Load is an actual measure equalling two Hogshead.
Actually "about six seams", which amounts to roughly 450 gallons. Never explained why they did that.


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## mark88 (Jun 8, 2009)

great post…but excuse me i have to go use the water closet


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## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

Add G&G for Greene & Greene. It took some time for me to figure that out.


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## RvK (Nov 22, 2009)

Awesome, thanks!


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## BreakingBoardom (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks for the list. I know this will help a lot of beginning woodworkers like myself.


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## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

Now to find the list in french… so I can go shopping effectively.


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## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

great list, thanks for posting it. I one correction and a couple to add.
RSC rough sawn cedar
SPF spruce pine fir sometimes called white pine.
SYP southern yellow pine


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Test will be next Friday, it is not open computer you must memorize all the terms and be able to list them as *kolwdwrkr* has printed them. You do not want to know what happens if you fail…. (laughing)

*kolwdwrkr* Thanks for the list printed it and will have it around, somewhere and probably will not be able to find it when I need it. (laughing)


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