wood measurment help

beyondhairy · #1 02-09-2008, 01:48 AM

im building a pedalboard and need help with measurments of the lumber, and thought this would be the best place to ask...

the side of the board being sold is 24" x 48" but above that it says 15/32" whats that number mean?

this other board thats 24" by 32" has the number 23/32" written above it

are those numbers a reference to thickness? the first one IS thicker, but if that a coincidence or something else? with is that 32" a reference to?

Arx · #2 02-09-2008, 01:56 AM

That's the thickness. 15 thirtysecondths of an inch, or 23 thirtysecondths.

Are you sure the second one isn't thicker?

The first is just under 1/2" the second is just under 3/4"

If the first one is thicker, they're on the wrong shelves.

Deluge Of Sound · #3 02-09-2008, 02:06 AM

You need help measuring the thickness of your wood?

Filthy mind aside, Arx is right, it's referring to thickness of the planks.

beyondhairy · #4 02-10-2008, 10:30 PM

hmmm but why make it out of 32"? an inch has 20mm in it

Arx · #5 02-11-2008, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondhairy

hmmm but why make it out of 32"? an inch has 20mm in it

I'm not sure I follow. An inch is actually 25.4mm It's not out of 32".

It's just like any other fraction. they use 32nds because it's a number that doesn't divide by any smaller denominator.

say you have 3/16". If you were to add another 1/16" to it you would have 4/16", AKA 1/4"

If you only wanted to add half as much, it would be 1/32" so you would first convert your original number 3/16, to 32nds. 6/32, and then add your 1/32, and you would have 7/32.

Get it?
It's that "fractions" thing you did back in elementary school.

beyondhairy · #6 02-11-2008, 12:20 AM

UGH!! MATH! lol

but let me try to define my question better...

lets take one of the measurements in question...

15/32"

one of the pieces of wood im looking at has that as a thickness

and why go through all this trouble, why not work off of actual inches/CM/mm

why make me do all this math!! lol

Jonsbasses · #7 02-11-2008, 12:47 AM

The piece is measured in inches, the " symbol means inches. The piece is not a full inch thickness, so it will be measured in decimal or fraction. It's a bit easier than saying "This one is less than an inch. This one is even more than less than an inch". It gives a definite measurement rather than a rough approximation.

The metric system isn't used commonly inside the US, so you will not see that as the common measurement system.

asad137 · #8 02-11-2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondhairy

and why go through all this trouble, why not work off of actual inches/CM/mm

It's just inertia, because that's how it's always been done. But it may change at some point.

Historically, it makes sense because it's easy to divide lengths in two to get 1/2's, 1/4's, 1/8's, 1/16's, 1/32's, 1/64's, etc.

Asad

pilotjones · #9 02-11-2008, 11:17 AM

Ummm.... that is "actual inches". It's called a fraction. You learned about them in school, back in the fourth grade. It's kind of like the way "half" is sometimes written by those weird smart geeks as "1/2".

beyondhairy · #10 02-11-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Ummm.... that is "actual inches". It's called a fraction. You learned about them in school, back in the fourth grade.

lol yea but now i gata do actual math :'(

Arx · #11 02-11-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondhairy

lol yea but now i gata do actual math :'(

Yep, what size of plywood would you like. 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, or 4 inch?

beyondhairy · #12 02-11-2008, 11:26 AM

well, im building a pedalboard so id want a thickness that wouldnt "flop" around so probably 3/4" - 1" but 1" might be too thick for my comfort so i might go for 3/4"

Son of Magni · #13 02-11-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arx

Yep, what size of plywood would you like. 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, or 4 inch?

Don't bait him, this thread is actually just an ad for an ebow...

beyondhairy · #14 02-11-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Son of Magni

Don't bait him, this thread is actually just an ad for an ebow...

lol if that were the case, i wouldnt have came back after the first post

but here is the concept, the point of that back wall is to attach a tube light so i can see in the dark

T2W · #15 02-11-2008, 12:02 PM

I dont know what kind of wood you wanna use, from what I know in my area, the only wood measured in 32s is OSB. Im not sure you wanna use that for a pedal board. Unless they sell actual Plywood with those dimensions... over here, Plywood are all 1/8 thick boards glued together, so you can get 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and yes... 3/4. Easier math for a more suitable wood. In my opinion you should use MDF, which is also sold in 'easier to calculate' thicknesses. Would be a bit cleaner looking for a pedal board. Like I said though, maybe actual plywood in the states is sold in different 32 thicknesses. I dont know... since im from Tibet.

Jonsbasses · #16 02-11-2008, 02:02 PM

23/32" is just a hair thinner than 3/4", if that helps you any.

SDB Guitars · #17 02-11-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T2W

in my area, the only wood measured in 32s is OSB... Like I said though, maybe actual plywood in the states is sold in different 32 thicknesses. I dont know... since im from Tibet.

T2W -

Here in the states, x/32" measurement is fairly common on plywood, even the really nice void-free birch stuff.

FWIW, when I made my pedal board, I used 23/32" stuff, and I made it 18" x 24", and just made the board angle, instead or adding "shelves".