3. Lumber Grades Produced

Rosebank Sawmill specialises in the production of sawn Radiata pine lumber. This is available in a green or kiln dried state. Standard kiln drying produces a product with a moisture content of 10 - 12%.

A wide variety of internationally recognised grades are produced. These include:

For the New Zealand & Australian Markets

Clear grade

Specification:

• 100% Clear-wood recovery
• No knots or defects
• Birdseye & pin-knots that are less than 5mm in diameter are allowable, maximum 3 per board
• Light resin streaking and heartwood allowed
• No blue-stain or resin pockets are allowed

Dressing grade

Specification:

• Knot defects not to exceed 75mm or ¹/₂ the width of the board (whichever is greater)
• No fallen or loose knots allowed
• Small amount of star checking allowed but knots must be tight
• No pith or blue-stain allowed
• Bark pockets that are sound and tight are permitted up to 40mm in length and maximum opening of 2mm
• One chipped knot per board is permitted providing knot is sound and tight and chipped proportion is not greater than ¹/₄ of the surface of the knot

Standard grade

Specification:

• Graded to worst face and worst edge
• Knots to be generally sound and tight
• Knots or close knot groups to extend no more than half the width of the board
• No more than 2 bark encased knots that become loose or fallen after dressing are permitted
• Spike knots allowed provided they are tight and don't extend over ¹/₂ the width of the board
• Resin pockets allowed up to 10mm
• Resin streaks permitted but no more than 3 per board in a maximum of 10% of boards supplied
• Practically free of blue-stain (one or two spots on the odd board acceptable)
• Practically free of pith (minor hit and miss allowed)

Industrial grade

Specification:

• No restriction on knots or knot size
• Light blue-stain allowed
• Resin spots allowed
• Each board must hold together firmly
• Fallen knots permitted
• Pith allowed

For the US Market

Moulding & better grade

Specification:

• No pith allowed
• Wane allowance of 10% before scale off
• Must yield 1" and wider clear rips 10' and longer with ²/₃ (66%) recovery
• All boards under 10' must yield ²/₃ full length clear rips

Rippings grade

Specification:

• Must yield minimum clear rip 2 lengths at 3" wide by 7' long per board
• Wane allowance of 5% before scale off
• For boards up to 9" in width, each board to contain a minimum of either one full length (4" or wider), two 10" and longer or three 7' and longer clear rips of 3" or wider
• Massed pitch, shake, unsound wood, blue-stain not allowed in clear rips
• Yields approximately 50% #1 shop, 50% #2 shop

Mixed shop grade

Specification:

• All boards outside higher grades
• This grade is only produced from pruned butt logs
• Wane allowance 5% before scale off
• Minimum width 5"
• Massed pitch, shake, unsound wood, blue-stain not allowed in clear rips
• Yields approximately 20% #2shop and 80% #3shop

For the Asian Market

Clear grade

Specification:

• 100% Clear-wood recovery
• No knots or defects
• Birdseye & pin-knots that are less than 5mm in diameter are allowable, maximum 3 per board
• Light resin streaking and heartwood allowed
• No blue-stain or resin pockets are allowed

#2+ Better Cuttings

Specification:

• Minimum clear-wood recovery of 650mm and longer with 60% clear-wood recovery
• Free from decay except dead bark and encased knots
• No blue-stain
• Resin pockets are treated as a defect
• Needle trace, heartwood and pitch in growth rings allowable unless over 30mm wide
• No pith allowed
• Allowed individual birdseye, - groups of 2 or more in a 100mm area are not allowed
• No more than 3 pin knots less than 5mm are allowed in clear cut area

#3 Cutting

Specification:

• Minimum clear-wood recovery of 450mm and longer with 50% clear-wood recovery
• Hit and miss pith allowed up to 20% of board
• No blue-stain
• Needle trace, heartwood and pitch in growth rings allowable unless over 30mm wide
• Allowed individual birdseye - groups of 2 or more in a 100mm area are not allowed
• No more than 3 pin knots less than 5mm are allowed in clear cut area

Industrial grade (Green sawn)

Specification:

• No restriction on knot defects, size of knots or number of defects
• Board must firmly hold together
• This timber is cut from the centre part (flitch) of the log

Note: All timber shown in the above images has been machined to clarify appearance. Product supplied rough sawn unless specifically requested otherwise.