Undersized sir!

[Viking]

I have gotten this answer several times now when I am at the hardware store buying material.

Buying a piece of wood 2x4. When I look at it I think it seams a bit small and I ask them to measure it. Turns out it's 1 3/4 x 3 3/4. When I tell them that is not a 2 x 4 they say, yes it is sir, it's undersized!!!

Another time I was buying rebar. I had ordered 12 mm but got 10 mm. When I told them that they didn't look like 12 mm they insisted it was correct. Again I told them to measure it and show me. 10 mm as I thought and they say undersized sir! I told them to unload and replace them with 12 mm and they did that.

This happened in different stores.

Have you experienced the same, that they try to sell you stuff that is smaller than specified?

[stevewool]

Never had that happen to me but then again I was always with the father in law , but I use to love buying the nails by weight and then going through the bag exchanging the ones with no heads or joined together of just nothing  like a nail for a proper nail , use to make the people behind the counter smile .

[JJReyes]

I stopped buying clothes in the Philippines.  To get large, you need to buy extra-large.  Then they shrink after the first wash.  That's assuming you can find clothes if you are big and tall.  

[Old55]

A standard size 2X4 in the US is 1 1/2 thick X 3 1/2 inches wide.

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

4 hours ago, Viking said:

Have you experienced the same, that they try to sell you stuff that is smaller than specified?

They learned that from foreigners.

Filipina:  That not look 8 inches.  Are you sure?

Foreigner:  Yes it is honey, it's undersized!

[Jollygoodfellow]

 

5 hours ago, Viking said:

Buying a piece of wood 2x4. When I look at it I think it seams a bit small and I ask them to measure it. Turns out it's 1 3/4 x 3 3/4. When I tell them that is not a 2 x 4 they say, yes it is sir, it's undersized!!!

This might help, 

https://howelumber.com/dimensional-lumber

or

about 1.5″ x 3.5″
The true measurement of a 2x4 is actually about 1.5″ x 3.5″. When the board is first rough sawn from the log, it is a true 2x4, but the drying process and planning of the board reduce it to the finished 1.5″ x 3.5″ size. The lumber is then sold as a “2x4” because the cost of the drying and machining are figured in.

[Joey G]

5 hours ago, Viking said:

Buying a piece of wood 2x4. When I look at it I think it seams a bit small and I ask them to measure it. Turns out it's 1 3/4 x 3 3/4. When I tell them that is not a 2 x 4 they say, yes it is sir, it's undersized!!!

actually... if it was 1 3/4 x 3 3/4 it would slightly oversized...  I've never seen a 2x4 measure out at 2" x 4" unless you cut it yourself.  typically it's  1 1/2  x 3 1/2

 

5 hours ago, Viking said:

Another time I was buying rebar. I had ordered 12 mm but got 10 mm. When I told them that they didn't look like 12 mm they insisted it was correct. Again I told them to measure it and show me. 10 mm as I thought and they say undersized sir! I told them to unload and replace them with 12 mm and they did that.

best to buy rebar by the "bar size"... T10, T12, etc for the strength needed.... not by the actual measurements in which there are two measurements, "nominal" or "actual" depending how you measure (with ribs or without ribs) 

 

[Mike J]

9 hours ago, Viking said:

Have you experienced the same, that they try to sell you stuff that is smaller than specified?

Once had a hardware store tell me that 5/8 plywood was actually "substandard 3/4 plywood".  I politely said that I was building a cabinet and needed "standard" 3/4 and could they look to see if they had standard in stock.  They did have at least one panel that was 3/4 so not sure if they were telling the truth, trying to scam me, or just an error when pulling the first panel.  I prefer to think it was an error, but I do keep an eye on panel thickness.  I think they may come from China and thickness of a 3/4 panel can vary from one batch to another by as much as 3/32 of an inch.  Not a deal killer if all your panel are from the same batch, but creates a real problem if you are using it with stock you already have.   And even if you get the correct thickness, quality and availability of plywood, various woods, here is not nearly what I was used to when doing projects in the US.  

[Mike J]

8 hours ago, JJReyes said:

I stopped buying clothes in the Philippines.  To get large, you need to buy extra-large.  Then they shrink after the first wash.  That's assuming you can find clothes if you are big and tall.  

I have my wife keep an eye out in the ukay ukay shops.  I was able to find some nice casual shorts and some heavy excellent quality colored t-shirts on Lazada about a year ago.  I ordered one of each to check size and quality.  Ended up buying 8 pair of shorts and 16 t-shirts all in various colors.   The material is heavy enough that they should last a good long time and they have not shrunk or stretched out when being washed.

[Mike J]

3 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

 

This might help, 

https://howelumber.com/dimensional-lumber

or

about 1.5″ x 3.5″
The true measurement of a 2x4 is actually about 1.5″ x 3.5″. When the board is first rough sawn from the log, it is a true 2x4, but the drying process and planning of the board reduce it to the finished 1.5″ x 3.5″ size. The lumber is then sold as a “2x4” because the cost of the drying and machining are figured in.

1.5 x 3.5 became the standard in 1964.  If you take down an old building, or do restoration/remodel work, the size prior to 1964 was 1 13/16 x 3 13/16.   And that old wood was beautiful.  Amazingly tight vertical grain wood from old growth Douglas Fir was being used for 2x4 and 2x6 construction.   That is why old recovered wood is so much more expensive than the new stuff you find in the building supply centers.  Damn, I am almost getting all misty eyed thinking how much I miss that wood.