complete.tools

Volume Lumber Converter

Convert between lumber volume units including board feet, cubic feet, cubic meters, and MBF for woodworking and timber.

What this tool does

Convert between lumber volume units including board feet, cubic feet, cubic meters, and MBF for woodworking and timber. Type an amount in board feet, choose the units, and the tool converts it to cubic feet. It offers 6 volume units and also shows the same amount in the others.

Inputs

  • Value: A number.
  • From: Choose one: Board foot, Thousand board feet, Cubic foot, Cubic meter, Cubic inch, Cord (firewood). Starts as Board foot.
  • To: Choose one of the same 6 units as "From". Starts as Cubic foot.

How to use

  1. Enter the amount you want to convert.
  2. Choose the unit to convert from and the unit to convert to.
  3. Read the result: the converted amount and the same amount in the other units. It appears once every required field has a valid value.

Worked examples

Conversions from board feet to cubic feet:

  • 1 FBM ≈ 0.0833333 ft³
  • 5 FBM ≈ 0.416667 ft³
  • 10 FBM ≈ 0.833333 ft³
  • 50 FBM ≈ 4.166667 ft³
  • 100 FBM ≈ 8.333333 ft³

Multiply the number of board feet by about 0.0833333 to get cubic feet. The factor follows from exact definitions. It has more digits than fit here, so it is shown rounded.

Sources: Board foot: exact by definition. Cubic foot: exact by definition.

Limitations

  • Converts the unit of a volume only. It does not work out a volume from dimensions or weight.
  • A cord measures stacked firewood, air gaps included, so it is not the volume of solid wood.

FAQs

Q: How many cubic feet are in one board foot?
A: One board foot is one twelfth of a cubic foot, about 0.083333 cubic feet, so 12 board feet make one cubic foot. Enter any amount to convert it.
Q: Which units does this use?
A: A board foot is 144 cubic inches (a 1 ft by 1 ft by 1 in board), MBF is 1000 board feet, and a cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked firewood. Nominal lumber sizes are not accounted for: this converts volume only.
Q: Can I convert the other way?
A: Yes. Swap the From and To boxes to convert cubic feet to board feet.

Explore Similar Tools

Explore more tools like this one: