Why are those long planks of wood called “2 by 4s”?
What units are we measuring here? 2 what by 4 what? Regardless of what units were using the proportions seem all off. 2 by 4 seems to imply that its a rectangle where the longer side is twice the side of the shorter side, but that doesn’t describe this wood size at all. The long side is quite a big longer than twice the side of the shorter size. So I’m confused. Then there are other sizes of wood, like 2 by 6s, and I see similar issues there too.
Someone please explain what’s going on here.
2 inch tall by 4 inch wide. That includes what you lose with the saw used to cut it and what it loses in processing. So its not exactly 2 inches by 4 inches. Don’t feel stupid asking, especially if you measured a plank and didn’t understand why it wasn’t literally 2X4 lol.