Framing Lumber Conversions from imperial -> metric

[Guest]

What would be the wood equivalent in metric to the following framing lumber components?

I have a design that uses the following and I need to convert it to be compatible with the metric system.

4 X 4
and 2 X4

I know with framing lumber 4 x 4 is not actually 4 inches by four inches (I believe it is 3.75 x 3.75)

Also, would you recoomend using online converters for simple conversions or are they inaccurate?

Thanks.

[Guest]

What would be the wood equivalent in metric to the following framing lumber components?

I have a design that uses the following and I need to convert it to be compatible with the metric system.

4 X 4
and 2 X4

I know with framing lumber 4 x 4 is not actually 4 inches by four inches (I believe it is 3.75 x 3.75)

Also, would you recoomend using online converters for simple conversions or are they inaccurate?

Thanks.

[Dirtman]

The wood equivelent? I don't have a clue! LOL

A 2 x 4 starts at 2" x 4" but it's rough lumber. Smooth 'em down 1/4" on each side and they're 1-1/2" x 3-1/2". Actually, I believe the lumber mills "fudge" a little (lot) as 1/4" on each side is a lot of saw dust.

A 4 x 4 is actually 3-1/2" x 3-1/2"

I'm guessing the metric equivelent of a 2 x 4 would be 5.08 cm x 10.16 cm? I'll ask for one of these next time I go into Lowe's and see what kind of look I get!

As far as online converters, I haven't used one that was inaccurate. However, some of the material calculators I've seen leave a lot to be desired as they're dependant on a specific type or density of material, which usually isn't noted.