How many board feet in a 12 in × 16 ft log?
A 12 in × 16 ft log is 64 board feet by the Doyle rule, about 86 board feet by the Scribner formula and 97 board feet by International ¼-inch.
How to work it out
- Doyle: (12 − 4)² × 16 ÷ 16 = 64 · Scribner: (0.79 × 12² − 2 × 12 − 4) × 16 ÷ 16 = 86
- International ¼″: 4 full 4 ft sections, diameter growing ½ in per section for taper, × 0.905 for kerf = 97
Small logs show the Doyle rule at its worst: its 4 in slab deduction is a third of this log’s diameter. If you are selling small logs and the buyer scales by Doyle, the price per MBF needs to reflect it — a portable sawmill will usually cut closer to the International figure.
Adjust for your project
More options: Price per MBF (optional)
- International ¼-inch
- 97 board feet
- Doyle
- 64 board feet
- Scribner (Bruce formula, ≈)
- 86 board feet
- Scribner Decimal C (published table, 16 ft logs)
- 80 board feet
- Solid volume (small-end cylinder)
- 12.6 cu ft
- The gap between Doyle and International is normal for small and medium logs: Doyle underestimates them, which matters if you are selling logs scaled by Doyle.
- These are gross figures for a sound, straight log. A scaler deducts for rot, sweep, crook, splits and metal to get the net scale you are paid on, and the extra length left for trimming (the trim allowance) is not counted.
A 12 in log by length, all three rules
| Log length | Doyle | Scribner (Bruce formula, ≈) | International ¼-inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 32 board feet | 43 board feet | 44 board feet |
| 10 ft | 40 board feet | 54 board feet | 57 board feet |
| 12 ft | 48 board feet | 64 board feet | 69 board feet |
| 14 ft | 56 board feet | 75 board feet | 83 board feet |
| 16 ft | 64 board feet | 86 board feet | 97 board feet |
What to know about a 12 in × 16 ft log
- Doyle pays for two-thirds of it. 64 board feet by Doyle against about 97 by International means roughly a third of the lumber in this log goes unpaid when it is scaled by Doyle. The published table in Virginia Cooperative Extension 420-085 shows the same pattern: 64 Doyle, 80 Scribner, 95 International.
- Twelve inches is near the bottom of a sawlog. Many buyers set a minimum small-end diameter somewhere around 10–12 in for hardwood sawlogs; below that the log may go for pulpwood or firewood instead. Ask before you cut to length.
- Sawing it yourself. On a portable mill, a straight 12 in log yields mostly narrow boards and a center cant — useful for 2× framing, fence boards and small furniture parts, not wide tabletops.
At 16 in the gap narrows — see board feet in a 16 in × 16 ft log — and by board feet in a 20 in × 16 ft log Doyle is within about 12% of International.
Different size? Use the full Log Board Foot Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Log scale stickBudget price
A graduated stick that reads board feet directly from a log’s small-end diameter. Check which rule it is printed for.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - 25 ft tape measureBudget price
A 25 ft tape with a stiff blade and a readable 1/16 in scale covers everything from cut lists to deck layout.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Cant hook / log peaveyMid-range price
A long lever with a swinging hook for rolling and turning logs by hand — for measuring, bucking and loading without a tractor.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many board feet in a 12 in × 8 ft log?
32 board feet by Doyle, about 43 board feet Scribner and 44 board feet International ¼-inch.
How many board feet in a 10 in × 16 ft log?
Only 36 board feet by Doyle, against about 65 board feet by International ¼-inch and 55 board feet by the Scribner formula.
How many board feet in a 14 in × 16 ft log?
100 board feet by Doyle, about 123 board feet Scribner and 136 board feet International ¼-inch.
Other common sizes
- Board feet in a 16 in × 16 ft log — 181 board feet
- Board feet in a 20 in × 16 ft log — 290 board feet
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Forest Landowner’s Guide to the Measurement of Timber and Logs (publication 420-085) (opens in a new tab) — Doyle, Scribner and International ¼-inch rules; published board feet for 16 ft logs, including the Scribner Decimal C column used here; Doyle and Scribner underscale small logs.
- Briggs, D. — Forest Products Measurements and Conversion Factors, Chapter 2: Measurement of logs (University of Washington, College of Forest Resources) (opens in a new tab) — Gross vs net scale (defect deductions), trim allowance, and the Bruce and Schumacher formula BF = (0.79D² − 2D − 4) × L ÷ 16 as an approximation of Scribner.