It’s long been a tradition in the timber trade to rely on the skills of the yard operatives. Many years ago, working in Nottingham, one yard had female tally women who were exceptional with quick mental maths. The term ‘tally man‘ does not do the trade justice, as it’s open to all who can look at a piece of wood and make decisions about it! Sadly the trade has changed and the skills of the tally man in some timber companies has been reduced to a measure only. In this article, we’ll be exploring the differences and the impact and role of the tally man.
What is a timber measurer?
In most cases it measures the cross-sectional end of square edge timber and sees whether it will meet the wish list of the order. It may take into account grade [usually on the Pak ID], sufficient to make lists [STM] Â and inspect the pack to make timber decisions for the good of the company and the sale. Timber measurers are used regularly as they are:
- Quick
- Easy
- Economic for the Company
- Easy to handle stock
What is a tally man?
In contrast, a tally man is able to look beyond measurement and uses various skills to make decisions on behalf of the organisation. A tally man will:
- Look at the board on two sides
- Crayon on the board the specification to help the sawyer
- Consider the end use application – seen two sides / one face one edge / all round
- Make the selection for styles and key components
- Make the selection for figure / character / Qtr. sawn
- Tally the totals and ensure the customer can get out what their wish list contains
Tally men are trained to board measure, to look for defects which may not work for the job in hand and to keep the waste factors in check. They will consider utilisation requirements for the project and job, and will ensure the right timber in the right place crown, billet, Qtr, etc.
A tally man not only measures, but understands the end use and application and will take in the full context of the project. It’s key for some jobs and especially handling T/T boards, a tally man skills are essential.Â
WL West & Sons Ltd is a timber merchant and sawmill business with 150 years of experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.
Our wood products, building materials and certified wood are manufactured and sold with the endorsement of forest certification and the Forest Stewardship Council FSC
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