Convert Timber fathoms to Loads
Convert Timber fathoms (tim. fath.) to Loads (load) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
load = tim. fath. × 5.4
About Timber fathoms
The timber fathom is an archaic Scottish/N.English unit = 6 ft × 6 ft × 6 ft = 216 ft³ = 6.1164 m³ (not to be confused with the nautical fathom of water depth = 6 ft length). Used in Scottish estate forestry and Lanarkshire mine pit-prop purchasing; surveyors stacked poles in a 6×6×6 ft crib to measure delivery. Superseded by ft³ and load by late 19th century. 1 timber fathom = 216 ft³ = 6.1164 m³ ≈ 2,592 bf.
About Loads
The load (statutory load) is a traditional English round-timber unit = 40 ft³ = 1.13267 m³, established under the 1842 Weights and Measures Act. Used in Royal Navy timber procurement (oak, elm for warships) and 18th-19th-century estate forestry accounts. No longer a legal trade unit after the Weights and Measures Act 1963. 1 load = 40 ft³ = 1.1327 m³ ≈ 480 bf.
Quick Reference Table
| Timber fathoms (tim. fath.) | Loads (load) |
|---|---|
| 1 tim. fath. | 5.4 load |
| 2 tim. fath. | 10.8 load |
| 5 tim. fath. | 27 load |
| 10 tim. fath. | 54 load |
| 25 tim. fath. | 135 load |
| 50 tim. fath. | 270 load |
| 100 tim. fath. | 540 load |