The basics, from a working mill
What Is a Cant? (And Why We Mill Cants)
Cants are logs squared off on the mill into solid rectangular timbers: flat sides, square corners, ready to be re-cut into finished lumber down the line. A cant is the in-between step between a rough log and the boards you would recognize on a jobsite.
A cant, defined plainly
A cant is a log that has been squared off on a sawmill: the round sides are cut away to leave a solid timber with flat faces and square corners. It is not a finished board and it is not a raw log. It is the step in between, a blank that gets remanufactured into dimensional lumber further down the line.
The word comes from the mill floor. When a sawyer breaks down a log, the squared block left in the middle is the cant. Cants are sold by cross-section and length, for example a 6x6 at 16 feet, and shipped in banded lifts to the next mill that will re-saw them. People also call them wood cants or squared timbers; it is the same thing.
Why mill a cant instead of finished boards?
Because it gets the most out of wood that bigger mills will not touch. We mill dry balsam: logs full of cracks and checks, often left in the bush or headed for a burn pile. That wood is a headache for a large dimension-lumber mill, but squared into a cant it becomes solid, usable timber. For the step-by-step on how a log becomes a cant in our yard, see how we mill.
The cant ships to a remanufacturing facility where it is cut into the finished lumber you would recognize on a jobsite. Most of ours travel south to a partner in Langley. Every fibre that does not become a cant becomes chips bound for a local pellet plant. Nothing is wasted.
What our cants look like
We square dry balsam into clean, solid cants across seven cross-sections from 4x4 up to 12x12 inches, in lengths from 8 to 20 feet depending on size. Each one is graded, stacked, and banded for long-haul transport. The full size table, with pieces and board feet per lift, lives on the dry balsam cants page.
Want cants, or want to understand if they fit your operation? Pick up the phone: we are small enough to talk it through.
Common questions
Good to know.
What is a cant in lumber?
A cant is a log squared off into a rectangular timber, ready to be remanufactured into finished lumber. It is an intermediate product between a raw log and dimensional lumber.
What is the difference between a cant and a board?
A board is finished, dimensioned lumber. A cant is the squared timber it is cut from: bigger, rougher, and meant for further processing.
What wood do you make cants from?
Primarily dry balsam: under-utilized logs that larger mills pass on. Squared into cants, that wood becomes solid, usable timber.
Are cants the same as dimensional lumber?
No. A cant is a squared timber blank that still needs to be re-sawn. Dimensional lumber is the finished, planed, graded product that comes out of that step. We mill the cants; a remanufacturing partner turns them into dimensional stock.
Can I buy cants from you directly?
Most of our cants ship to a remanufacturing partner in Langley, but a portion goes direct to local customers. See the dry balsam cants page for sizes and lift counts, then send us your sizes and quantities.
Keep exploring
Related pages.
Need cants milled and banded?
Tell us your dimensions, lengths, and quantities. We cut dry balsam cants to order on Highway 16.