cut list?

[Aaron Hancock]

Up to now I've always worked from plans, which often come with cut lists and written descriptions of the process. I'm starting to venture into designing my own projects though. Do you normally do dimensioned drawings and go straight to the shop? Do you make a detailed cut list? I've been sitting down and actually writing a step by step guide for myself. This not only helps me understand what I'm doing, but it helps me with efficiency. I.e. not putting on and taking off the dado blade 367890 different times when I can cut all my dados at once. Just curious to here how people who actually know what their doing do it.

Aaron

[Jay Allen]

I usually make a cut list of the major parts, but I don't bother with the smaller or inner parts until I need them. Then I make them "to fit" rather than the theoretical demensions.

[Neil Brooks]

I was just thinking about this, in the shop, today.

It's an indirect answer to your question.

I think one of those "fundamentals" that probably takes a fair bit of time to get a really good handle on IS how to process all the materials for a given project.

I'd really like to get better at


reviewing my designs,
doing -- even roughly -- some sort of cut list,
surfacing stock that will end up the same thickness, at the same time
and more efficiently doing my cuts -- as you mentioned


If anybody has some simple pointers, that they've learned, to make this process more efficient (saving duplicate labor), maybe this is as good a place as any to put it :)

[Damon Stathatos]

I begin with a general idea (function, size, wood types, etc) and then just design as I go after a very rough sketch. A lot of the time the idea strikes me by just looking at a specific piece of wood and saying to myself, 'that would be a great ___ (fill in the blank).' No doubt it takes me much, much longer than working off of a plan however, I usually end up with something that I could have never planned had I sat down and drawn it out to begin with because as you go along design elements both fall into place as well as strike you as now being unimportant or very important.

As always, with design and creation, to each his own.

[Steve Griffin]

HI Aaron,
Sounds like you are on the right track. I've been woodworking all my life, and I worked once with a master who makes me look like a novice, and guess what? He often makes himself a little step by step checklist for the day.

Other pointers is to definitely make yourself a detailed cut list. I rarely start on a piece of furniture or cabinet without every single component listed. You can then mill things in larger groupings, visiting each machine only once or twice. I like to put my cutlists on a computer spreadsheet and sort it by width and length. I can fit about 3 times more information on a piece of paper if it is typed, rather than handwritten, and there is also much less chance of a typo.

Here's another pointer, and something where I differed from my mentor. Instead of labeling each piece on your cutlist A, B, C etc, I just use it's actual dimension. This number is what I write on the cutlist, and what gets penciled on the piece of wood. Sometimes I make a little note on them as well (38.25 TG means the piece is 38.25" long and gets a groove and a tongue).

-Steve

[Don Jarvie]

I'm making a huge kitchen cabinet - 41x90 for the Boss. I broke it down to pieces.

First, I made a drawing of the cabinet 1st with front, side and top views. From there I developed the cutlist. FWW has on you can print off and has a few articles on how to go about planning for a build.

Second was the layout for the face frame based on the cabinet. Made the cutlist for those pieces.

I then built those 2 pieces. Once those were together I made the doors.

By follwing this process I could tweak the face frame and doors so everything fit correctly.

In looking at my drawing I was only off 1/8 th or so, so I considered it a sucess.

Also, FWW has a good article on the steps to make a project. The main theme was start with the case then the frame then doors and trim. It also describes making a table with draws, etc.

If you go step by step the project should work out fine.

[Aaron Hancock]

A lot of the time the idea strikes me by just looking at a specific piece of wood and saying to myself, 'that would be a great ___ (fill in the blank).' , I usually end up with something that I could have never planned had I sat down and drawn it out to begin with because as you go along design elements both fall into place as well as strike you as now being unimportant or very important. .

I understand what your saying, and I do this sometimes too. If I'm making a piece for myself, like a box or something creative I often work this way. But when I'm doing mdf/plywood cabinets and cases I sometimes get lost and end up being inefficient if I don't have some kind of plan. If I sit down I can "build" the piece in my head, but when I'm in the shop it often gets a little less clear.

[Ruhi Arslan]

As a novice ww, I rely on detailed plans. I've been taking advantage of Sketchup an serving my purpose well. I construct the design with actual dimensions and and assemble it too. Then, lay the pieces out to determine how I would get most out of the stock. I don't make a cut list but use the 2D layout as a guide as I prep the parts.

[Gary Curtis]

Steve, that is simply great notation method. I really struggle with cut lists, mainly because I am so lousy at drawing. Another roadblock is that use a Mac computer. Cut List only runs under Windows.

The computer Cut List approach is the best when breaking down 8x4 sheet goods. The optimize the cutting to minimize waste. You take your printout, transfer the shapes and lines to the board and saw along the marks, and in that order.

[Rod Sheridan]

Like Steve, I make detailed drawings and cutlists to save time in the shop, and reduce errors.

I make cut lists manually, generally in Excel, or by hand on a sketchpad if it's a simple job such as a drawer for example.

Shop time is for working with tools, making good drawings and cut lists helps you get more of scarce shop time.

Regards, Rod.

[Ben Abate]

Hi Aaron,
I tend to do all the details as in a cut list. I'm retired but I worked as Ironworker for 33 yrs. In that time I went from erecting buildings as such to a shop fitter and a layout person. In that time frame and in that type of work you learn that you cannot survive without a list of parts and dimensions. I believe it's like having a road map. When you are putting thousands of pieces of iron work together for a building or what have you, you learn to not take things for granted when assembly or laying out the parts. It was one thing when it was someone elses money that I was using when I made a mistake, which could have cost and did at times thousands of dollars. When you have your money involved it can be very expensive. This transfered into my woodworking process. I will always make a drawning of all my parts and dimension them on paper. Then I group them by size to see what will fit on the material that I'm working with. This saves in having mulitple large pieces of material left over. I'm happy when my scrap can is filled with small cut offs for fire starters for the fire place. It does take a bit more time but it actually saves time and money. I have a bit of drafting back ground from tech scholl and college that makes me do this I guess. I just wish I could master CAD or even Sketch Up. I've tried but it's faster for me to just put pen to paper.....A piece of software I did purchase was CutList. It's a program that you input your dimensions and it with arrange them on your material for you if you input the sizes of your material. I haven't used it lately but it works and works great with sheet goods..It also works with lumber but you sort of need to know what you have in stock or what you are going to buy. It will help you determine what size of material to buy if you have a supplier that carries a variety of sized material.

This is my way, it may not be for everyone but it works pretty good for me.

take care
Ben

[Russell Smallwood]

Most of the stuff I've made has at least started with plans and "evolved" as the project went on. I really like to use oddly dimensioned lumber for parts to give things a more "beefy" look. I just think that when people see something that subtly breaks the patterns they have in their heads, they tend to see it as better or more valuable in some way even though they may not understand why.

Just my opinion.

I have whipped something together now and again based on a picture in a book or magazine. The latter are by far (at least for me) more rewarding if they come out well.

[Gary Curtis]

Great explanation, Ben. I have to get off the stick and learn SketchUp. It has some design advantages of Cut List (the Windows program), namely it can give you 3-D images.

But here is a real big plus for Cut List. As you are breaking down boards, it keeps track of your total lumber inventory in the shop. This is not a big deal if you work in a small garage. But I have a big stock of wood don't like to move 6 or so sheets of ply to see if that one 18" strip is leaning against the wall behind them — in the dark. With spiders for company!

Cut List Pro shows you what material you have on hand, according to the wood species and type of board. It makes future buying trips much more informed. I don't know if SketchUp keeps whole inventory records. It may.

[Ben Abate]

Gary,
Good point about knowing your inventory. I tend not to keep a stock of sheet goods on hand but I do have a few thousand bf for lumber. My storage area is not that large so I have to pile one type on top of the other. That creates a lot of work when I need a certain type or size. I know that CAD and CutList are compatable but I'm not sure about Sketch Up? You can draw in CAD and then download it into CutList for the parts layout. Sketch Up I'm not sure, I have the Pro CutList but it's one generation back. I know if I were thinking I should have inventoried my stock into CutList as I put it to my storage shed. I also have Sketch Up and as far as I know it's not capable of material storage.

Nice chatting with you
Ben




Great explanation, Ben. I have to get off the stick and learn SketchUp. It has some design advantages of Cut List (the Windows program), namely it can give you 3-D images.

But here is a real big plus for Cut List. As you are breaking down boards, it keeps track of your total lumber inventory in the shop. This is not a big deal if you work in a small garage. But I have a big stock of wood don't like to move 6 or so sheets of ply to see if that one 18" strip is leaning against the wall behind them — in the dark. With spiders for company!

Cut List Pro shows you what material you have on hand, according to the wood species and type of board. It makes future buying trips much more informed. I don't know if SketchUp keeps whole inventory records. It may.

[Aaron Hancock]

Thanks for all the help, you guys rock! I downloaded a trial of cutlist, it seems very useful. I feel like I possess most (some) of the skills to be a decent woodworker.. now I just have to learn how to work well, if that makes sense. Theres a lot of tips here that I think will send me in the right direction.

[Gary Curtis]

You will gain in two ways:

the Cut List process saves wasted lumber

making the Cut List refines the design itself

[Paul DeCarlo]

As far as programs go, I have found Cut List Plus to be essential for the planning of large jobs. It excels as a sheet goods optimizer. It used to be that I would spend a lot of time drawing layouts on graph paper for all the plywood parts. It was a huge time killer and thankfully, a thing of the past.

I still start every project the same way. After receiving a drawing or doing it myself, I make a detailed cut list which forces me to think through the construction of the project step by step. I list every part, it's dimensions, material type, joinery, finish, etc. The parts get grouped and cutting doesn't begin until there is a perfect understanding of how each part relates in the overall design.

I have the people who work for me get in the habit of doing versions of the same thing on their assigned projects. It double checks my work and gives them an understanding of how the job was figured and why the material was ordered the way it was. It's been a pretty efficient process.