Sketch-Up Challenge, Anyone? (Cutlist Fit)

[Chris Padilla]

So I have a sheet of plywood (48.5" x 96.5") that I'm trying to fit 3 drawer boxes into.

So far, I am left with 1 piece that I cannot fit. I've fiddled with it for an hour...just cannot do it.

Can anyone else?!! It is driving me mad... I may end up splicing two pieces together. I figure one of the drawer front pieces could work since that will get a hardwood front on it anyway.

Thanks a bunch to whomever tries this and if you succeed, well...I'll owe you one!! :)

Cheers,

Chris

[Chris Kennedy]

Can you give the dimensions you want? The problem as you describe it doesn't require sketch-up to solve (though maybe to convey the solution afterward) and my sketch-up is out-of-date (I cannot upgrade-- it is on my work computer).

Cheers,

Chris

[Tony Joyce]

Well I tried a nesting program and it goes on about a sheet & 1/3 of another one. Spent a few minutes placing manually. I don't see it happening on one sheet! Probably more square inches in parts than in one sheet of ply.

I see you got it all on one sheet, but one piece. That's better than I can do, although I didn't spend an hour on it!

Tony

[Brian Kerley]

I did it...almost. Had only a 1/4" overhang on one bottom and got everything else to fi.t

Did your dimensions include saw kerfs?

I think with minor dimension changes you can do it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/urgrv2rdgiuw8ci/drawer-cutlist.skp

[Chris Padilla]

Sweet, Brian. That's pretty damn close...I had it real real close and "NO" I did not include saw kerfs so I'll fiddle with it some more to include those. I can include some edge-banding that might make up some differences here and there. Thanks a bunch!

Chris

[Jamie Buxton]

You have another constraint which you didn't mention: you have to get the orientation of the grain correct on each of the parts. You can't have it running up-down on one of sides, but horizontally on another side. With that constraint, you're almost sure to not be able to fit everything on one sheet.

Alternatives... Surely you have some scrap plywood hanging around the shop. Everybody has scraps hanging around.

Or... Don't make the drawer bottom the same thickness as the drawer sides front and back. Get all the sides front and back from one sheet, and the bottoms from another. Then you'll have leftovers for making the next project...

[Chris Padilla]

Well Jamie got to me and I decided to arrange things with the grain flowing in a more pleasing, expected way.

This still leaves me with one piece that cannot be made whole. I will just use the leftover "L" shape and join two pieces of plywood together to create the size I need. I'll Domino it together so it should be strong and we'll see how I do getting the line to disappear.

This plywood is 5/8" so a bit unusual. The Blum slides I have can take a maximum of 5/8" thick (or 16 mm) box sides so there you have it, I had to buy a whole sheet at $60.

I *could* make the bottoms or one bottom out of 3/4" (that I have plenty of) but I just know that if I mix dimensions, I'm sure to screw something up forgetting about that little detail. Believe me, I know me! hahaha

Thanks everyone for your help... I think I'm ready. :)

[Jay Jolliffe]

Since you using hardwood drawer fronts why not incorporate them into the drawer instead of the front piece of plywood. Then you have plenty of plywood.

[Chris Padilla]

Good point, Jay. My drawer fronts will be inset and the thought of trying to get it perfectly lined up and connected as part of the drawer box doesn't sound too easy in my head. The drawer fronts will be larger than the drawer box so I think having a separate 5-piece box from the nicer front will be significantly easier in terms of alignment. You can get an idea of my project here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?185837-Maple-Entertainment-Center