Cutting Diagrams and Material Lists

[Randy Maxey]

I'm writing an article for Woodsmith Magazine about Materials Lists and Cutting Diagrams. I'd like your comments and feedback. I've included a sample of our typical Materials List and Cutting Diagram.

1. Do you find a Materials List helpful? If so, how? If not, what would help improve it?
2. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each part?
3. What do you like or dislike about the Materials List? What do you like about the materials list? What would help improve it?
4. With regards to the cutting diagram, do you find it useful? If so, in what way? If not, what would help improve it?
5. Do you take the cutting diagram to your lumber supplier and expect to find the exact boards shown?
6. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each board?
7. Do you purchase the exact quantity of lumber shown or do you purchase additional lumber to account for defects, bad grain appearance, or color when cutting parts to rough size?

What other comments or suggestions do you have regarding materials lists and cutting diagrams?

307085

Thanks,

--Randy Maxey
Senior Editor
Woodsmith Magazine

[Bill Huber]

1. Yes I do, it helps a bunch.
2. Yes they are easy for me to understand.
3. I like them and I don't really have and dislikes to it.
4. It give me a good idea of how to layout my cuts, the only thing to add is blade kerf.
5. No I just look it over and then buy about 20% more then is called out for.
6. Yes, it is very plain and easy to understand.
7. I always get about 20% more then is called for.

The only thing I think would be nice is to have a total BF for each wood used, I know I could add it up from the diagram but it would be nice to have it done already.

[Earl McLain]

Randy,
Sent my responses via PM. You should be able to retrieve but probably cannot respond.
earl

[Prashun Patel]

I agree with Bill's comments. I find it useful for estimating my costs and planning.

I see the cutting list as a suggestion, though. I deviate based on availability or grain direction.

Your cut list is the exact way I like to see it.

The only thing that would improve it for me is an 'on-line extra' that is interactive and allows you to modify the main dimensions and then has everything flow through and recalculate for you. I know that's asking a lot, but customizing the dimensions can make a piece feel a little more personal and site-specific for me. Ok, ok, if I'm being serious, being able to alter the dimensions helps me optimize material I already have.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

1. Do you find a Materials List helpful? If so, how? If not, what would help improve it?

Yes, I generally do.


2. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each part?

Yes, I think so.


3. What do you like or dislike about the Materials List? What do you like about the materials list? What would help improve it?

How many pieces of plywood do I need for this? Off hand, it looks like 1, I see that you do mention that. I only need to figure out how much I need for the legs. And I assume that you will only have me veneer one side of the plywood, not two.



4. With regards to the cutting diagram, do you find it useful? If so, in what way? If not, what would help improve it?

I generally do find cutting diagrams useful, especially if i am cutting multiple parts out of plywood. With the list shown, I can make a good guess as to what I might need, or at least what worked for someone else. I assume that you did not include the entire cutting diagram, and, if you did then I am a bit confused. Here are some things that I noted.

On the right, the apron parts have the pieces labeled. This is easy to read.

Now, consider the parts on the left. Consider F (leaf edging strips). My first thought was that there was only one marked. I completely missed that on the right, there is one letter in each piece to be cut and on the left, , parts E, F, and K place one letter to mark two pieces. Perhaps that is an issue with my brain and the way that it functions. When I saw the lines on each side of the F, I saw it the same way you might have placed 12" in its place and then say it was 12" long. Perhaps it is because when I looked at D and L, the part is labeled outside the cut piece and then a line runs through the middle.

Of course, now that I have figured that out once, I am not likely to make that mistake a second time, especially since I thought that you had forgotten to show enough E, F, and K pieces in you cutlist when I first looked at it.

I will ignore the fact that parts A, B, and C are not shown on a cutlist. I hope that this is addressed in the text. Might be useful to mention that these parts or not listed or shown in for stuff that is required.


5. Do you take the cutting diagram to your lumber supplier and expect to find the exact boards shown?

I usually take something similar, even if I it is something that I made up myself.


6. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each board?

I think so.... thickness, width, length. I assume that is for finished size. If yes, it might be nice to know that I don't really need a board that is 96" long (assuming no defects).


7. Do you purchase the exact quantity of lumber shown or do you purchase additional lumber to account for defects, bad grain appearance, or color when cutting parts to rough size?

I usually have stuff left over, but, I try to be close if I can be.


What other comments or suggestions do you have regarding materials lists and cutting diagrams?

I assume that you will be mentioning software available to deal with the process. If you do, mention the supported operating systems. I use Linux, so if you see something that is supported there, it is likely noteworthy. Keep thinking that I should write my own software to do this for me, but there is this problem with time! You know, family, work, supporting the software I already wrote, updating OpenOffice documentation, etc.

Also, if you mention software, how do you get the data into the software? (seems silly to state the obvious to you since I expect you already have a handle on that).

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm writing an article for Woodsmith Magazine about Materials Lists and Cutting Diagrams. I'd like your comments and feedback. I've included a sample of our typical Materials List and Cutting Diagram.

1. Do you find a Materials List helpful? If so, how? If not, what would help improve it?
2. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each part?
3. What do you like or dislike about the Materials List? What do you like about the materials list? What would help improve it?
4. With regards to the cutting diagram, do you find it useful? If so, in what way? If not, what would help improve it?
5. Do you take the cutting diagram to your lumber supplier and expect to find the exact boards shown?
6. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each board?
7. Do you purchase the exact quantity of lumber shown or do you purchase additional lumber to account for defects, bad grain appearance, or color when cutting parts to rough size?

What other comments or suggestions do you have regarding materials lists and cutting diagrams?

307085

Thanks,

--Randy Maxey
Senior Editor
Woodsmith Magazine

1. Do you find a Materials List helpful? If so, how? If not, what would help improve it?
Yes I do, being metric would help it for me.

2. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each part?
Yes

3. What do you like or dislike about the Materials List? What do you like about the materials list? What would help improve it?
redundant question, answered it in item 1

4. With regards to the cutting diagram, do you find it useful? If so, in what way? If not, what would help improve it?
No I don't find it useful, Typically I joint and plane pieces of the shortest practical length. I would not joint an 8 foot piece, I would joint pieces of appropriate sizes.

5. Do you take the cutting diagram to your lumber supplier and expect to find the exact boards shown?
No

6. Do you understand how the dimensions are listed for each board?
Yes

7. Do you purchase the exact quantity of lumber shown or do you purchase additional lumber to account for defects, bad grain appearance, or color when cutting parts to rough size?
Of course I purchase extra, otherwise you can't select for colour, grain etc.

Regards, Rod.

[Kevin Godshall]

Here is my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth:

I build mainly out of rough cut that I harvested myself and had sawed locally. In my world, standard boards mean very little, so therefore, the cutting diagram is kind of useless.

If I did have to buy lumber in order to make a project, I would probably be thinking cost effective purchase, rather than just buying what someone suggested who wrote the article. For example: Would I buy a 1x8- 8' long to cut the strips as listed in your example of parts J, K, and L? Ummm, absolutely not. Maybe I wouldn't be as efficient with my scrap/leftovers, but I can't believe that I could justify buying wide boards (presumably clear and straight), just to rip them into tiny strips.

Parts H and I, I would rip out of 1x4s, using 2 of them instead of (1) 1x8. Which is more cost effective? IDK, maybe at time of purchase I would have to figure that out.

But, as I mentioned before, I deal with rough cut, and I have to work around a lot of stuff that most people won't find in big box stores or lumberyards. But, since my wood is basically "free" (my labor) and the sawing is a minimal outlay (28 cents/bd ft), I can deal with having to do some extra work.

Give me a cut list and I can figure out the rest.

PS. I understand that I'm probaby an exception to the rule here, but tossing in my situation for evaluation, discussion, or disregard. ;-)

[Lee Reep]

I'll reply a little differently. I would like to see a downloadable spreadsheet with costing columns (several) so I can add board feet pricing for multiple types of wood I might want to consider. This does not need to be in the print version, of course, so it can remain simple and readable, but a spreadsheet could have "extras" for greater utility.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Here is my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth:

I build mainly out of rough cut that I harvested myself and had sawed locally. In my world, standard boards mean very little, so therefore, the cutting diagram is kind of useless.

If I did have to buy lumber in order to make a project, I would probably be thinking cost effective purchase, rather than just buying what someone suggested who wrote the article. For example: Would I buy a 1x8- 8' long to cut the strips as listed in your example of parts J, K, and L? Ummm, absolutely not. Maybe I wouldn't be as efficient with my scrap/leftovers, but I can't believe that I could justify buying wide boards (presumably clear and straight), just to rip them into tiny strips.

Parts H and I, I would rip out of 1x4s, using 2 of them instead of (1) 1x8. Which is more cost effective? IDK, maybe at time of purchase I would have to figure that out.


I like how the materials list is organized in the example posted. Not all lists are in this order. I really dislike when the lists include multiple species (this list is all one species, cherry) where the list is sorted by thickness then by species; rather than by species then by thickness. Organized by species first makes it difficult to develop your own cutting layout. Speaking of cutting layouts. Kevin's quote (above) touches on the same nerve as mine in regards to the parts layout. IF you have S$S or rough that comes out to the same dimensions as what is shown, they can work well. If you are working from rough sawn lumber or the shorts pile then standard widths and sizes mean little.

With that said, if you are working from a big box store, have little material on hand, buy the materials online using the dimensions listed, then the information provided in the OP works very well.