Creating a cut list...

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Mt. Gomer

New User
Travis
Ok, so I have a design I'd like to build and I have a list of all the parts (8 of these at this size, 14 of those, yadda yadda). The problem is I now have to figure out how to most efficiently get those pieces out of the stock so I know how much to buy and in what lengths/widths....

Ya'll have any good suggestions as to working out cutting diagrams? For this project I'm dealing with 2x4 and 2x6 stock so it's a bit easier but my head is still spinning....

Thanks,

Travis
 
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scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
Travis, unless I'm building something where grain pattern does not matter, my preference is to study the grain patterns in my boards and lay out my pieces for the best possible appearance.

Yes, this requires a bit more wood but the end result is usually worth it.

Scott
 

JackLeg

New User
Reggie
For normal projects and sheetgood work, I second the info on CutList. :icon_thum Especially if you ever want to duplicate this one! Good usable info.

AND, I STILL monk up!!
:rotflm:
 

walnutjerry

Jerry
Senior User
Travis-------Not knowing what your cut list calls for makes it hard to give advice. A 12' length usually gives more options for multiple shorter lenghths with the least waste. Cut the longest and widest pieces first and work your way down to the shortest and narrow pieces.

Hope this helps----------Jerry
 
M

McRabbet

I have the Gold Version of Cutlist Plus and it is very useful for generating cutting layouts and even proposals for commissioned projects I have had. Recently, I did two cabinets for a client and combined them into a master project -- the combination used materials more efficiently and allowed me to reduce the overal cost to the client. Like any software, it does have a learning curve, but I found it fairly easy to learn once raw materials were added to the data base. It also allow other data like hardware, lighting and labor to make it a potent tool.

The free download (from Bridgewood Designs), will only allow a few discrete parts (I think it is five), but it will give you an idea of how the program works. A Silver Version costs $89.
 

sushinutnc

New User
Mike
I've been doing my layouts in Visio for years... It's easy (for me after much experience with the program) to move things around visually. I usually decide when it's "close enough" that I'm not wasting too much... but it's nothing like having a computer actually figure it out for you. I have recently been using Google SketchUp for some design projects, but have not used it for cut lists (yet)... I found a plugin that looks VERY promising:

http://lumberjocks.com/daltxguy/blog/5143

Here's some more related info with additional products mentioned (incl CutList Plus, mentioned above)
http://tonyswoodshop.blogspot.com/2007/10/cut-list.html
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f29/cutlist-4-0-sketchup-8722/
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=51541
 

Mt. Gomer

New User
Travis
Thanks for all the great information guys, I'll check them out to see what I come up with. I wish I had the luxury of having a lot of extra wood around so I could study the grain and pick my favorites but in this case I'm just trying to figure out how to go from a list of sized parts to and order for the mill/lumberyard....

Travis
 

jhreed

New User
james
Great question. One I have struggled with. Have had many projects with too much waste. I think sketch-up will be our salvation in time. anyone want to teach me sketch-up?
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
Travis, unless I'm building something where grain pattern does not matter, my preference is to study the grain patterns in my boards and lay out my pieces for the best possible appearance.

Yes, this requires a bit more wood but the end result is usually worth it.

Scott

This is how I like to do it also.

Red
 

sushinutnc

New User
Mike
anyone want to teach me sketch-up?
Yeah!! me too!!!
Like pretty much every application, this will be a matter of your level of existing knowledge and familiarity with CAD and drawing apps. Fortunately (and UNlike every other application), the Sketch-Up community developed extensive user-friendly tutorials.

Start here to see if SketchUp is something that may work for you:
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/training/videos/new_to_gsu.html


Some help and tutorial pages:
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=36207
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/training/
http://sketchup.google.com/support/

I worked with a tutorial in one window and the SketchUp app in another. Really easy.

I, myself, have not used it a lot so far... just modelling some ideas. The app is easy to get started and play with (I thinks it's actually fun). My only complaint for it (at my point in the learning curve) is that it's not nearly as easy to dimensionalize drawing parts as a 2-D tool like Visio. Example-- there's no axis rulers by default (I'm sure there's a plug-in for it though!!). Obviously, people do use it for accurately scaled drawings. For quick mock-ups to visualize a piece in 3-D, it's just spectacular. I've barely scratched the surface with it.
 

nblong

New User
Bruce
Take the time to go through the SketchUp tutorials from the beginning. Have the tutorial and your own SketchUp window open at the same time and follow along. You can learn the basics in an evening or two. In a week you can be doing pretty advanced work.
 

Mt. Gomer

New User
Travis
Take the time to go through the SketchUp tutorials from the beginning. Have the tutorial and your own SketchUp window open at the same time and follow along. You can learn the basics in an evening or two. In a week you can be doing pretty advanced work.

Yeah, that's been on my list of things to do for some time. I just haven't found/ made the time yet. Can't put it off to much longer now I guess......
 
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