Cut list optimizer

About cutting sheet goods

What is a kerf and why does it matter?

The kerf is the width of the slot your blade removes, usually 1/8" on a table saw and 1/16" or less on a track saw or bandsaw. Every cut destroys that much material, so a sheet does not yield two 24" halves from 48" — it yields 24" and 23 7/8". Over a dozen cuts that adds up to a part that does not fit.

Why does this only produce straight cuts all the way across?

Because a table saw cannot do anything else. Cuts that stop partway through a sheet — the kind that let a packing algorithm interlock parts like a jigsaw — need a CNC router. These are guillotine cuts, meaning every cut splits one piece into two, which is what makes the plan followable with the tools most shops have.

What does locking the grain do?

It stops the optimizer rotating that part 90°. On veneered plywood the grain runs the length of the sheet, so a rotated door or drawer front takes stain differently and reads as a visibly different colour next to its neighbours. Locking the grain costs you some yield and saves you a re-cut.

Should I trim the factory edges?

Usually yes. Sheet goods get handled hard and the outer half-inch is often dinged, out of square, or both. Setting a trim allowance of 1/4" to 1/2" takes that off all four sides before anything is laid out, so your parts come from material you have actually checked.

Is the layout the best one possible?

No, and nothing practical is. Optimal 2D bin packing is NP-hard, so this uses a good heuristic: parts sorted longest-edge-first, placed into the free space that leaves the least behind, with both split directions tried on every sheet. Expect it to land within a few percent of the best achievable yield and to beat laying it out by eye.

You might also need

• Drawer boxesBox sizes and a cut list from the opening, with the slide clearances rounded the way that still fits.
• Board foot calculatorHow much lumber to buy for a finished piece, what it will cost, and what to ask for at the yard.
• Weight calculatorWhat a board or a stack of sheet goods weighs — for shelf brackets, a car boot, or a freight quote.
• Sheet layout calculatorHow many same-size panels fit on a sheet of plywood in a plain grid, turned 90° if that fits more.