Comments on: Too Much Lumber is Never a Bad Thing

By: wphred

wphred — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:36:52 +0000

The projects I see in the magazine are sometimes a thought starter, so I don’t use the cutlists. I can see how others might use them, but in reply to the idea of putting them on the web only, believe it or not, not all people have or use a computer.

More typical for me is to create a model on Sketchup. This slows me down so I take the time to see to the details; it’s a virtual build of the project and usually shakes out potential problems. Once I’m satisfied with the results, I make a cutlist of my project in Sketchup. For me this becomes my shopping list at the lumber store. I know how many wide boards, figured boards, rift sawn boards, etc., that I will need. I still add about 15% to each type of board, so I end up with enough wood, but not too much.

Love that Sketchup!

By: Dusty

Dusty — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:52:30 +0000

I too believed that one can’t have enough lumber but changed my mind when I closed my shop and moved it back home.

Don B.

By: BillT

BillT — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:46:38 +0000

When you’re a bit limited on storage space, there is, indeed, such a thing as “too much wood.” DAMHIKT.

By: 4glshaw

4glshaw — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:47:41 +0000

I like and appreciate cut lists – although I use them only as a reference point – not an absolute. Instead of taking up valuable space in the magazine, how about just having a web link to download the cut list.

Just a thought.

Cheers

-g

By: J. Pierce

J. Pierce — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:44:54 +0000

As someone who’s a hand tool woodworker mostly out of necessity, and who works in a very tiny space in the backroom, I don’t have the luxury of storing much more wood than I need for the projects I’m working on. Yeah, I’d love to be able to store a few hundred board feet of something, but my circumstances require me to annoy the guys at the lumberyard by picking through every stick to make sure I’m not storing any more than I need to.

That said, I still don’t care for cut lists.

By: Robert W. Lang

Robert W. Lang — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:28:15 +0000

I like them too, but I don’t think there is any value to one unless you make your own. The value of that exercise is, in my opinion priceless. It’s the best way I know of to mentally work through the details of a project before you hit the shop. And that mental preparation lets you concentrate on building, not on solving design or estimating problems.

Bob Lang

By: Bowyerboy

Bowyerboy — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:25:43 +0000

The points you bring up, Bob, about the cut list as a inferior method of calculating your lumber requirements are valid. However, that is only one reason to publish a cutlist. To me the cutlist is like the key to a map for a woodworking article. I can flip to it and quickly learn a lot about the size, complexity, details, hardware used, and overall dimensions of a project. It also is handy to make sure I have enough parts (was that 14 or 16 spindles for that Windsor chair???). To follow it slavishly is a bad idea,agreed, but having one around at least keeps you in the ballpark. That’s why I voted Yes, anyway.

By: FineWoodworkerWill

FineWoodworkerWill — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:10:04 +0000

I am a remodeler / woodworker. Cut lists are a useful analytical tool to help me parse the wood I will need against the wood I already have. They also help to reveal the writer’s intentions, providing info not revealed in the drawings. I would think that weekend woodworkers and newbies to woodworking might also find cut lists useful.

I know that we often see complaints in forums and blogs about incorrect lists and drawing dimensions, but what we do isn’t like building plastic model airplanes. We should always be double-checking the math and dimensions. I know I do.

I like cut lists. I also appreciate lists of hardware with suppliers.

By: David Keller

David Keller — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:13:13 +0000

The editors of the mag should put a little thought into the discrepancy of commenters being in the overwhelmingly “no” camp and voters being the overwhelmingly “yes” camp.

I can think of 2 reasons (but there may be more) – 1) the folks that want cut lists are vehemently indignant that anyone would even consider not providing them, and they voted 2, 10 or 100 times to ensure the outcome, or 2) the ones voting for cutlists somehow considered their opinion to be embarrassing in some way, and declined to comment.

Odd.

By: GregM

GregM — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:49:09 +0000

I am in the “no cut list” camp – not because I think they are evil, but simply because I find a dimensioned drawing a lot more useful. I very rarely – if ever – build a project exactly to the published plan anyway. But this is a personal choice thing, without a real “right” or “wrong” answer. If some folks really, really like the cut list, and it doesn’t cost the magazine a whole lot to prepare, then go ahead and print it and those of us who don’t use it can simply ignore it.

Hopefully the Cutlistists will learn after no more than one bad experience that they shouldn’t start their build by immediately breaking down their expensive lumber into precisely measured pieces as specified in the list!

I realize this will not work for many people, but I generally pick my project to fit the lumber I have on hand rather than purchasing the wood specifically for the project.