Practitioner Guides
Long-form notes for woodworkers and steel fabricators. Each guide stands on its own and links to a free SawdustLogic or StructLogic tool when you are ready to calculate.
Woodworking — SawdustLogic
How Board Feet Are Sold — and Why Nominal Thickness Matters
Hardwood yards invoice by the board foot using nominal thickness. Learn the formula, 4/4 through 12/4 conventions, and how to reconcile a cut list with a delivery ticket.
Read guide →Cut-List Optimization: Kerf, Trim Ends, and Real Yield
A cut list that ignores blade kerf and square-up trim will short you stock. How first-fit packing, stock lengths, and shopping lists work in the shop.
Read guide →Cabinet Door Math: Overlay, Stile, Rail, and Tenon
Turn an opening size into stile, rail, and panel cut lengths for inset or overlay doors — including double-door gaps and tenon length in the rail calculation.
Read guide →Shelf Span and Deflection: Plywood vs Solid Hardwood
When a shelf looks fine on paper but sags under books, span and modulus matter more than thickness alone. Practical limits for plywood, hardwood, and loaded casework.
Read guide →Steel — StructLogic
Crane Runway Deflection: L/450 vs L/600 for Estimators
Deflection often governs light industrial runway beams before bending stress does. What CMAA-style limits mean for preliminary sizing and shape selection.
Read guide →PEMB Hip and Valley Trim: Break Angles That Nest
Unequal pitches and stepped eaves change valley geometry. How plan run, pitch, and dihedral break angles drive brake-press trim for metal buildings.
Read guide →Reading DSTV / NC1 Before It Hits the Shop
NC1 files carry profile, holes, notches, and saw cuts from Tekla and detailing packages. What to check in a 3D viewer before nesting and burning steel.
Read guide →Plate and Bolt Weight Takeoffs for Paint and Shipping
Paint coverage and freight quotes need mass, not just piece counts. Convert plate dimensions and bolt schedules into pounds without waiting on a full model export.
Read guide →