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 →Calculator: Board Foot Calculator
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 →Calculator: Lumber Optimizer
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 →Calculator: Cabinet Door Calculator
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 →Calculator: Shelf Sagulator
Sheet-Good Nesting: Grain Direction, Kerf, and Panel Yield
Getting the most panels from a 4×8 sheet means more than filling rectangles. How grain orientation, blade kerf, and factory edges affect your nesting plan.
Read guide →Calculator: Sheet Cut Planner
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 →Tool: Crane Beam Calculator
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 →Tool: Hip & Valley Calculator