Sheet Cut Planner

Laying Out Sheet Goods Without Guesswork

Cabinet cases, closet carcasses, and built-ins live or die on how you cut 4×8 (or metric) sheets. A good nesting plan keeps factory edges on visible faces when you want them, leaves room for the saw kerf between parts, and tells you whether “one more sheet” is real or just anxiety. This planner works in two dimensions: you define stock sheet size and quantity, enter every part rectangle, then run an optimization pass that draws a cut diagram per sheet.

How to use this planner

1. Add sheet sizes (length × width), quantity, and an optional Stock Name (e.g. “Birch Ply”) — the name appears above each sheet in the diagram.
2. Enter each part’s length, width, quantity, and optional Part Mark (e.g. “Side Panel”). Marks appear on the part rectangles in the visual.
3. Run optimization. The output summary below the diagrams shows which parts are on each sheet and lists any parts that could not be placed. Removing a stock entry automatically re-runs the optimization.

Grain, kerf, and shop reality

Algorithms pack rectangles; they do not know which edge is the A-face or that you need continuous grain across adjacent doors. Lock grain by entering dimensions so the long grain runs the way you intend, and leave unusable strips for edgebanding scraps if that matters. Kerf on a thin-kerf track saw is not the same as a full-kerf table-saw blade—match the setting to the tool you will use. Factory sheet edges are rarely dead-square after shipping; plan a first rip to establish a clean reference edge on each sheet.

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