Article
Common Woodworking Cutting Terms Explained (Kerf, Rip, Crosscut & More)
Cutlistor Team3 min read
Introduction
Cut lists and optimizer UIs use short labels that mean specific things on the floor. If rip and crosscut are swapped in your head, grain flags will not make sense. If offcut and remnant are treated as the same, your scrap rack will not.
This glossary sticks to cutting and cut-list language. Definitions are shop-practical, not dictionary essays. Deep dives link out where Cutlistor already has a full article.
Rip, Crosscut, and Dado
| Term | Shop meaning | Cut list note |
|---|---|---|
| Rip | Cut parallel to the grain (along the board) | Changes width; watch grain on sheet nests |
| Crosscut | Cut across the grain (shortens the board) | Sets finished length on lumber |
| Dado | Flat-bottom groove across or with grain for shelves/partitions | Depth uses actual thickness, not nominal |
| Rabbet | Shoulder cut on an edge, often for backs | Affects finished opening sizes |
| Miter | Angled end cut, usually 45° for frames | Length is often long-point measurement |
Kerf
Kerf is the material removed by the blade or bit — the slot width turned into sawdust or chips. Optimizers need kerf so two parts do not claim the same strip of sheet. Typical table-saw kerf is about 2.8–3.2 mm (1/8 in); thin-kerf blades run closer to 2 mm; CNC bits equal the tool diameter.
Set kerf from a test cut, not from memory. A full explanation with measurement steps lives in the kerf article.
Yield, Nest, Offcut, and Remnant
These terms show up on every optimizer report.
- Yield: share of stock area (or length) that became parts — higher is better
- Nest: arrangement of parts on a sheet (2D) so waste is minimized under constraints
- Offcut: leftover piece after cutting; may be scrap or reusable
- Remnant: intentional leftover saved for inventory — usually labeled and racked
- Waste: material you cannot use on this job (sawdust + unusable strips)
Grain, Face Veneer, and Show Face
Grain direction is the run of wood fiber or veneer pattern. On sheet nests, locking grain stops the optimizer from rotating a door rail into a stile orientation. Face veneer is the show veneer on plywood; the good face (or A face) faces the room unless the drawing says otherwise.
Bookmatching and sequential veneer sets need part labels that keep pairs together — the nest must not scatter them across unrelated sheets if appearance matters.
S4S, Rough Cut, and Finished Size
| Term | Means | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| S4S | Surfaced four sides | Face frames, shelving from the rack |
| S2S | Surfaced two sides (faces) | Still needs edge jointing/ripping |
| Rough lumber | Not fully surfaced | Furniture from the mill |
| Rough cut | Oversized sawn blank | Leave extra for trim |
| Finished size | Final part dimension | What the drawing calls out |
Sheet Nesting vs Linear Cutting Terms
Sheet (2D) jobs place rectangles on a panel. Linear (1D) jobs place lengths on a stick. Same word nest is sometimes used loosely for both; Cutlistor treats them as separate optimizers. Stock length matters for 1D; sheet length and width matter for 2D.
How These Terms Appear on a Cut List
A typical sheet row might read: Shelf-A | 560 x 400 mm | qty 8 | 18 mm birch | grain along 560 | finished. That packs finished size, grain, and material into one line. A lumber row might read: FF-Stile | 720 mm | qty 24 | 3/4 x 1-1/2 maple S4S | rough length +5 mm — mixing S4S cross-section with a rough-cut length flag.
When the PDF nest labels a remnant zone, decide whether that offcut becomes inventory (remnant) or bin scrap. Write it down; do not rely on memory after a long cut day.
Quick Index
Rip = with grain. Crosscut = across grain. Kerf = blade loss. Yield = parts / stock. Nest = layout. Offcut = leftover. Remnant = saved leftover. S4S = surfaced four sides. Rough cut = oversized blank. Finished size = assembly size.