From the workshop
Blog
Practical notes on cut lists, material yield, and working smarter in the shop, without the fluff.
Free tools
Try the optimizers these articles reference
8th August 2026
How to Plan Cabinet Face Frames
Plan cabinet face frames: stile and rail sizes, opening math, mid stiles, linear cut lists, and how frames change doors and case parts.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Prepare a Cabinet Cut List for CNC
Prepare a cabinet cut list for CNC: labeling, kerf, grain, nesting handoff, DXF rectangles, and shop checks before the machine runs.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Prepare Cabinet Parts for Production
Prepare cabinet parts for production: labeling, staging, edge banding, QC, batch flow, and cut-list discipline for professional shops.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Create a Cabinet Cut List From a PDF
Turn PDF cabinet shop drawings into a verified cut list: AI import, dimension checks, materials, nesting, and production export for casework shops.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize a Cabinet Cut List
Optimize cabinet cut lists for sheet count, yield, and quoting accuracy. Worked nest examples, kerf and grain steps, and Cutlistor workflows for casework shops.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Reduce Cabinet Material Waste
Reduce cabinet material waste with accurate BOMs, kerf-aware nesting, grain rules, remnant reuse and nest-before-buy purchasing. Shop checklist included.
Read article
8th August 2026
How Many Sheets Does a Kitchen Need?
Estimate how many melamine or plywood sheets a kitchen needs with worked examples, manual vs optimized sheet counts, and Cutlistor nesting for accurate POs.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize Plywood for Cabinets
Optimize plywood nests for cabinet carcasses and doors: sheet sizes, grain, kerf, yield examples, and Cutlistor workflows that tighten sheet POs.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize Melamine Sheets
Optimize melamine (TFL) sheet nests for cabinet production: stock sizes, grain on woodgrain faces, kerf, yield tables, and Cutlistor nest-before-buy workflows.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize MDF Sheets
Optimize MDF sheet nests for painted cabinet doors, panels, and profiles. Kerf, thickness separation, yield examples, and Cutlistor nest-before-buy tips.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize Cabinet Doors on a Sheet
Nest cabinet doors and drawer fronts for higher sheet yield. Grain rules, MDF vs plywood doors, manual vs optimized sheet counts, and Cutlistor workflows.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Optimize Multiple Cabinet Jobs Together
Batch nest multiple cabinet jobs on shared melamine, plywood, or MDF stock to cut sheet count, consume offcuts, and raise shop throughput.
Read article
8th August 2026
How Saw Kerf Affects Cabinet Cutting
How saw and CNC kerf changes cabinet sheet count, part size accuracy, and quotes. Cabinet-specific examples plus links to the full kerf explainer.
Read article
8th August 2026
How Grain Direction Affects Cabinet Material Usage
How grain and print direction change cabinet sheet yield, door packs, and purchasing. When to lock orientation and how Cutlistor nests show the cost.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Calculate Cabinet Material Yield
Calculate cabinet material yield for melamine, plywood, and MDF nests. Worked kitchen examples, waste components, and how Cutlistor reports yield for quoting.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Reduce Plywood Waste in Cabinet Making
Cut plywood waste in cabinet shops with accurate BOMs, grain rules, kerf-aware nesting, remnant reuse, and nest-before-buy sheet purchasing.
Read article
8th August 2026
How to Reduce Offcuts in Cabinet Production
Reduce cabinet offcuts with batch nesting, remnant thresholds, smarter grain rules, and nest-before-buy workflows that raise yield and shop throughput.
Read article
8th August 2026
Manual Cabinet Cut Lists vs Optimized Cut Lists
Compare manual cabinet cut lists to optimized nests: sheet counts, quoting accuracy, labor time, and when Cutlistor beats whiteboard layouts.
Read article
8th August 2026
How Cut List Optimization Can Improve Cabinet Shop Profit
How cut list optimization improves cabinet shop profit: sheet PO savings, quoting accuracy, fewer remakes, higher throughput, and worked monthly examples.
Read article
8th August 2026
Cut List Software for Furniture Makers
Cut list software for furniture makers who mix plywood and solid wood: grain control, linear + sheet optimization, CAD/PDF import, and Cutlistor workflows.
Read article
8th August 2026
How Rising Lumber Prices Affect Woodworking Costs
How rising lumber and sheet-goods prices hit furniture and cabinet jobs in 2026 — what moves, what to substitute, and how cut list yield protects margin.
Read article
8th August 2026
Common Lumber Sizes Explained (Nominal vs Actual + Cut Lists)
Nominal vs actual lumber sizes with 2x4 tables, hardwood S4S, trim lengths, and why stock length matters for linear (1D) cut list optimization.
Read article
8th August 2026
Laser Cutting Explained (2026): Fiber vs CO2, Kerf, Materials & Nesting
How laser cutting works: fiber vs CO2, typical kerf and thickness limits, edge quality, when shops pick laser over plasma, and where nesting fits.
Read article
8th August 2026
Plasma Cutting Explained (2026): How It Works, Kerf, HAZ & When Shops Use It
How plasma cutting works, mild steel sweet spots, kerf and heat-affected zone basics, cost vs laser, and why nesting still matters for plate jobs.
Read article