Does anyone know of any software for estimating the quantity and sizes of
lumber I'll need?

"HotRod" wrote in
:

Does anyone know of any software for estimating the quantity and sizes
of lumber I'll need?




There's software that will let you input a parts list, but as for
quantity and size, that's a design issue not one to be solved by
computer.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

I'm sure it can be done but I'd like to set my wood type and the maximum and
minimum wood lengths and width that I can buy and their associated prices.
Then I'd like to input my cuts and have it calculate what the best sizes and
widths to buy. For a simple example if I needed 4 peices of 5 1/2 foot x 5"
pine it may tell me to buy 1 - 12 foot 1x12 peice of pine.




"Puckdropper" wrote in message
reenews.net...
"HotRod" wrote in
:

Does anyone know of any software for estimating the quantity and sizes
of lumber I'll need?




There's software that will let you input a parts list, but as for
quantity and size, that's a design issue not one to be solved by
computer.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

I use Cutlist Pro but it works in the opposite manner. You input what
wood you have in stock and the parts sizes you need and it does the
nesting layout.

I suppose you could build a dummy inventory of lumber that has several
pieces of each of the available sizes you could buy and then it will do
the layout using its intelligent algorithims and select the best
combination of sizes.

I think you can try it for free. Just do a Google on cutlist.

BW

HotRod wrote:
Does anyone know of any software for estimating the quantity and sizes of
lumber I'll need?

I've contacted Cutlist to see if the software also works in reverse. I'll
keep you posted.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:
I use Cutlist Pro but it works in the opposite manner. You input what
wood you have in stock and the parts sizes you need and it does the
nesting layout.

I use Cutlist Plus (Silver) for sheet stock parts.

On my very first use, Cutlist Plus saved me an entire $95 sheet of white
oak ply! The version of CLP I'm using only cost ~$75.

Thanks to all of the raving on this NG, I bought it. Now, I'm raving
about it. G

At least give the free version a spin.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:
I use Cutlist Pro but it works in the opposite manner. You input what
wood you have in stock and the parts sizes you need and it does the
nesting layout.

I suppose you could build a dummy inventory of lumber that has several
pieces of each of the available sizes you could buy and then it will do
the layout using its intelligent algorithims and select the best
combination of sizes.


I've used Cutlist like this. When you build your inventory, just setup
a wide range of boards that are possible, and the program will select
which will makeup the best use of wood. Then you can go and purchase
the right size boards based on the cutting diagram.

The only feature that would help is if the program would account for
glueing up two narrow boards to make one wide board.

Mike

I actually need the opposite of what everyone is talking about. I'd like to
know if it can tell me what to buy in the first place so that I don't have a
lot of inventory sitting around. Plus optimize the cost of sizes I should
purchase. WHY buy 12 1" x 6" when a few longer 1"x12"s will work.


"B A R R Y" wrote in message
om...
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
I use Cutlist Pro but it works in the opposite manner. You input what
wood you have in stock and the parts sizes you need and it does the
nesting layout.

I use Cutlist Plus (Silver) for sheet stock parts.

On my very first use, Cutlist Plus saved me an entire $95 sheet of white
oak ply! The version of CLP I'm using only cost ~$75.

Thanks to all of the raving on this NG, I bought it. Now, I'm raving
about it. G

At least give the free version a spin.

HotRod wrote:
I actually need the opposite of what everyone is talking about. I'd like to
know if it can tell me what to buy in the first place so that I don't have a
lot of inventory sitting around. Plus optimize the cost of sizes I should
purchase. WHY buy 12 1" x 6" when a few longer 1"x12"s will work.

Set up a dummy inventory, with a starting stock of "0", and check "Can
buy more".

Many of us do this. It's really easy.

For space reasons I don't stock many sheet goods, and since I don't use
CLP for solid parts, ALL of my CLP inventory is dummy. G

The only feature that would help is if the program would account for
glueing up two narrow boards to make one wide board.

Maybe glueing should be a check box or in the options somewhere.

I'll give the software a shot and see what I get. Since I'm dealing with
rough pine for teh first job would I input multiple lengths and widths as my
fake inventory?

HotRod wrote:
The only feature that would help is if the program would account for
glueing up two narrow boards to make one wide board.

Maybe glueing should be a check box or in the options somewhere.



Think of a 15" x 24" x 3/4" (rough dimension) panel called "Top"...

Now, simply create a part consisting of the narrow board, "Top" as 3" x
24" x 3/4", and select an appropriate quantity (5) to glue up to the
wider board.

Simple...

In article , B A R R Y wrote:
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
I use Cutlist Pro but it works in the opposite manner. You input what
wood you have in stock and the parts sizes you need and it does the
nesting layout.

I use Cutlist Plus (Silver) for sheet stock parts.

On my very first use, Cutlist Plus saved me an entire $95 sheet of white
oak ply! The version of CLP I'm using only cost ~$75.

I've had similar experiences with CutList. The money it has saved me *far*
exceeds its cost.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Wed, Oct 25, 2006, 11:13am (HotRod) doth query:
Does anyone know of any software for estimating the quantity and sizes
of lumber I'll need?

Does paper and a pencil count? Or would that be considered
hardware?



JOAT
It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax

JT
If it could be done on paper I can do it in code or in an excel
spreadsheet. I just need to know where to start. I guess what I could do is
create a "fake" project and then do it on paper and see if I can write the
logic code for it.

P.S. Paper and pencil is hardware, though you rarely need to reboot it.

"HotRod" wrote in
:

*snip*

P.S. Paper and pencil is hardware, though you rarely need to reboot
it.


People complain about computers being throw away devices. Shesh! Not
only do you cut pencils apart to use them, but when the paper has too
many errors you throw it away!

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Since I'm in I.T. I always thaught that it was ironic home the world was
going to be so much better with computers and a peperless society. Now it's
easier than ever to print out a 1000 page document, two - twenty times as
you correct errors and my company insists that we keep a "hard copy" of
everything that is digital. The only thing computers help were the first
people who had them, back in those days an accountant could do one client
per day, now you can do one client every 1/2 hr but your expected to do 20
clients a day. Except for the internet and newsgroups I could do without.




"Puckdropper" wrote in message
reenews.net...
"HotRod" wrote in
:

*snip*

P.S. Paper and pencil is hardware, though you rarely need to reboot
it.


People complain about computers being throw away devices. Shesh! Not
only do you cut pencils apart to use them, but when the paper has too
many errors you throw it away!

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

HotRod wrote:
Since I'm in I.T. I always thaught that it was ironic home the world was
going to be so much better with computers and a peperless society.

There is something to be said for having a D size drawing on my small
desk with 3D models helping me in my designs. 'Paperless' in my case
isn't so much 'no paper' as it replaces BIG paper.
When a project calls for a lot of design, I actually build the project
in 3D. That automatically gives me a parts list in spreadsheet form by
labelling my objects in classes, which I then sort by size, material
etc. IOW.... the design yields the estimate.
CAD programs can be a great estimating tool.

r

HotRod wrote:
I'll give the software a shot and see what I get. Since I'm dealing with
rough pine for teh first job would I input multiple lengths and widths as my
fake inventory?

Exactly. If you're buying pine from HD, just look at the sizes they
sell, then makeup your inventory to match theirs. When CutList
'optimizes' your stock needs, it will choose the most efficient use and
spit out a shopping list for you. I belive that there are options you
can set for how it optimizes the layout, kerf width, etc...

Mike

"Puckdropper" wrote in message
reenews.net...
"HotRod" wrote in
:

*snip*

P.S. Paper and pencil is hardware, though you rarely need to reboot
it.


People complain about computers being throw away devices. Shesh! Not
only do you cut pencils apart to use them, but when the paper has too
many errors you throw it away!

Yeah but I've never paid $1500.00 for paper and pencil.


Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

"CW" wrote in news:1sL0h.973$zf.99
@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:

*snip*


Yeah but I've never paid $1500.00 for paper and pencil.


I think I'm up to about $100 - $150 worth of pens and paper since I got
my computer... So the pencil (pen) and paper does about 1/10th of the
stuff for about 1/10th of the price. Sounds right.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm