Wood · Cut list
How to work out a cabinet cut list
Start from the outside width, height and depth and the board thickness, and every part follows by subtraction: the sides run full height, the top and bottom fit between them (the width less two boards), the shelves are a little shorter again, and the doors share the width less the gaps. Write each part as length × width × quantity with the edges that get tape, then lay the parts out on sheets. Below, the rules one at a time and the full cut list of a 900 × 2000 × 450 mm cabinet from the free cabinet designer.
The rules, one part at a time
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Sides: full height, depth less the back
Two sides, as tall as the cabinet. With a back nailed on behind, they are the depth less the back: 450 − 3 = 447 mm.
Length is the grain direction, so sides stand with the grain upright.
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Top and bottom: between the sides
Width less two board thicknesses: 900 − 2 × 18 = 864 mm, by the same depth as the sides. If the top sits over the sides instead, the top is the full width and the sides lose one board in height.
Decide this first: it changes two parts.
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Plinth: two rails, and the bottom sits on them
A plinth of 80 mm is a front and a back rail between the sides, 864 × 80 mm, and the bottom rests on them. The doors start above it.
The plinth comes off the door height and off the back.
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Shelves: a little narrower and shallower
Adjustable shelves lose a little play in width so they drop onto their pins, and are set back from the front: 862 × 427 mm here, against an inside width of 864 mm and an inside depth of 447 mm.
Fixed shelves have no play: they are glued or screwed between the sides.
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Back: a few millimetres in from each edge
A nailed-on back of 3 mm board stops 2 mm short of each edge so it does not show: 1916 × 896 mm, the height above the plinth.
A back in grooves is bigger: it goes into the sides by the groove depth.
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Doors: share the width, take off the gaps
Full overlay doors cover the carcass front. With 2 doors and a gap of 3 mm round each, each door is (900 − 3 × 3) / 2 = 445.5 mm wide and 1914 mm high.
Hinges go by door height; the hinge maker's chart has the last word.
Worked example: a two-door cabinet
Outside sizes 900 × 2000 × 450 mm, carcass and doors in 18 mm board, a 3 mm back nailed on, a 80 mm plinth, 4 adjustable shelves and 2 doors. This is the cut list the designer prints, in millimetres, length along the grain.
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Edges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S · Side | 2 | 2000 | 447 | 1 long + 1 short |
| T · Top | 1 | 864 | 447 | 1 long |
| B · Bottom | 1 | 864 | 447 | 1 long |
| P · Plinth rail | 2 | 864 | 80 | — |
| H · Shelf (adjustable) | 4 | 862 | 427 | 1 long |
| K · Back | 1 | 1916 | 896 | — |
| D · Door | 2 | 1914 | 445.5 | 2 long + 2 short |
Boards, edge tape and hardware
| Board | Sheets | Size | Tape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass board · 18 mm | 3 | 2440 × 1220 mm | 10.37 m |
| Back board · 3 mm | 1 | 2440 × 1220 mm | — |
| Fronts · 18 mm | 1 | 2440 × 1220 mm | 9.68 m |
13 parts in all; 20.05 m of edge tape with 30 mm extra per edge; hardware: 8 hinges · 2 handles. The sheets are laid out by the panel cutting optimiser on its starting settings: 2440 × 1220 mm sheets, a 4 mm saw cut and 10 mm trimmed off each edge.
Open this cabinet in the designer
The link carries the whole design after the #, so the designer opens on exactly this cabinet, drawing included.
Questions
How do I make a cut list for a cabinet?
Take the outside sizes and the board thickness, work out each part by the rules above (sides, top and bottom, plinth, shelves, back, doors), and write length × width × quantity for each, with the edges that get tape. Then group the parts by board and thickness, and lay each group onto sheets.
Do the sides run full height, or does the top sit on them?
Either works; it is a choice of construction. With the top between the sides, the sides are the full height and the top and bottom are the width less two boards. With the top over the sides, the top is the full width and the sides are one board shorter. The designer does both.
How many hinges does a cabinet door need?
As a rule of thumb, by door height: up to 900 mm, 2; up to 1600 mm, 3; up to 2000 mm, 4; taller, 5. Heavy or wide doors may need more, and the hinge maker's chart decides.
Which way should the grain run?
Along the length of each part, which is why the cut list gives length first: sides and doors stand with the grain upright. With a plain board it does not matter, and the optimiser can turn parts to save sheets.