Wood · Cutting · Bookshelf
Bookshelf cut list and cutting diagram
What it does and how it is worked out
Type the parts of your bookshelf and the page lays them out on the fewest sheets, with the edge tape and, if you give prices, the cost. Free, in the browser and on a phone. The list below is an example, a bookshelf, 32 × 60 × 12 in, in 3/4 in plywood: 9 parts on one sheet of 96 × 48 in, 78 % of the board used. Clear it and put in your own sizes.
- sheets
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- used
- —%
- edge banding
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- waste
- —%
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The example of this page, worked out
The list the page opens with is an example, not anybody's order: a bookshelf, 32 × 60 × 12 in (width × height × depth), in 3/4 in plywood, on sheets of 96 × 48 in with a 1/8 in saw cut and no trim. Every part comes from those outside sizes, and the figures are the optimiser's own, worked out by the same code as the tool above.
| What the optimiser answers | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sheets to buy | 1 |
| Parts | 9 |
| Board used | 78.3 % |
| Edge tape, with the 10 % allowance | 27.7 ft (25.2 ft net) |
| Offcuts worth keeping, 12 in or more a side | 1 · 5.0 ft² |
The cutting list of the example
| Part | Qty | Length, in | Width, in | Banded edges | Grain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2 | 60 | 11.75 | 1 long | yes |
| Top | 1 | 30.5 | 11.75 | 1 long | — |
| Bottom | 1 | 30.5 | 11.75 | 1 long | — |
| Fixed shelf | 1 | 30.5 | 11.75 | 1 long | — |
| Shelf | 3 | 30.375 | 11 | 1 long | — |
| Plinth | 1 | 30.5 | 4 | — | — |
What to watch on a bookshelf
- Books are heavy. A long shelf sags with time. The fixed shelf at mid height of this example ties the two sides; for a wider bookshelf, add an upright divider instead of longer shelves.
- Loose shelves are smaller than their opening. 1/8 in shorter, to drop onto their pins, and 3/4 in shallower; fixed shelves are the exact size between the sides.
- Sides with the grain upright, tape on the front only. Every part of a bookshelf shows one edge: its front.
- The back is another list. It is cut from thin board (1/4 in here), which is another sheet and another job: this list holds only the 3/4 in parts. Load the thin parts of this example to see what they take.
- Your sheet, your saw, your thickness. Pick the sheet you buy under «Usual sheet formats» and set your blade's kerf: the plan is worked out again as you type. The sizes here are for 3/4 in board; in another thickness the parts between the sides change, and the cabinet cut list guide gives the rule for each.
Templates: bookshelf
Example sizes, not a standard: load one into the list above, then change each size to yours. Loading one replaces the list; nothing is sent and no email is asked for.
| Template | Parts | Sheets | Used | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low bookcase 24 × 48 × 12 in | 8 | 1 | 53.9 % | Load |
| Tall and deep 36 × 84 × 14 in | 10 | 2 | 61.4 % | Load |
| The back of the example, in 1/4 in plywood | 1 | 1 | 38.4 % | Load |
Sheets and board used on a sheet of 96 × 48 in, as the optimiser works them out. From outside sizes to every part, rule by rule: how to work out a cabinet cut list; to draw the piece to your sizes first, the cabinet designer.
Questions people ask
- How many sheets of plywood does a bookshelf take?
- The example on this page, a bookshelf, 32 × 60 × 12 in, in 3/4 in plywood, is 9 parts and takes one sheet of 96 × 48 in with a 1/8 in saw cut, with 78.3 % of the board used; the thin back is cut from another sheet. Put in your own sizes and the page works out yours.
- How much edge banding does it take?
- 25.2 ft net for the example, 27.7 ft with the 10 % allowance for overhang and joins, on 8 edges: the faces that show, as marked in each row of the list. Change the marks and the metres follow.
- How do I stop bookshelf shelves from sagging?
- Keep them short. A fixed shelf at mid height ties the sides, and an upright divider halves the span of every shelf; both are extra rows in the cutting list, and the page works out again how many sheets they take.