Linear stock planner

Board cut optimizer for lumber, trim & molding

Pack mixed finished lengths onto equal stock boards with kerf between neighboring parts. See the board count, recoverable terminal offcuts, part yield, and estimated stock cost.

01

Stock boards

Use the actual usable length after end trim.

02

Required cuts

Mixed numbers such as 28 1/2 are accepted.

Best-fit result

Board plan

3Boards
83%Part yield
$36Stock cost
Board 13.625 in offcut
Top rail31 in
Top rail31 in
Face-frame stile30 in
Board 25.625 in offcut
Face-frame stile30 in
Face-frame stile30 in
Face-frame stile30 in
Board 338.75 in offcut
Bottom rail28.5 in
Bottom rail28.5 in
i

Heuristic best-found: the calculator uses deterministic best-fit decreasing. It includes kerf between adjacent pieces and reserves another kerf before a reusable terminal offcut.

The one-dimensional model

Why the last kerf is different

Adjacent finished parts need a kerf between them. The last finished part can use the existing end of the stock, so it does not automatically need another kerf to fit. If you want to separate and save the terminal remainder, however, that offcut loses one more blade width.

The calculator uses deterministic best-fit decreasing: longer parts are placed first, then each goes into the board that leaves the smallest valid remainder. It is a fast, practical heuristic rather than proof of the fewest possible boards for every large job.