Cheat Sheet

[Rob in NC]

First let me throw in a disclaimer - im sure this is not an original idea by any means and could probably be added on and improved on tremendously but it helped me so I figured I would share..

Most of my framing lumber I cut for my projects I run 2x4s at 1-1/2" x 3-1/2", 2x6s at 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" etc. so im cutting actual dimensions off the mill instead of nominal with the exceptions of 1x - I cut them a full inch. In my air drying im only losing about 1/16" each direction and im good with that. Plus the weight difference in full size with green lumber is very noticeable after you move a few hundred boards in a day..

Since im running repeated numbers and I found the math I kept doing in my head was getting redundant I wrote a sheet up accounting for the 1/8" kerf each time on each board and printed it on a sheet and stuck it to the lid on my controls. This list covers me for all 1x4,6,8,10 & 2x4,6,8,10. When im slabbing on my 3rd side around (for my widths) I can look at the 5-1/2" table (if im running 1x or 2x6s) and know that if I cut at 16 - 3/4" I will come out perfect with no waste on the bottom side for 3 equal widths - then when I roll to my 4th side I can cut at say 14-1/2" for example and get 9 boards from each width with a perfect 1-1/2" board on the bottom. It lets you throw your waste on top with the slab instead of having an oddball board on the bottom of the stack.

I guess you could apply this to any size you cut repeatedly but sure speed my math up and cut down on my waste. I used to just let that last board be a screwball but this is definetly a better way.

I would be interested to see all the cheat sheets yall have come up with because I know there are a lot out there that would be helpful on redundant measurements.





 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Here is mine. I keep it in a ziplock bag under the cover of my Simple Set so it stays waterproof. I swear by it.

[Ljohnsaw]

I like using a rule:


 
I have another one I'm using now with more scales - 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 IIRC

[Crossroads]

Mine is laminated and has full dimension on one side and nominal on the other. There's also a free app called sawmill calculator that you can set up your own cut list. Unfortunately though it isn't working right now. Apparently apple made some changes and the app isn't compatible with iPhones. 

[hacknchop]

 Just in the way of FYI if you cut 1 1/2" it will shrink below building standard so I always recommend 1 3/4 X 3 1/2or %5 1/2  otherwise it cant be graded as 2 & btr  stuctural , still ok for strapping or sheathing but not framing on anything you need a permit for in Canada anyway but I'm pretty sure alot of states are the same if you need to have your lumber graded the make sure you need to have your lumber graded then cut it oversize to alow for shrinkage most don't care if it's an 1/8 under in width but 1/8 under in thickness is to much leaving absolutely no allowance for saw deviation.

[Old Greenhorn]

Here's a little thread I like to bump up. I don't remember reading it when it was fresh but likely I did and filed it away in my head. This morning before I headed to the mill, I made this one up after doing the same math over and over. I finally got a 'roundtuit' and it saved me some time today and even gained me a couple of extra boards.
 I am running an LT50 with Accuset and yes, it will run these numbers automatically. The sheet is not replacing that.  What I wanted was a list of cant sizes for various board thicknesses so that when I cut the 3rd slab, I got right to a dimension that will give me the boards I need without 'that extra board' of odd thickness that winds up in the boiler anyway. If I can't quite make the best cant size I want, I can at least see if I get grab and extra board or two at a different thickness. Working with it today it saved me some extra cuts, gave me a couple of extra boards that fit the order, and saved time.



 

Yes, it is upside down. This is how my mind works. The accuset on "saw to bed" will take care of the numbers and I just wanted to know what is the exact cant size I need to avoid extra cuts. So I bring the head down to where I think I might take the slab and look at my height, then I look at the chart and see what the correct (biggest) cant size is and decide if I can sneak an extra board out, or just bring it to the final cant size and let the rest go to BTU's in the slab.

 Anyway, it works for the way my head is. I posted it in case it might work for you. Just looking at it, I realized I left out 1x material, so I should add that. YMMV.

[moodnacreek]

I have a slide rule that gets looked at when the plan has to be changed half way through the log. On a Lane sawmill you have the notches and clicks that takes all the math out of it until you make a mistake or find a bad spot in the log. For the beginner the first thing to remember is that every board has a kerf except the last one.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I use mine religiously even though I remember the common sizes. I have mine done up for a wide assortment from 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 1", 1-1/16", 1-1/8", 1-1/4", 1-1/2", 2", 2-1/4", 2-1/2", 3", 3-1/2" & 4" which are the common orders I have received. If someone ever wants any 1-7/8" I will add it to the list. My philosophy is only do the math once. 

   For cuts less than 3/4" I plan to end on a 1" finished board so I don't saw into the dog. 

    It works great for me. Not my original Idea - I got it here off the FF but saw the value and readily adapted it to my process. It saves me an extra cut off almost every log and make me look a lot smarter than I am.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well mostly I am alone at the mill, so it doesn't make me look smarter, frankly nothing can. BUT it does save me time and more importantly, it helps me grab an extra board or to I might lose with my head calculations. The acuset will do a lot of this and I had been messing with that a lot to just help me find the numbers quick, but over time I realized a simple chart is a lot faster. I am not so good at changing the programming on the accuset yet, and that take time anyway. I just want to know a final cant size, cut that and move on. The chart helps me do that quickly. I do a lot of odd shaped logs so seldom have nice square textbook cants. Maximum BF is the goal on all the softwood I do.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I ran an LT50 for a couple hours to show a local Wisconsin doctor with land and a mill here how to operate his mill. Only exposure I ever had to accuset with the "blade up" function. I forget the actual title but if I had it that's what I use a lot because I'd start on the bottom at my mark and come up in scheduled pre-programed drops/lifts and when I reached the top where I could still get a useable flitch I'd stop and resume sawing. Or at least that is how I would make my new cheat sheets instead of doing the math in my head and recording them on my spreadsheet. 

   Yesterday I was cutting 2" framing and 1"X4" nailers so every time I went to my mark I'd check to see if there was another 1" flitch possible for a nailer and if so I'd start there, drop 1" (Actually 1-1/8") then resume sawing framing. There is not a lot of waste when you use a cheat sheet properly.

   If nothing else sawing teaches you an awful lot about adding fractions. :D