How to read a Sawdust cut sheet

Published on October 19, 2026

Read piece quantities, orthographic top and side views, long-to-long miter dimensions, part labels, and stock-packing diagrams.

A Sawdust cut sheet answers two workshop questions on one page: what finished pieces you need to cut, and how those pieces pack onto your purchased stock. You can view and print your cut sheet at any time from Publish -> Print.

1. Read each piece card

• Quantity and nominal stock: A header such as 3x 2x4 @ 24" means you need three identical pieces cut from 2x4 stock, each measuring 24" at its overall bounding length.
• Top and Side orthographic views: Every piece card pairs a top view and a side view so you can see both face outlines and edge bevels, rabbets, or dadoes at a glance.
• Long-point and short-point miter dimensions: On mitered or beveled parts, read both the overall tip-to-tip dimension (24" or 17 1/16") and the inner short-shoulder dimension (20 9/16" or 13 5/8") so you set your stop block to the right reference point.

2. Check the part labels and stock layout

When multiple parts share identical geometry but play different roles in the assembly, Sawdust groups them onto one piece card and prints a label note underneath (for example, Write "strut_a1" on 1, "strut_a2" on 1, "strut_a3" on 1). Mark each piece as soon as it comes off the saw so you can match it to the assembly diagrams.

At the bottom of the sheet, the Cut layout diagram shows how those pieces nest into each purchased board, including angled miter silhouettes and leftover offcuts.

3. Inspect the companion Structural Report in Plans

Switch to Publish -> Plans when you want to check the engineering and load summary alongside your cut sheet before building.

Continue with How to label woodworking parts in Sawdust and How to write and share a woodworking guide in Sawdust.