Materials, stock and quantities

Materials and stock types

A material is what makes stock and cuts match: a cut is only placed on stock of its own material. Each material has one stock type:

• Sheet — width and length, cut with edge-to-edge (guillotine) cuts.
• Roll — a fixed width and a length you unroll; measured by length used.
• Linear — length only.

Width and length

Width is always the first dimension and length the second, and a grain runs along the length. A 4×8 sheet is 48 wide by 96 long. The same convention applies to parts, which is what makes grain direction mean the same thing on a part and on its sheet.

Thickness

Thickness is optional. Add it when you stock one material in more than one thickness, so that 1/2″ and 3/4″ birch ply are kept apart. Two materials with the same name and different thicknesses never share stock.

Unlimited, limited and zero

A blank Quantity available means unlimited: the plan uses as many as it needs and tells you how many. A number limits it to what you have. Zero means none on hand: the stock stays in your list but is not used. When limited stock runs out, the parts that could not be placed are listed with the reason.