How much wood/ply needed for a box?

[weeksy]

The lad is making a box.

Base 40cm X 40cm
Height 30cm

It'll have a 40x 40 separator in it horizontally across the middle.

It'll be split into 20 X 20 segments on bottom half

So, with that in mind, how big a piece of ply or multiple pieces of ply? I assume he has to do a fair bit of cutting himself so mostly just the overall needed

[Yorick]

Here's his Christmas present sorted

20231124_203018.jpg (1.77 MiB) Viewed 545 times

[Count Steer]

The lad is making a box.

Base 40cm X 40cm
Height 30cm

It'll have a 40x 40 separator in it horizontally across the middle.

It'll be split into 20 X 20 segments on bottom half

So, with that in mind, how big a piece of ply or multiple pieces of ply? I assume he has to do a fair bit of cutting himself so mostly just the overall needed

So 4 sides 40×30cm + a 40×40 separator + a 40×40 base and the fiddly bits? Ooh. *licks finger* 10,000sq cm should do it with a bit to spare.

Most sheets are 122× 244cm so you just need to work out if you can get the pieces out of one sheet.

I haven't done the origami but 1 sheet of 5-ply should leave a bit spare.

[weeksy]

https://www.diy.com/departments/hardwoo ... 426_BQ.prd

Yup, I get that to be about perfect I think.

[Count Steer]

I haven't got a pencil and paper to hand but 122cm wide is 3×40cm pieces...30cm long, then 3 more - one 30cm, 2 40cm. So you have the box in 70cm worth, so half a standard sheet should be ample.

[Silly Car]

https://www.diy.com/departments/hardwoo ... 426_BQ.prd

Yup, I get that to be about perfect I think.

The big B&Q warehouses can cut material down to size although they may charge for more than a few cuts.

Get the lad to sketch it out on a bit of paper with the dimensions and hopefully the wood butcher will be able to sort it. Many local timber yards will be able to cut down sheets as well.

[weeksy]

I was thinking of just 1 full length cut, half way.

He's got to do a certain amount himself I think

[Count Steer]

https://www.diy.com/departments/hardwoo ... 426_BQ.prd

Yup, I get that to be about perfect I think.

The big B&Q warehouses can cut material down to size although they may charge for more than a few cuts.

Get the lad to sketch it out on a bit of paper with the dimensions and hopefully the wood butcher will be able to sort it. Many local timber yards will be able to cut down sheets as well.

Sketch it, absolutely. Because if the final exterior dims are 40×40 then two bits, ie the end pieces will be 40 - (2× the thickness of the sheet) and the centre piece ditto. Dang! I wish I had a simple CAD package on my phone.

[wheelnut]

I was thinking of just 1 full length cut, half way.

He's got to do a certain amount himself I think

If he hasn’t got the right tools then ply over longish lengths can be a pain to cut accurately.

Also think how you’re going to join it at right angles.

[Yorick]

I was thinking of just 1 full length cut, half way.

He's got to do a certain amount himself I think

If he hasn’t got the right tools then ply over longish lengths can be a pain to cut accurately.

Also think how you’re going to join it at right angles.

These little things..

20231124_211842.jpg (1.97 MiB) Viewed 509 times

[weeksy]

I was thinking of just 1 full length cut, half way.

He's got to do a certain amount himself I think

If he hasn’t got the right tools then ply over longish lengths can be a pain to cut accurately.

Also think how you’re going to join it at right angles.

None of that is my problem. They've got a full woodworking shop at school. That's all down to them

[Skub]

Get two boards anyway.

[KungFooBob]

I was thinking of just 1 full length cut, half way.

He's got to do a certain amount himself I think

If he hasn’t got the right tools then ply over longish lengths can be a pain to cut accurately.

Also think how you’re going to join it at right angles.

These little things..

20231124_211842.jpg

Better safe than sorry, using an electricians screwdriver.

[wheelnut]

These little things..

20231124_211842.jpg

Don’t ever build a house

[Yorick]

These little things..

20231124_211842.jpg

Don’t ever build a house

I use them to hold things in place. Not for strength.

[mangocrazy]

It may sound anal, but if you're trying to squeeze the maximum number of cuts out of a board, account for the width of the saw blade on every cut you make. It's normally 2-3mm.

[Yorick]

It may sound anal, but if you're trying to squeeze the maximum number of cuts out of a board, account for the width of the saw blade on every cut you make. It's normally 2-3mm.

Nay. Get the lad a proper fuck off chainsaw.
That'll be 10mm and a few fingers.

[Rockburner]

It may sound anal, but if you're trying to squeeze the maximum number of cuts out of a board, account for the width of the saw blade on every cut you make. It's normally 2-3mm.

Was going to say the same.

[Count Steer]

The cut allowance reminds me of when I was building a pair of speakers (KEFkit 3s). I cut all the frame pieces from 1" square PAR (planed all round) wood assuming that it was actually 1" square.

It was....before they planed it. Doh.

(It's actually 3/4")

[ChrisW]

I'm sure there are better ways but, as someone who does a little project like this only occasionally, I've found Word to be handy for working out what sheet wood I need.

In this case way less than a full board - might be worth going to the cutting station first and asking what off-cuts they've got.