Project maths for the workshop
Measure twice. Calculate once.
Calculators, worked examples and sourced reference tables for estimating lumber, sheet goods, decks, stairs and roofs before you buy material.
Board foot · quick check
in × in × ft12board feet
≈ 0.028 m³
(1 × 8 × 3) ÷ 12 × 6
Calculators by job
Project plans
Beginner1 weekend9 parts
Five-shelf bookcase
Two sheets of 18 mm plywood, housed shelves and a full cut list.
Intermediate2 days30 parts
Laminated-top workbench
Board-foot takeoff for a laminated 2×4 top, legs and stretchers.
Intermediate4 days21 parts
3 × 4 m ground-level deck
Boards, gaps and screws for metric and imperial stock.
Guides
- LumberHow to Calculate Board FeetUnderstand board-foot volume and use it to organize mixed-size lumber purchases.5 min
- LumberNominal vs Actual Lumber SizesUnderstand North American nominal lumber labels, surfaced sizes, and when to measure stock.5 min
- CuttingHow to Estimate Sheet GoodsUnderstand area estimates, whole-sheet rounding, and layout constraints for sheet goods.5 min
- FramingHow to Calculate Stair StringersUnderstand how whole riser counts turn a target riser into actual stair geometry.5 min
- MovementWhy Wood Expands and Contracts: A Practical Guide to Seasonal Wood MovementUnderstand equilibrium moisture content, tangential and radial movement, and joinery that allows for it.9 min
Who is behind this
Written and published by AUSV Systems.
Every guide shows when it was published and last reviewed, and lists the published standards its figures come from. Project plans are calculated with the same tools you can use here. Readers can report errors to contact@woodshopmath.com; when a page is corrected, its updated date changes.