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Sheet materials
Grain, thickness and weight change how you plan and cut each material. Pick one to open the optimizer with matching settings.
- PlywoodPlywood is the workhorse of cabinets, built-ins and shop furniture. Lay out your parts on full sheets with the grain running the right way, and see the real thickness of each nominal size.
- MDFMedium-density fiberboard has no grain, so every part can be rotated to fill the sheet — usually giving better yield than plywood. Plan painted cabinets, doors, speaker boxes and shelving below.
- Baltic birchBaltic birch is all-birch plywood with thin, void-free plies, made in metric thicknesses and usually 5×5 foot (1525 × 1525 mm) sheets. Lay out drawer boxes, jigs and cabinets with the grain under control.
- MelamineMelamine board is particleboard or MDF with a hard, factory-applied decorative face. It is the standard for closet systems, garage cabinets and kitchen interiors. Plan every shelf and side below.
- ParticleboardParticleboard (chipboard) is an inexpensive panel made from wood chips and resin. It is used for shelving, countertop substrates and cabinet boxes that will be covered with laminate or veneer.
- OSBOriented strand board is a structural panel made from layered wood strands. It is the most common sheathing for walls, roofs and subfloors, and a cheap choice for shop walls and shed floors.
- HardboardHardboard (often called Masonite) is a dense, thin fiberboard used for cabinet backs, drawer bottoms, templates, jigs and pegboard. Plan many small parts efficiently on a single sheet.