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Simple Arbor — board plan

What to buy, and which parts come off which board.

Buy 20 boards at 8 ft.

4" × 4"

1 board · 4.1 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 35% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 62 1/2" left over

    1. Posts — 8"
    2. Posts — 8"
    3. Posts — 8"
    4. Posts — 8"

1 1/2" × 3 1/2"

7 boards · 21.9 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 79% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 23 3/8" left over

    1. Vertical side pieces — 71 1/2"

  2. Board 2 · 23 3/8" left over

    1. Vertical side pieces — 71 1/2"

  3. Board 3 · 23 3/8" left over

    1. Vertical side pieces — 71 1/2"

  4. Board 4 · 23 3/8" left over

    1. Vertical side pieces — 71 1/2"

  5. Board 5 · 15 3/4" left over

    1. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"
    2. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"

  6. Board 6 · 15 3/4" left over

    1. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"
    2. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"

  7. Board 7 · 15 3/4" left over

    1. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"
    2. Horizontal side pieces — 39 1/2"

1" × 6"

2 boards · 6.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 75% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 23 7/8" left over

    1. Beams — 71"

  2. Board 2 · 23 7/8" left over

    1. Beams — 71"

3/4" × 1 1/2"

10 boards · 4.3 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 51% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  2. Board 2 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  3. Board 3 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  4. Board 4 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  5. Board 5 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  6. Board 6 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  7. Board 7 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  8. Board 8 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  9. Board 9 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

  10. Board 10 · 46 7/8" left over

    1. Runners — 48"

Cuts are listed longest-first, which is how they should be made: the awkward pieces get placed while there is still board to place them on. The layout assumes one end of each board is squared off (1") and that every cut costs 1/8" of kerf — the reason six 16″ parts do not fit on a 96″ board.