Terms of Use
Check the Drawing.Then Check the Work.
BenchRoot is a woodworking reference. Using it means applying its information to the real board, tool and situation in front of you — and checking before you cut. These are the practical terms of that arrangement, in plain English.
- Effective
- Last updated
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Using BenchRoot
A Reference, Not the Workpiece.
BenchRoot publishes woodworking information and reference material to help you understand and plan work. The board, machine, blade, workshop, supplier and setup in front of you are outside the page — and they decide the result.
What BenchRoot provides
- GuidesClear explanations and learning paths.
- ProjectsMeasured build information and project structure.
- ToolsHow tools work, how they are set up and where they fit.
- TechniquesMethods, joinery, layout, preparation and finishing.
- CalculatorsWorkshop arithmetic handled directly in the browser.
- MaterialsWood, sheet goods, movement, moisture and lumber.
- Wood SpeciesSpecies properties, appearance and working characteristics.
- ChartsFast-reference workshop data.
Before you cut
- Check the material
- Check the tool
- Check the dimensions
- Understand the assumptions
- Use your judgment
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Verify before use
Measure the Actual Part.
A dimension on a page is where the work starts, not proof of what is on your bench. Measure the stock you have before you cut to fit it.
| Stock | On the plan | In the shop |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4″ plywood | 3/4″ nominal (19.05 mm) | Many sheets measure 23/32″ (18.26 mm), or 18 mm on metric panels |
| 8/4 hardwood | 2″ rough | About 1 3/4″ once surfaced (S2S), varying by supplier |
| 2 × 4 softwood | 2 × 4 nominal | Dressed to 1 1/2 × 3 1/2″ |
- Nominal dimensions can differ from measured dimensions.
- Wood moves with moisture, so a part measured today may not measure the same next season.
- Supplier dimensions vary, and product specifications can change.
- Measure the actual stock, and cut joints to the part you have.
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Calculators
The Math Is Only as Good as the Inputs.
BenchRoot's calculators do fixed arithmetic on the values you enter: the same inputs always give the same result. They are aids for planning, not guarantees — a wrong measurement goes in and a confident wrong answer comes out.
| Calculator | Works from | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Board Foot Calculator | T × W × L × quantity ÷ 144; the waste allowance is added on top. | The waste percentage is your estimate. The calculator applies it; it does not choose it. |
| Stock Cut Layout | First-fit decreasing: longest pieces first, one kerf between cuts. | A good suggested layout — not a guaranteed minimum number of boards. |
| Plywood Estimator | Total part area, plus waste, divided by the sheet area and rounded up. | An area estimate. It does not model grain direction, part orientation, kerf or nesting. |
| Miter Angle | 180° ÷ number of sides, for a regular frame. | Assumes equal sides. Test cuts confirm the saw setting. |
| Equal Spacing | Equal gaps, including both outside gaps. | Measure the actual opening and member widths first. |
| Fraction / Decimal / Metric | 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly; fractions round to the nearest mark. | A rounded fraction is the nearest mark at the chosen resolution, not an exact equal. |
Board feet · result
21.33
1 × 8 × 96 in · qty 4 · no waste
Verify inputs
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Tools & safety
The Manual Has the Final Word on the Machine.
- Woodworking tools can cause serious injury.
- Follow the instructions, guards, setup and safety requirements for the actual tool you are using.
- BenchRoot cannot know the condition or configuration of your machine, blade or workspace.
- Safety guidance on BenchRoot supplements the tool manufacturer’s instructions; it does not replace them.
- BenchRoot does not supervise, inspect or certify anyone’s work.
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Materials vary
Wood Is Not a Manufactured Constant.
BenchRoot's species and materials figures are reference values. They describe the average of many boards, not the one you are holding.
Reference values, as published
- Hickory, Janka hardness
- 1,820 lbf
- an average, not this board
- White Oak, tangential shrinkage
- 10.5 %
- green to oven-dry, a comparison
- Teak, Janka hardness
- —
- no confirmed figure — left missing
- Species averages do not predict how one particular board will behave.
- Moisture, cut, grain, defects and the surrounding environment all change how wood behaves.
- Published figures such as Janka hardness and shrinkage are reference values.
- Where BenchRoot has no confirmed figure, the value stays missing rather than guessed.
- Worked examples are examples, not guarantees.
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Projects & plans
A Plan Still Meets a Real Shop.
BenchRoot's project information describes a build as it was drawn. Your tools, stock and material may differ from the drawing.
- Verify dimensions and fit as the build goes, not only at the start.
- Available tools, stock dimensions and material may differ from those in the plan.
- Adjust joints to the parts you have actually cut.
- Responsibility for how the build is carried out rests with the builder.
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External sellers
BenchRoot Does Not Run the Checkout.
BenchRoot may link to products and external sellers. Following such a link takes you off BenchRoot, to a business that sets its own terms.
BenchRoot provides
- Information about the product or task
- The basis of any comparison
- A disclosure where a link is an affiliate link
The seller controls
- Price, availability and product specifications
- Payment and checkout
- Shipping, returns and warranties
- Its own terms and policies
- Products, specifications, prices and availability can change after a page is written.
- Affiliate compensation does not change BenchRoot’s factual conclusions.
- Affiliate links may appear on relevant pages, and those pages say so.
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No guaranteed result
The Same Drawing Can Meet Different Wood.
BenchRoot aims to publish useful, accurate information. Reference values still meet real-world variation, so BenchRoot cannot guarantee that:
- every material behaves the same way;
- every supplier’s dimensions match the examples;
- every tool setup produces the same result;
- a calculated quantity removes every offcut or error;
- a particular project result will be achieved.
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Errors & updates
Correct the Reference When the Facts Change.
Known factual errors are corrected on the page.
- A stronger source can replace a weaker one.
- Standards and product specifications can change, and the page follows them.
- Wording and whole pages can be revised.
- There is no public change log, and individual revisions are not timestamped.
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Intellectual property
Use the Work. Don’t Repackage the Library.
BenchRoot’s original writing, diagrams, drawings, layouts, calculators, branding and visual designs are BenchRoot content unless a page says otherwise.
You are welcome to
- Read and refer to BenchRoot
- Use calculator results in your own work
- Use the information in your own woodworking
- Link to BenchRoot pages
Please do not
- Republish whole articles
- Mirror the site
- Resell BenchRoot content
- Remove branding from drawings and pass them off as your own
- Copy large portions into another commercial publication
Not claimed by BenchRoot
- Public facts
- Standards
- Common formulas
- Manufacturer specifications
- Third-party trademarks
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Site changes
The Reference Can Change.
- Pages and features may be corrected, updated, reorganised or removed.
- BenchRoot does not promise uninterrupted availability.
- Addresses and functionality may change as the site develops.
- Calculations and data should not be treated as permanently fixed.
End of General Notes
Read the Note.Measure the Board.
BenchRoot gives you the reference. The board, the tool and the judgment stay with you at the bench.