MDF · Melamine · Chipboard
Free MDF and Melamine Cut Calculator
This MDF cut calculator plans your cuts on MDF, melamine-faced chipboard and other sheet materials. Enter the parts you need and the boards you can buy, press Calculate, and get a cutting diagram with the number of boards, the cut order for the panel saw and the waste on each board. It runs in your browser, and your first 5 calculations need no account. The example above is a simple melamine wardrobe: replace it with your own sizes.
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How to plan MDF and melamine cuts
- Enter your parts. Type the length, width and quantity of each part in the Panels table, for example cabinet sides, shelves and doors. Labels make the parts easy to find on the diagram.
- Enter your boards. Put the board size in Stock sheets, for example 2440 × 1220 mm for MDF or 2800 × 2070 mm for melamine chipboard. Add each thickness or color as its own material if you mix them.
- Set the kerf and edge banding. Enter the thickness of your saw blade. Turn on edge banding and tick the edges that get tape to see the total length and cost.
- Calculate and cut. The optimizer draws each board to scale and numbers the cuts in order. Print the plan or send it as a PDF to the shop that cuts your boards.
Built for furniture boards
Fewer boards
The optimizer tries many arrangements and keeps the one that uses the fewest boards and leaves the largest reusable offcut.
Edge banding totals
Mark the banded edges of each part and get the total tape length per board and for the whole job, with the cost at your price per meter.
Materials and colors
Give each part and board a material such as “18 mm white” or “16 mm oak”. Parts are only placed on boards of the same material.
Wood-grain decors
Plain MDF and solid colors can rotate freely. For wood-grain melamine, lock the parts whose grain must run one way, such as doors and visible sides.
Panel saw friendly
Every cut goes straight across the piece, so the plan works on a panel saw, a table saw or a track saw.
Export
Save the cut list as CSV, export a PNG of a board or print the full cutting plan.
Common MDF and melamine board sizes
Board sizes vary by country and supplier, so check what your merchant stocks. MDF is commonly sold in 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 25 mm, and melamine chipboard most often in 16 or 18 mm.
| Board | Millimeters | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| MDF, standard sheet | 2440 × 1220 | 96 × 48 |
| MDF, long sheet | 3050 × 1220 | 120 × 48 |
| Melamine chipboard (common in Europe) | 2800 × 2070 | 110.2 × 81.5 |
| Melamine chipboard, smaller board | 2750 × 1830 | 108.3 × 72 |
| Melamine (North America) | 2440 × 1220 | 96 × 49 |
Tips for cutting MDF and melamine
- Prevent chipping on melamine. Use a sharp blade with many teeth, or a scoring blade on a panel saw. With a circular saw or track saw, cut with the good face down or use a splinter guard.
- Trim the factory edges. Board edges are often damaged in transport. Enter boards 10 mm smaller than their nominal size if you want to trim every edge clean.
- Control the dust. MDF makes very fine dust. Cut with dust extraction and wear a dust mask.
- Plan the edge banding. Edge banding adds thickness to each banded edge. If you use thick tape, subtract it from the part size before you calculate.
- Cut long parts first. Rip the board into strips for the long parts, such as sides and doors, then cut the smaller parts from what is left.
Frequently asked questions
How many MDF sheets do I need?
Enter all your parts and one board size, then press Calculate. The Global statistics panel shows how many boards the layout uses and how much material is wasted.
What is the difference between MDF and melamine?
MDF is a board made from fine wood fibers, usually painted or veneered. Melamine board is usually chipboard (particle board) covered with a hard decorative surface on both sides. Both are cut the same way, so the calculator works for both.
What kerf should I use for MDF and melamine?
Use the thickness of your blade. Table saw blades are usually about 3 mm and panel saw blades a little more, often 3.2 to 4.4 mm. Check the number printed on your blade.
Can I calculate edge banding?
Yes. Turn on Edge banding in Options, tick the edges of each part that get tape, and set a price per meter. You get the total length and cost.
Does grain direction matter for melamine?
For plain colors it does not. For wood-grain decors it does: turn on grain direction and lock the visible parts so they are never rotated.
Is the MDF cut calculator free?
Yes. You can calculate without an account, and a free account gives you more calculations each day. Pro and Lifetime plans remove the daily limit.
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