Project Planning
Time vs Material Tradeoff Calculator
Should you spend an extra hour planing to save a board, or just buy another board? Quantify the trade.
Calculator
What makes this different
Generic calculators assume infinite time and material. This one lets you set a board-foot price, an hourly value, and a 'waste tolerance', and shows the breakeven where your time stops being worth the wood it saves.
Who it's for & when to use it
Deciding how fussy to be at the lumber rack; deciding whether to plane a board or skip it.
How to use
- Enter the dimensions of your material or the parameters of your project.
- Adjust the optional knobs (waste factor, kerf, planer allowance) to match your shop practice.
- Click Calculate and read the output. Use the per-item breakdown for ordering, the totals for budgeting.
- Compare the result to your lumber yard's quote — the effective $/BF column is the apples-to-apples number.
Formula: Expected savings = BF × price × BF × salvage_pct. Breakeven time = expected savings / hourly.
Notes & tips from the shop
- Your hourly value should be conservative — if you set it high, you'll always buy and never invest in craft.
- Salvage probability is a guess, but it forces the question: is the work likely to pay off?
- On expensive exotics (ebony, rosewood) the breakeven is much higher than on pine — spend the time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate salvage probability?
Look at the board — is the defect local or systemic? Local = high salvage. Widespread = low salvage.
What if the time isn't pure labor but also learning?
Include learning only the first time. After three attempts, you're not learning anymore.
Does this work for joint fit, not just lumber?
Yes — replace BF with 'cost of the joint piece', salvage with 'chance the fit works'.
Limitations
Pure economic model. Craft satisfaction and risk tolerance are not modeled.
All calculations happen in your browser — nothing you type is sent to a server.