Free cut list · 48" W × 72" H × 24" D
Garage shelving cut list
A 48" wide, 72" tall, 24" deep shelving unit with four shelves. One sheet of 3/4" plywood yields all four shelves at about 98 percent; the frame takes ten 8 ft 2×4s.
A 4×8 sheet is nominally four 2×4 shelves, but four full 24 × 48 pieces leave nothing for the saw kerf. Cutting the shelves at 23.75 × 47.75 solves that: two rips at 23.75" and two crosscuts at 47.75" fit on one sheet with the kerf accounted for, and the unit is still 4 ft wide and 2 ft deep overall.
Each shelf sits on a 2×4 frame: two long rails and three cross rails. Four 72" uprights carry the frames. The lumber list is sized so each 8 ft stud carries two useful pieces, which is why ten studs cover the whole frame with little left over.
At a glance
- Overall size 48" wide × 72" tall × 24" deep
- Material 3/4" plywood (shelves) plus 2×4 lumber for the frame
- Sheet parts 4 pieces, 1 sizes
- Units Inches. Type millimeter values into the calculator to work metric.
Cut list
| Part | Size (in) | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf | 47.75 × 23.75 | 4 | 1/4" under 2 × 4 ft so all four fit with the kerf. |
| Part | Size | Qty | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uprights | 72" long | 4 | 2×4 | One at each corner. |
| Long rails | 47.75" long | 8 | 2×4 | Two per shelf, front and back. |
| Cross rails | 20.75" long | 12 | 2×4 | Three per shelf, between the long rails. 23.75 minus two 1.5" rails. |
Lumber list
These cuts only need a length, so they belong in the 1D calculator. Stock length 96", kerf 0.125".
| Piece | Length (in) | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Upright | 72 | 4 |
| Long rail | 47.75 | 8 |
| Cross rail | 20.75 | 12 |
Sheet layout calculator
Pre-filled with the cut list above. Change a size, quantity, or the sheet dimensions and recalculate.
Cut layout
Cutting order
- Rip the sheet in half. Two rips at 23.75" use the full 48" width of the sheet with one kerf between them.
- Crosscut each rip in half. Cut each strip at 47.75" to get the four shelves. Check that the real sheet is a full 96" before trusting the second cut.
- Cut the frame lumber. Run the 2×4 list through the board calculator. Four studs each give an upright and a cross rail, four give two long rails, and two give four cross rails each.
- Build the frames flat, then stand them up. Screw each shelf frame together on the floor, attach the uprights, and drop the plywood on top. Space the shelves to suit what you store.
Questions
How many 2×4s does the frame take?
Ten 8 ft studs at a 1/8" kerf. The calculator pairs a 72" upright with a 20.75" cross rail on four studs, two 47.75" long rails on four studs, and four cross rails on each of the last two.
Can I get five shelves from one sheet?
No. A fifth 23.75 × 47.75 shelf needs a second sheet, and the calculator shows the pair of sheets at about 62 percent yield. If you want five shelves, cut the fifth from 1/2" plywood left over from another job or make the unit 8 ft tall and buy a second sheet for eight shelves.
What about an 8 ft tall unit?
Change the uprights to 96" and the frame takes eleven studs, since each full-length upright uses a whole stud. The shelf count on the plywood side does not change.
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