# How do you identify the parts you cut?



## SmartCutter (Nov 2, 2011)

For those who cut parts frequently from large cutlists, I was wondering how do you identify your parts after cutting them? Do you use lable stickers? What size? Or do you just mark each part with a pencil?

The question might sound a little strange, but I guess it would help to know why I'm asking it. Basically I received this feature request for a Cutlist Software that I'm working on to add the ability to print label stickers for parts so that they can just be stuck to the parts as they are cut from the sheet, so I'm trying to sense how popular such feature would be. This is especially useful when cutting many parts for one job.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

I think that would be a good feature.

Herb


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

i just mark with a pencil. but if you're a smart cutter  you might like the labels, but what about when you're sanding parts, is it easy peel off label and reattach?


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

soft leaded carpenter's pencil


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## SmartCutter (Nov 2, 2011)

But if you are sanding parts, wouldn't the pencil marking fade away with the sanding as well? With the label sticker idea, you can just peel it off with the sander, then print another copy of the labels to stick on the sanded parts afterwards. Are there any better ideas?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I mark the ends with a crayon, or chalk if the wood is dark.

You can't get fancy with a crayon so I use numbers and letters
like A1, A2, B1, B2 and so forth. My cutlist tells me what the
numbers mean.


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## SmartCutter (Nov 2, 2011)

So If the cutlist software allows you to print X quantity of label stickers for each part according to the cutlist layout, with the part label & dimensions printed on the label, would this be better than the pencil/crayon/chalk manual marking approach?

Another idea is to print the color of each part label differently, so if you have a color printer, that would make it even easier to identify each part from a distance by looking at the label color.

For the lable size, 2x1 should be good enough to stick at the part's corner.


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## BAKTHA (Jan 4, 2012)

Where the parts are getting sanded only on one side, then the sticker could be fixed on the other side.

But I adopt a different way of using stickers,

i put stickers in the edges of pieces being joined together, with matching numbers written on them with permanent markers.

This way, I also find it easier to decide, which side to be sanded and which side gets lamination, without sanding.


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## Pete_Jud (Feb 15, 2008)

I use a lot of chalk in the shop. Sands off easy, and cheap.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Part id stickers are are used bigger shops. They also use barcodes
in some cases. I would use stickers if the cutlist software interfaced
with Sketchup. If I had to enter my data for the cutlist manually,
I probably wouldn't use the stickers much.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

Well, define large cutlists.

Usually if I need to keep track of parts, I will write what it is on the edge grain, if it's plywood it won't be visible, if it's wood, then I can sand it away when I sand the edges easily enough. But honestly in most cases, just working by myself, I know what the part is, no one is going to move it, mix pieces together, or anything else. If I have questions, I just measure and look at my cutlists.

The danger with a sticker is that they are adhesive, if you leave them there too long, then you're going to end up having to clean the sticker off because it will attach itself. If you do use a tape, get a low tack tape, it will take longer to stick itself permanently, and it won't pull the veneers on thin veneered plywoods like even blue or green tape will. (Low tack is typically white, and will cost a little more than the normal painters tapes, and will be marked in some method as low tack.)


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## mrtoasty (Jan 13, 2011)

Blue painters tape, then write on that. It leaves no residue and removes and reapplies easily. I write on it with a black marker.

Les


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## Dovetail_Tendonitise (Jan 1, 2012)

blue tape with pen and lots of chaulk; all easy clean up and no finishing issues.


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## SmartCutter (Nov 2, 2011)

So if there were printing paper that is made of blue painters tape, then the cutlist app would simply print all parts labels & dimensions onto this paper, that would be the ideal solution.

Otherwise, regular label sticker printing paper would have to do, as long as you don't plan on leaving the stickers on the parts for too long.

I'm convinced… I think I'll go ahead and implement this feature for the next release of Carpenter Pro.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I identify parts I cut like this:

Finger

Knuckle

Elbow

Gizzard

Sorry, I just couldn't help it. The topic struck me as odd, especially after a night of little sleep.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

Chalk cheap and sand off easily


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

If the parts are the *wrong dimensions*, Then anybody can *identify* them as *mine*

I think I have a similar affliction as Dallas!


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

I usually use a two letter memonic name for the part type and then the cabinet number.

e.g. TO 5 is the Top for Cabinet #5

I mark the edges with a black sharpie as they come off the CNC machine.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

another blue tape and pencil.


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## dannelson (Nov 28, 2011)

I use the lables for plywood parts only . I look at the cutlist print out by sheet number = plywood sheet and apply them to the approx location on the plywood and cut it on the cnc. for faceframes it chalk based on the finish size of the cabinet. (B31 UP36 )you can figure out where it goes pretty easy


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## MoshupTrail (Aug 11, 2011)

If you were manufacturing a kit to be assembled by the purchaser it would be very professional to have all the parts nicely labeled with removable stickers.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Blue/masking tape (I will also use gaffer's tape when the wood is especially hard to stick the tape too…..and a pencil/pen. If there are alot of items….I might use some colored dot stickers to group the pieces (I put the dot on the endgrain). Too much work to print a label…then stick to the part - especially if there are alot of parts.

I also use the tape to indicate the joining edges, the top or inside and various other important considerations. Printing all those kinds of labels would take alot of extra time….not to mention remembering to remove all of them before sanding or applying finish. I would be worried about stickers that might leave residue that would compromise a stain or oil finish.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I mark mine on ends with heavy pencil, using same method Jim Tolpin explains in his books.


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

I do my preliminary designs with good old paper and pencil on a drafting table. Once I am happy with the dimensions I start creating a cut list with the rough dimension of parts and give each part a corresponding number. As I cut each part I mark the P/N on back along with key information like top, bottom, right, left, upper, lower, etc. This information stays on the part until assembly. If pre- assembly sanding has to be done I make a blue tape tag that goes back on the part until assembly.

There have been more than a few times that I have picked up a part and cut off the wrong end due to not marking and indexing.


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## SmartCutter (Nov 2, 2011)

Well, based on the feedback, I went ahead and added the "Parts Stickers & Labels" feature to my cutlist app "Carpenter Pro" so now you should be able to auto generate barcode size 2×1 colored stickers for all parts in the cutlist. The colored stickers will show part name, dimensions, color (as specified in the cutlist) and the wood grain direction for the part relative to its dimensions, just as a final check. Here are some examples of these colored stickers:


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

-


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## onlinelabels (Feb 10, 2013)

SmartCutter - Do you have the specific configuration specs of the label sheet that you have displayed in your post?

I work at OnlineLabels.com and I would like to offer that sheet configuration as one of our standard label sheet sizes at OnlineLabels.com.

Here is a 2 x 1 label sheet configuration, but I'm not sure if it lays out exactly the same as your format -

Here are all the current standard label sizes at OnlineLabels.com

Let me know.

Dave Carmany


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

I use a pencil on the unseen side. It sands off easily when I want it off and leaves no residue.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I use a lumber crayon.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

I use a black Sharpie on an area that won't be seen, like the top of the leg, the end of a tenon, etc. That also helps me keep track of the orientation of the part.


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## mbs (May 8, 2010)

I've used stickers before that printed automatically from my cabinet software. The type of sticker I used was very sticky and difficult to get off at times. Blue tape works well.


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