Pipe Cutting Optimizer
Plan pipe and tube cuts before you pick up the saw. Enter your stick lengths — 21 ft steel, 10 ft copper or PVC, anything your supplier delivers — and your cut list, then review the drops and scrap before cutting.
Reading the bars: parts are outlined boxes · kerf is a solid black band · blocked zones are grey · drop has a dashed border · scrap is hatched.
Actions
Export, print, share, or saveExport & print
Save this plan and more
- ✓Save projects and revisit them later
- ✓Stock presets — one-click fill
- ✓Cutter and kerf presets — always ready
Pipe Cutting Optimizer — common questions
How do I allow for threading or beveling?+
Add the allowance to each cut length before you enter it — if a 60 in run needs 1 in extra for threading both ends, enter 62 in. The optimizer then nests the true consumed length.
What kerf should I use for a chop saw versus a tubing cutter?+
A wheel-style tubing cutter displaces material rather than removing it, so enter 0. Chop saws and bandsaws remove roughly 1/16 to 1/8 in (1.5–3 mm) — measure a cut on your machine to be sure.
What are standard pipe stick lengths?+
Steel pipe commonly ships in 21 ft sticks; copper and PVC in 10 ft or 20 ft. Enter whatever lengths you actually stock — mixed lengths in one run are fine.
Can I keep usable remnants?+
Yes. Set a minimum drop per stock row and the layouts will distinguish remnants worth saving from scrap too short to use.
New to cutting optimization? Read the cutting guides, or try the general linear cutting calculator.