Same cabinet, different build method
Dimensions and material stay the same, only the construction changes. The difference is bigger than most people expect — and it is decided before the first cut.
Describe the item
Set automatically, as in the app: Strut cross-section – · Panelling –
Difference between the heaviest and lightest build method
–
That much is decided by the construction alone — with identical dimensions and identical material.
Weight by build method
How it is calculated
For every build method the dimensions produce a material area or a volume: for the closed box two base areas plus perimeter times height, for the open box without the lid, for the carcass ring only the four walls. Times the material thickness that gives a volume, times the density the weight.
The open frame does not work with areas but with four corner posts and two struts running all round. Frame with panelling is the same frame plus a thin outer skin. The app sets both figures automatically from the item's dimensions — the values are shown next to the input.
Shelves are added as extra areas, in the same material thickness. Densities and formulas come from the same source as the app, checked against the Python mirror of the app code.
What the calculator does not cover
Rectangular furniture, one material, no cut-outs for wheel arches, no doors and drawers, no roof taper. The app handles all of that — here it is about comparing the build methods, not about the last screw.
For the whole conversion
In the app you draw every item with its shape, dimensions, material and build method. It works out the weight itself, including cut-outs, doors and drawers — and it feeds straight into payload and axle load.
Open the app in your browserThe densities are catalogue values from the app. Real boards vary by batch and moisture; if in doubt weigh a board and carry on with that figure.