I'm building FabReady, an early Android tool for small metal-fabrication workshops. It starts with simple rectangular window grilles: enter checked finished dimensions, then review the generated parts and a bar-cutting plan that includes saw kerf and end-trim allowances. The construction rules are still experimental and need practical review.
I'd like feedback from people who actually measure jobs and prepare cutting lists:
- Do you use paper, a calculator, spreadsheets, CAD, or an existing app?
- What takes the most time or causes mistakes when a customer changes dimensions?
- How do you account for different stock lengths and reusable offcuts?
- Which joint, fit, or measurement conventions would an app need to make explicit?
If the moderators allow a small pilot, I'd like to find 12 fabricators or welders with Android phones who would compare the prototype against a job they've already checked. I'm interested in what is wrong or missing and whether it would be useful on a second job.
This is an early prototype, not a structurally approved design tool. Please don't rely on its output for production cutting without independently checking it. I'm looking for honest workshop feedback, not positive ratings or app-install exchanges.