Saw Kerf and Why it Matters

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Are your boards always coming up short no matter how many times you measure before cutting?

It's all about the part of your board that turns to sawdust when you make a cut. Better known as kerf.

What is kerf?

Simply put, the saw kerf is the thickness of the cut made by a blade.

How do I know what the kerf is of my saw blade?

Typically, the kerf width of a blade is listed clearly on the blade packaging, but you can cut a scrap piece of wood to measure the kerf of your blade.

Marking the board for the cut.

When you measure a board to cut, you always mark it with a thin pencil line.

Where to place your saw blade for the cut.

You always want to cut on the outside edge of that line to make sure that the saw kerf does not take away any of the board you need.

How much saw kerf is there?

There are a few things that determine the kerf of a saw blade: the width of the blade the way the carbide teeth are angled away from the blade wobble of the blade.