Skip to main content
Stesso

Marking the Cut and Accounting for Kerf

1:23
2:26
18K views

At 1:23 in

Miter saw explained

Watch on YouTube

What happens here

To prepare for a cut, use a speed square and a pencil to draw a precise line on your wooden board where you intend to cut. It's crucial to remember the 'kerf' of the blade, which is the amount of material removed by the saw blade, typically 1/8 inch thick. If you want to keep the board's piece to the left of the line, cut on the right side of the line, allowing the blade's kerf to remove material from the waste side. Conversely, if you want to keep the piece to the right, cut on the left side of the line. Failing to account for the kerf will result in your final piece being 1/8 inch shorter than intended.

Goal: Accurately mark the cutting line while considering blade kerf.

Tools and materials

  • Pencil — Marking the cutting line
  • Speed Square — Marking straight lines on the board
  • Wood Board — The material to be cut

What they say

Hide

cross like that or you're going to lose an arm. Now, let's make a cut. Go ahead and take your speed square, put it on your board, draw a line. Now, remember, if you want to keep this side of the board, cut on this side of the line. If you want to keep this side of the board, cut on this side of the line. You have to remember the kerf of your blade is an 8-in thick. If you cut on the wrong side of the line, you're going to lose that 8th of an inch. All right, safety glasses on, battery or plug it in.

Auto-generated from the video audio.