Kerf

Kerf is the width of material removed by a cutting process, producing a slit or groove in the workpiece. The term is used across woodworking, metalworking, glass cutting, and other manufacturing disciplines to describe the amount of waste produced by a cut and, by extension, the thickness of the removed material.

In woodworking, kerf is most often discussed in relation to saw blades. The kerf width is determined primarily by blade thickness, but it can be influenced by tooth design, blade drift, and how the workpiece is fed through the cut. Standard full-kerf blades are about 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) thick, while thin-kerf blades may be around 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or less, which reduces waste but can affect blade strength and cut quality. Different cuts (rip versus crosscuts) can also interact with kerf width due to blade orientation and setup.

In metalworking and other processes, kerf width varies more widely. Plasma, waterjet, and laser cutting produce kerfs whose width depends on beam characteristics, material properties, and focus. Laser kerf, for example, can range from sub-millimeter to several millimeters in less precise systems, with tighter kerfs in high-resolution, well-focused setups.

Measuring and accounting for kerf is important when multiple pieces must fit together or when precise final dimensions are required. Practices include testing cuts to determine actual kerf, using calipers to measure waste, and adjusting layouts to compensate for kerf. Some joints are designed to tolerate kerf, while others require deliberate undersizing or oversizing to achieve accurate results.