How much material a saw blade eats across multiple cuts — ripping, crosscuts, bandsaw, laser.
Kerf per cut
0.1250 in
Total material lost
0.104 ft across 10 cuts
1.250 in
Remaining stock
Started with 96.0 in
94.750 in
Waste percentage
1.30%
Every saw cut removes material equal to the blade thickness — the kerf. Ten cuts on a 1/8 in table-saw blade eats 1-1/4 inches of stock. That’s why you cut slightly oversize and sneak up on final dimension, and why cut lists need to account for the sum of all kerfs when you’re trying to hit a final total length.
Bandsaws and Japanese pull saws have much thinner kerfs — better for book-matching and resawing where every 1/32 in matters. Laser and CNC cuts are nearly kerfless, but not zero.
total_kerf_loss = kerf_width × number_of_cuts
remaining = stock_length − total_kerf_loss
Plywood Sheet Layout
Maximize pieces per 4x8 or 5x5 sheet — best orientation, kerf allowance, and waste percentage.
Board Feet
Convert lumber dimensions to board feet and project cost — the standard unit for buying rough lumber.
Wood Project Cost
Add lumber, hardware, finish, and labor into a true project cost — and cost per piece if you are making multiples.