5 Tips For MORE ACCURATE CUTS! (On Any Saw--Make More Accurate Cuts)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- Check Out Our FREE GUIDE: 25 Must-Have Carpentry Tools...Under $25 Each!
www.thehonestcarpenter.com/
AFFILIATE TOOL LINKS:
Irwin Carpenter Pencil Sharpener:
amzn.to/3sOb6Ks
Makita Circular Saw:
amzn.to/3bTcRz3
Dewalt Miter Saw:
amzn.to/3rakgAk
Stanley Tape Measure:
amzn.to/3qcjYYk
Occidental Fat Lip Tool Belt:
amzn.to/2OeMHi0
Occidental Tool Belt Harness:
amzn.to/3bTimxL
These are affiliate links. When you shop through these links, we receive a tiny commission at NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU! Every little bit is greatly appreciated!
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:
/ thehonestcarpenter
FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN:
/ thehonestcarpenter
5 Tips For MORE ACCURATE CUTS! (On Any Saw--Make More Accurate Cuts)
Carpenters make money from the speed and accuracy of their cuts. Here are 5 tips to get more accurate cuts from any saw you use. These fundamentals will apply to nearly all carpentry and woodworking projects!
1) USE A SHARP PENCIL -- making more accurate cuts starts with making more accurate marks. Be sure you always have a very sharp pencil. I like to fine tune my pencils with a utility knife. For carpenter pencils, I typically use a custom sharpener if I have one.
2) USE A CROW'S FOOT -- A crow's foot is a v-shape mark. I like to use these instead of just a dash. The point of the crow's foot is your actual cut mark. It keeps you from confusing yourself as lumber gets moved around.
3) SIGHT DOWN THE BLADE -- To get more accurate cuts, sight down the saw blade wherever possible. Get your eye in line with the cut path (while the saw is off!) This helps create a better line-up with the saw blade TOOTH. You can check alignment from behind on circular saws as well.
4) SPLIT THE LINE -- If you're already using a sharp pencil, you can further increase cut accuracy by trying to split your plotted cut lines. Try to cut them in half right up the center. Woodworkers in particular like to cut to this standard.
5) MAKE AN INDENTATION -- If you're working quickly, you can check your accuracy before cutting by making an indentation in the wood with the saw blade tooth. I only do this where lumber quality isn't TOO important. I also fire up the circular saw and make a little notch sometimes on the waste side of the line, then move towards the cut line itself.
If done correctly, these 5 tips will help you MAKE MORE ACCURATE CUTS!
Thanks for watching. Be sure to check us out at The Honest Carpenter website:
www.thehonestcarpenter.com 
Хобби
I really love how you don't shy away from focusing on the basics in great detail. It's super useful for DIYers who don't have formal training in carpentry.
Exactly what I came to comment! Thank you so much!
This comment a 100%!
Bought this for my friend for his birthday, and he loves it. Father-in-law was a little jealous, even. :) Built solid, but light enough to move around for projects. Easy to use ruclips.net/user/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe and makes great precision cuts. Doesn't come with a laser mount, but the fence is straight as an arrow and if you measure carefully, it's not a problem. Can handle dimensional lumber with ease, but of course, there's a limit to how thick. Handled a 4x4" post without a problem, but 4x6" we had to flip and cut twice. Only thing we've noticed is make sure to tighten the nut that holds the saw blade when you take it out of the box and maybe check up on it occasionally. For some, this is probably a no-brainer, but we neglected to do this and a few months in, found the motor running but the blade spinning at about half speed or less. Tightened the nut, and problem was solved. Very happy with this purchase. Dewalt makes sturdy stuff.
i dont know if you will see this since i just viewed today.....my father was a carpenter and ran a crew when i started going to the jobsite with him at age 7.....i watched him alot in what he did during the day and things he instilled in me...im 62 now...always having a sharp pencil using his utility knife...using the crows foot...he always did...and since he ran a crew i do remember him using the word kerf to them....those were years ago......pops would have enjoyed this...he would have been 90 today...thx for the memories...
I hope you keep making these videos. I am 50 years old and have worked non-professionally with wood for most of my adult life doing DIY projects and so forth. While I did work in the carpentry shop for a very short period of time, your videos are not only encouraging and enlightening but really well done.
Thank you, Ron! I appreciate you watching, and I’m glad they’re helpful 🙂
I recommend a mechanical pencil for trim carpentry. I only use a carpenter pencil or regular #2 for rough framing and anything else that doesn't need to be super accurate.
I always use a mechanical pencil they are the best! Plus you can get a pack of 5 for a $1 at any dollar store.
Good tips well explained. I use the crow's food in 2 ways. Firstly like in the video, secondly I overdo the curve on the second strike mark and use this to denote the waste side. That way if I have to leave a project I don't forget which bits of wood are which.
Awesome idea, do you believe HC allows us to think for ourselves as you did?
Wonderful website.
Funny as I do the opposite, long leg of V on the ‘keep’ side. Now I’ll probably 2nd guess myself and wonder... keep or waste? 😀
Another great tip. Thank you.
Something else to be aware of is that some saw blades will have teeth that alternate left and right. Be sure to position the cut on the correct tooth, or you'll be off by a tiny fraction -- enough to mess up a critical joint in a cabinet piece.
HI! Just wanted to say I really appreciate your videos! I studied carpentry for a couple of years some years ago, but it never really developed into anything even though I really enjoyed it.I recently bought some power tools, rented a bit of space to work and getting back into it as a hobby. Your videos are really helping me out! Thanks a lot and keep up the good work!
Your tips are great! I spent the week cutting boards for a deck and with your hint on using the set square, I got right angle cuts each time (finally)- a major achievement.
New Here. Newbie to woodworking. I finally know why stuff has been off. Thank You Sir!!! Much Appreciated!!!👍😎
I'm laying hardwood flooring and these tips have proven very helpful! Can't believe how many HC vids I've watched and added to favorites to return to again and again for refreshers.
Novice woodworker here... Can't thank you enough for this video and all your videos actually. Really up there with Steve Ramsey and such with must know info for anyone touching a tool to wood!
Much appreciation from a small town in South Africa 🇿🇦🇿🇦
God bless!
Always, always learning great stuff from you! Thanks a lot!
This was a great upload. Informative, laconic and entertaining for anyone who enjoys working with wood. 👍🏽
Thanks for the video. As a hobby woodworker, I had a lot of trouble with cut accuracy and repeatability until I started using a marking knife (still room for growth). I'd once thought they were some hoity toity tool for fancy work, now I see it differently. Removing the wood on one side of an existing cut is so much easier than eyeballing a line for those like me. For a pencil, the rugged Pentel GraphGear comes in a variety of sizes from .3mm to .9mm. On these, the tip retracts to protect the graphite when the pocket clip is opened, and pops back out with a push on the end. Finally, a mechanical pencil that belongs on a job site or in the shop.
Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing these tips.
Your tips on the pencil I can't stress enough. It's so important to pretty much every facet of construction from carpentry, roofing, drywall, you name it!
Going to be cutting a lot of baseboard so will be using these tips to get better accuracy. Thank you for all your helpful videos. Keep ‘em coming.
Love the videos! Thanks so much. One additional for circular saws. Use a metal speed square as a fence. Try putting the speed square furthest away from you and squeeze it and cut away. You’ll have the best right triangle out there! Of course this only works on 2x4 and a bit larger.
I love that Crows foot tip. Makes sense as I have been struggling to get my cuts perfect on the line with my miter saw. Thank you!
If you want precise marks use a utility knife instead of a pencil. Also keeps plywood from splintering.
agree totally
I also agree with you sir ! ! Use a UTILITY KNIFE to make your mark. Cheers from Canada, Polar Bear country.
HAHAHAHA while I agree, Mitch Peacock refuses to allow that, that is accurate. I, therefore, unsubbed Mitch. If he had had the honesty to answer my challenge, I probably would not have unsubbed.
Are videos are very informative and to the point. VERY HELPFUL!!!
Thanks for these tips - very helpful for a newbie like me.
Love the explanations. No nonsense tips. 🥇
Thank you for these tips!
Thanks for sharing your ideas and honest tips. I believe it is very helpful and useful. Keep up it.
Great vid but especially appreciate the attention given to the fact even a pencil line has width 👍
Subbed
Great information as always.
Thank-you.
All your tips are helpful for beginners like me. Many 😊
Thank you Sir for your videos.
Super helpful tips - thanks for posting! :D
Awesome! Awesome! Thanks for the tips!!
Thanks, jumping over to the kerf video. I was dealing with that doing flooring & floor moldings! I’m thinking I need to rely more on my lower sight line rather than the miter laser.
Thanks for another great video! The crow's foot thing is so simple yet so helpful, I will start using it immediately. And thanks for making a series on cuts, this is still i think my biggest area of improvement, I still struggle when making cuts (just started woodworking a few months ago) so I'm definitely looking forward to those
I know power tools are fast and easy, but learning and practising with hand saws can be invaluable. Firstly it's a good skill to have. Sometimes a hand saw can be used for a quick cut that can be done in the same time as preparing your power tool. Buy 3 hand saws, A rip saw, the longer of the 2 in the hardware store, with big teeth, a cross-cut saw, the shorter one with smaller teeth and a Japanese style pull saw, with tiny teeth that work the other way round.
Practice using them on different types of wood. You will learn why some wood you can power through with a single pass on the powered saw and why some wood needs several shallower cuts. By cutting wood by hand, you also get a feel for how the wood and the grain effect the cut. Something that's easy to miss with an electric saw.
Finally the pull saw is a pleasure to use. I find myself adding in extra features into my projects, like dowels, splines and suchlike, just because trimming the fancy bits flush to the wood's surface is weirdly satisfying.
Unless you are going to use the hand saws all the time or do fine carpentry, don't spend lots of cash on these (maybe the pull saw, as I'm guessing you'll love using it too).
Welcome to woodworking and the delights of finding sawdust in the weirdest places.
@@maxximumbthank you so much, I really appreciate the time you took to write that, I will definitely follow your advice
Just stumbled on your channel. Great info on your videos. Some good reminders And some stuff I haven’t considered before. So much better than someone yelling at me about how I am not using the right finish on my cutting boards...
Brilliant. I always think the answers to most problems are right there in front of your eyes if you open them. Sharp pencil over blunt 👏
Thanks for this
Great stuff
Thnx. Good advice
Thanks for the tips.
thanks for the tutorial. 👍👍
Useful tips.
Thanks buddy!
good stuff thanks
GREAT TIPS!!
Thanks for sharing this great information 👍
You're welcome, Stephen!
Excellent!
Man i really like these videos. They feel like theyre for someone who is being trained by a full tradesman. Im learning to do anything from siding to windows and in between. We r literally adding an inch to every side of a house. Gotta measure a lot and cut high. Always remember...u cant add the wood back
yo whoever bro is give him a reward straight to the point and w tips that actually work
Great tips mate. Definitely going to use the crows foot one.
Honestly bro thank you so much, i would have never thought of these😭😭😭
I really love your videos and the levels of depth you go into when explaining! Can you do a video on miter saws? I’m looking at getting one and there isn’t much on the way in RUclips on quality basic miter saw usage and terms. For example there are single bevel and double bevel types but not clear on what that means. Anyways thanks for all you do and looking forward to the next one!
Good info Ethan. A good tip for beginners using a mitersaw.... if you are cutting a board just a bit to deep when you cut it, instead of lifting the board up, support it with a scrap board raising the board you want to cut and using more of the blade to cut said board. Just make sure your bottom board is at least the width ( left to right) of the mitersaw so as not to pinch the blade.
I do all of this! Especially that last one!!!
Good advice! There are also those who go beyond keeing your pencil sharp and say you should mark with a knife.
Followed your tips and my cuts came out perfect. I did notice for me, having the waste cut on my left side, was more comfortable, than on my right and seemed to help alignment.
I am right handed
Kerf, backing blocks and crow's feet. My fall projects will be on point now! Thanks man!
You’re welcome, Mr B!
I have been marking with the “Crows Foot” for years, however... now I can only see out of the lower half of my Left Eye, I am pretty much Blind. I have been building shelves and thankfully most of it is spot on. Thinking ahead is so important in any job tho, just as important as making the correct cut..make sure you have thought about the project at hand very thoroughly, get all of the required tools and materials set and ready to go.
@Philip B A couple of reasons, Glaucoma is one and I was born with a Pinched Optical Nerve in my right eye. The Glaucoma has slowly reduced the vision in my left eye, the entire Top Half of my left eye is blind…and I can only see light, colors and shapes with my right eye, no details.
thank you!
Good vid, kerf will vary depending on material and needed outcome. I always use save the line using a sharp pencil, this allows for mistake on the big side and that can be corrected cheap and easy.
You should add a link in the description to your kerf video. Great tips thanks!
Here’s some tips for you:
Accurate work requires three elements
Measure accurately
Mark accurately
Cut accurately
Crows foot is for framers
Finish carpenters use a tick mark
Accurate cuts requires walking your material into the cut, or mark.
Marking is an art. Beginners should measure and mark, then measure again. The second measure tells the beginner whether to cut to the left, middle or right of the tick mark. Even experienced carpenters use this method if they are cutting to an accuracy of 1/32”. Given that most tape measures are calibrated to the sixteenth of an inch, one can still measure to the thirty second. For instance, 17/32” is in between 1/2 and 9/16. This is simply called 1/2 plus, or written as 1/2 +. 25/32 is written as 3/4+. This can be made even one step simpler. Think like metrics and use only one denominator, sixteenths. So in my first example 1/2+ is written as 8+, and 3/4+ is written as 12+. Inches goes before, so that 12 17/32 is written as 12 8+. In other words, first number (12) is inches, second number (8) represents sixteenths and + represents the undefined space on the tape after 8/16. So what’s
12 31/32”? It’s 12 15+.
I found that the big thick red school pencils work great as carpenter's pencils, plus their round body means that they can be sharpened in a regular hand-cranked rotary-cutter sharpener. :D
Lots of good comments here, especially for using the crows foot as a way of determining the cut or waste side. My dad taught me to mark an X on the waste side of the crows foot so that's what I do. Great video!
Thanks Dave! I’ll often put x’s or a long squiggly line to my waste side as well 🙂
Really good tips Ethan. Recently purchased one of those mechanical carpenter pencils with the chubby lead online from Czechoslovakia...super good quality and highly recommended for rough work.
I know. Worth every penny.
Thank You 👍✅
One of your most important tutorials . Much appreciated .
Hello. We have a lot of carpentry work ahead at my project house. We are just home diy-ers so all the help is needed. Thanks for the tips we'll do the crows feet from now on & setting the blade correctly 👍👍
You're welcome, Paivi! Good luck with all the upcoming projects, and work safe!
@@TheHonestCarpenter Hey thank you very much. Yes so far no lost of any body parts... mind maybe :)
Good Stuff
Nice work EJ,.. a bit off topic, If ya ever hit lotto, go out and get yourself a worm drive SkilSaw... I'm a big Makita fan also, but I'm a bigger "tool" fan. I have a half dozen saws and the Skil or Bosch version worm drive is tops in 7 1/4 and larger saws. Believe me, I've bought and tried them all. . For sight, weight and absolute comfort, you'll never beat them or go back. I've converted more guys than I can count on the job sites over the years. Larry Haun and the essential carpenter will attest to it. I don't push the saw, I just leave it on the cutter's bench and they use it, .. game over. Thanks again madman.
I like to use a speed square as a saw guide to keep everything perfectly square with speed and very little effort
@Cristiano Brett Did you see me?
I was taught to do that
I was taught to make the crows foot mark years ago, nice to hear I wasn't led astray.
Thanks. For years I preferred dull pencils because the line was wider and easier to see. Then I would trim to size. It didn't occur to me if I just used a sharp pencil I would save myself a lot of extra work.
Thx! Where i need to improve!
It's always a work in progress OnionHead. Thanks for watching! 🙂
I still need convincing on splitting the line. To me, a line has a left side, a right side and the center. At first thought, splitting the line (assuming it's thin like a 5mm mechanical pencil) will could add your kerf dimension divide by 2off on your keeper side. I'd rather use a scribe and and still cut to the right of the mark assuming my keeper is on the left. Then I sneak it in with a test fit. If anything I get a 2nd chance. As I get older, I realize a good pair of glasses helps a ton. I need to get some.
The angle issue with eying up your cut is a parallax issue. Oh how we are so tempered to not eye up the cut but it's worth it. I use your circular saw method on the miter saw when my back hurts. Lol. You're awesome man! Thanks
As the engineer's like to say, measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk and cut with an axe. Before you can make an accurate cut, one needs accurate measurements. The most accurate measurement is no measurement at all. Hold your board in place and directly transfer the measurement. For a given project, relative measurements are more important than actual measurements (Ie you want several pieces the same length) so it is best to use the same measuring tool for the whole project (rulers are more accurate than tape measures, etc). As for marking your cut, a sharp pencil is good for framing and basic carpentry, for fine wood working a marking knife is much more precise. But remember wood moves, so measuring and cutting down to more accurate than 1/32" or 1mm is a waste of time (in my humble opinion).
As a motorcyclist I also a transfer a riding technique to use for long cuts such as long rips or in plywood, (marked or freehand). Look ahead to where you want to go (ie. Thru a turn/curve or following a cut line) instead of directly in front of your bike/blade, your natural hand- eye coordination will help prevent little over unnecessary over corections. Takes a bit of practice to gain trust in the technique but I find once you try it a few times you'll find it becomes 2nd nature. At least it does for me. 🖒
super video
it would be great if you could do a video about miter saws. tips, safey...
the crows foot is a super tip for me i always mark with a marker and a straight tick .Sharp pencil and crows foot it is
I find your points very helpful. However, I was surprised to see that you don't appear to mark the waste side of a cut line which allows you to place the saw blade without eating into the dimension of your workpiece.
Agree totally , when I mark my cut its about 1/2" long , from the centre of my mark I mark a v on waste side with point of v on cut line . Was one of the first things I learned during apprenticeship in Scotland .
I need you to get that video about basic cutting processes for each type of saw please!!
When I was taught to use the crows foot. I was told to make a -v ( or v- ) shaped mark. The point of the v was to the measurement and the - side was where the kerf is supposed to be. This way I can cut precisely to the measurement and not be off by a blade length
exactlly tools i have in plan to buy them :)
Split the line, my fun is cutting slabs/ paving, I'm gonna try that.🇬🇧
Miter saw -- The one I got like 10 years ago had an LED that shines down over the blade so you get an outline of the kerf on the wood. Very quick to get accurate cuts.
When you mentioned crow's feet, I was like WTH?!? Never heard it called that before. But I'm just starting out with woodworking. I really like your videos. Thanks for taking the time to do these and shortening the learning curve for some of us. 👍
Crows around here have 3 toes, so know it as a ‘V’ mark 😀
Crows foot is a penny drop moment for me. Thank you!
Same here.
OK guys, what is a "penny drop"?
A sudden moment of realisation. Its probably a British thing
*solid.*
Yeah we TRY for that accuracy, out in the AZ sun, after 5, 6, 7 hrs of salt burned eyes, neither working well, worn out cuz the cut man is behind and you're doing all the cuts off your boot, BUT at least when we do siding i have my multi tool so them cuts are damn near perfect all the way around wood or Hardy board. GOOD reminders!
Great intro video to accurate cuttings skills. Over the years my crows foot lost one toe 🤣
I just mark the side that will be removed by the kerf since marking the same exact point twice (both toes on the crows foot) can get off just a hair.
Thanks buddy! I see your point. That’s some next level carpentry skills. I still get sidetracked to often and confuse myself without a V 🤣
If you're first foot is slightly off you can readjust with the second
You have a custom sharpener to help you sharpen a pencil that was specifically designed to be sharpened by a knife?
The crow's foot tip is so simple but blew my mind cause it makes total sense. I've been doing it wrong the whole time!
Thanks Steve! It's one of those jobsite tricks I picked up years and years ago, and it has always served me well :)
Shear and brake metal fabrication people learn the crows foot / V scribe the first day on the job using chalk , pencils and metal scribes . Wish I was a better carpenter , but know metal fab and machining . ATB
It's actually the opposite for me. I've used the crows foot since middle school wood shop but just recently switched to marking a single tiny line for building cabinets. Much more accurate for me but I guess everyone is different.
apprentice rn but for making the crows feet i draw one line of the foot instead of a straight upright dash. usually the second line of the crows foot just makes it thicker
My issue with the mitre saw is I never knew whether to line the blade right in front, right behind or actually on the line. Thanks for the tips.
Good tips bro, haven't knew about the "crow's foot" thing! Also, I use my speedsquare, lined up with a circular saw or a jigsaw, to get accurate, straight cuts.
I think I saw you using speedsquare with a circular saw as well, but I can't recall the link to actual video ;)
I didn't read all the comments
but one thing I do is leave a squiggly line on the scrap side of the cut to be sure I don't end up with a short piece of wood
Bro the crow's feet tip is so rad. Thank you
I'm learning to make dado cuts with a router (might not be dado, it like a half way cut though the board so two boards can slot together to make one bigger piece). I measure and clamped my jig and adjusted my depth... afterwards it turns out I was 1/32nd off and had to readjust and cut again. I was super annoyed
You lastly hit upon what’s probably the most important tip, and that is called “walking” your material into the cut. That is done using a fixed blade, or miter/chop saw. Radial arm saw included. This technique traditionally is not used with a circular saw where accuracy is not as critical, though accuracy can be achieved with a guide fence clamped to your wood. Beyond that accurate measuring and marking is equally important.
There’s also a trick to measuring accurately. Tapes are usually calibrated to the sixteenth of an inch. To measure to the thirty second, or the space in between the 1/16 marks simply call out the measurement as two and 5/16 plus. It’s really the same as two and 6/16 minus. Writing it is easy too. First, use only one denominator, sixteenths of an inch. Like metrics. So write a 2 followed by a 5 with a line beneath it, slightly raised a bit higher, then add a plus sign. 2 and 5 plus. 2 5+. That’s essentially 2 11/32”, only your always using one denominator, sixteenths of an inch. A simple two inches is 2 and 0. 15/16” is 15 with a line under it. 31/32 is 15+ with a line under it.
Anything more accurate then that and you need a marking rule calibrated to the sixty fourth and mark with a marking knife.
The crows foot is genius.