# Kerfmaker handy for making tight dados quickly



## Brian(J) (Feb 22, 2016)

Kerfmaker.

When fitting one piece of wood into another there is a little jig called a Kerfmaker. When you clamp it to the tenon or male part of the dado, it subtracts the kerf of the blade very accurately and with a little practice you find that you can get loose or tight dados depending on how much pressure you put to the tool when setting it. If you do any amount of inlays, dados, tenons, etc. it will save a lot of time. If you only do a couple a year you can just trial and error it until you get it right.

I bought the original but needed a much larger one, and made it very quickly. The original kerfmaker has a way to set the tool for different blades, my simple one you adjust by cutting off the lower leg of the tool. Then, to use it for another width blade, you trim a bit off the long side and then recut it.

The screw runs in 1/4-20 threads I tapped into the Ironwood/Ipe. No need for a threaded insert in wood that hard.

The original, here.
The original and my large version:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/shares/a2p7HE

They are both set to insert the 3/8" stock into a dado or recess. The offset between the two halves is exactly equal to the width of the dado less the width of the saw. So you make the first rip, then use the offset at the base of the jig and move the workpiece over that exact amount. For example, before you make the first cut, set the jig against the work, and set the fence against the other side of the jig. For the next cut, flip the jig up and use the sorter leg to set the dimension. It will be correct.

So easy to make.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/shares/75Ab5n


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## Rickcin (Aug 9, 2016)

I can't even imagine how precise your work is! Thanks


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