Chapter 5: Cutting Techniques

The Cut Is Everything

A clean, accurate cut is the difference between a joint that fits perfectly and one with visible gaps. This chapter covers how to make precise cuts with both hand and power tools, and — critically — how to set up for success so that clean cuts become routine rather than lucky.

Hand Saw Fundamentals

Anatomy of a Cut

When you saw, the teeth remove a strip of material called the kerf. The kerf width depends on the saw’s tooth set (how far the teeth are bent outward) and the tooth geometry. Understanding a few principles makes all hand-saw cuts more accurate:

Start on the waste side of the line: The kerf should be entirely in the waste material. If you saw down the middle of the line, your piece will be half a kerf-width short.
Let the saw do the work: Pressing down hard does not make the saw cut faster. It causes the blade to wander and produces a rough cut. Use long, relaxed strokes and let the teeth cut.
Use the full length of the blade: Short, choppy strokes are less efficient and produce a rougher cut than long, smooth strokes.

Starting a Cut

Starting a cut cleanly is the hardest part of hand-sawing:

Place the saw on the waste side of your line, at the far edge of the board
Use your thumb knuckle against the flat of the blade to guide it to the line
Draw the saw back gently two or three times to establish a groove (the “kerf notch”)
Once the groove is established, begin full-length strokes
Watch the reflection of the board in the saw blade — when the reflection forms a straight line with the board, the saw is vertical

Western Push Saws

Traditional western saws cut on the push stroke. They have thicker blades and stiffer teeth. Advantages:

Excellent for aggressive cutting
The push stroke lets you apply your body weight
Many specialized types available (rip saw, crosscut saw, tenon saw, dovetail saw)

Rip teeth are filed straight across and cut like tiny chisels, optimized for cutting along the grain. Crosscut teeth are filed at an angle and cut like tiny knives, optimized for cutting across the grain.

Japanese Pull Saws

Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke. They have very thin, flexible blades. Advantages:

Thinner kerf (less waste, less effort)
The pull stroke keeps the blade in tension, preventing buckling
Very smooth cut surface
Inexpensive replacement blades
Excellent for beginners

A ryoba (double-sided) saw has rip teeth on one side and crosscut teeth on the other — one saw for most tasks. A dozuki is a fine-toothed backsaw for precision joinery.

Cutting Techniques for Hand Saws

Crosscutting (across the grain):

Mark your cut line with a square and knife
Deepen the knife line on the waste side with a chisel (creating a small “V” groove)
Place the saw in the groove
Start with gentle back strokes to establish the kerf
Saw at about 45° to the surface
Watch your line on both the top and the far edge of the board
Support the waste piece as you finish the cut — unsupported waste will break off and tear the fibers

Ripping (along the grain):

Mark your rip line with a marking gauge
Start the cut at 45°, then gradually increase to about 60° as the cut progresses
Use long, relaxed strokes
For long rips, clamp the board vertically in a vise and cut downward

Cutting at an angle (miters, dovetails):

Mark the angle clearly on all visible faces
Start gently on an edge or corner
Saw to both lines simultaneously — check frequently
A magnetic or clamped guide block can help maintain the angle

Power Saw Techniques

Table Saw Crosscutting

Never crosscut using the rip fence as a stop on the table saw. The cut-off piece can bind between the fence and the blade, causing violent kickback. Instead, use:

A crosscut sled: A platform that rides in the table saw’s miter slots, with a rear fence perpendicular to the blade. The workpiece sits against the fence, and the entire sled slides forward to make the cut. This is safer, more accurate, and more repeatable than any other crosscut method on the table saw.

Building a crosscut sled:

Start with a flat piece of plywood (~500 × 700 mm)
Attach hardwood runners that fit snugly in the miter slots
Attach a rear fence (straight, stiff board) perpendicular to the blade
Make the initial cut through the sled to establish the blade slot
Check the fence with a precision square; adjust until cuts are perfectly square
Add a stop block on the fence for repeatable length cuts

The miter gauge: The stock miter gauge that comes with a table saw works for quick crosscuts but is less accurate and less supportive than a sled.

Table Saw Ripping

Ripping is the table saw’s strength. For clean, safe rip cuts:

Set the fence: Measure from the fence to the blade (to a tooth that points toward the fence). Lock the fence and double-check the measurement.
Set the blade height: The teeth should extend about half a tooth above the top of the workpiece. Too high increases the risk of kickback; too low causes a rougher cut.
Check the riving knife: It must be in place and aligned with the blade.
Feed the workpiece: Use steady, consistent pressure. Do not force the piece or pause partway through.
Use push sticks: For rip cuts narrower than ~150 mm (6 inches), use a push stick to keep your hand away from the blade.
Featherboard: Clamp a featherboard to the table before the blade to hold the workpiece against the fence.

Preventing Tear-Out on the Table Saw

Use a high-tooth-count blade (40T for general use, 60-80T for fine crosscuts)
Ensure the blade is sharp
Use a zero-clearance throat plate (a throat plate with a blade slot that is exactly blade-width — this supports the wood fibers right up to the cut)
Reduce feed rate for crosscuts
For plywood, score the cut line with a knife before cutting
Apply masking tape over the cut line (low-adhesive painter’s tape)

Circular Saw Techniques

A circular saw with a straightedge guide can produce table-saw-quality cuts:

Using a straightedge guide:

Mark your cut line
Measure the distance from the blade to the edge of the saw’s base plate
Clamp the straightedge that distance from the cut line, on the keep side
Run the saw along the straightedge

Using a track saw: A track saw has a dedicated rail that the saw locks onto. The rail has an anti-splinter strip that supports the fibers at the cut line, virtually eliminating tear-out. If you do not have a table saw, a track saw is an excellent alternative.

Cutting sheet goods: Support the sheet fully — use foam insulation boards or sacrificial boards underneath so the sheet does not sag or pinch the blade.

Miter Saw Techniques

For clean miter saw crosscuts:

Mark the cut line on the face of the board
Align the blade to the waste side of the line
Clamp or firmly hold the workpiece against the fence
Let the blade reach full speed before lowering
Lower smoothly — do not drop the blade into the wood
Wait for the blade to stop completely before raising

For repeated identical cuts: Clamp a stop block to the fence at the desired distance. Each piece butts against the stop for a consistent length.

For clean end-grain: If the cut leaves a slightly rough surface, take a very light “cleanup” pass — lower the blade, then slide the workpiece a hair past the blade without moving the stop.

Bandsaw Techniques

Straight cuts: Use the fence for ripping. Set the fence and adjust for blade drift (every bandsaw blade tends to drift slightly to one side — angle the fence to match).

Curved cuts:

Use the narrowest blade that will follow the curve radius
Cut slightly outside the line — the bandsaw is a roughing tool for curves
Clean up to the final line with a rasp, sander, or spindle sander
For tight inside curves, make relief cuts from the edge to the cut line so waste falls away as you follow the curve

Resawing (cutting a board into thinner boards):

Use the widest blade available (19 mm / ¾ inch or wider)
Set a high fence or use a point fence
Adjust for drift
Feed slowly and steadily
Take light cuts if the blade wanders

Achieving Clean Cuts

The Five Factors for Clean Cuts

Sharp blade: A dull blade tears instead of cutting. Replace or sharpen blades regularly.
Correct blade for the task: Rip blades for ripping, crosscut blades for crosscutting, fine-tooth blades for finish cuts.
Proper support: The workpiece must be fully supported so it does not sag, vibrate, or twist during the cut.
Correct feed rate: Too fast causes tear-out and rough surfaces. Too slow can cause burning (especially with power tools).
Cutting to the correct side of the line: Always cut on the waste side. Leave the line — you can always remove more material, but you cannot add it back.

Sneaking Up on a Dimension

For critical cuts where fit matters:

Cut slightly oversized (leave 1-2 mm)
Test the fit
Plane or sand to the final dimension
Test again
Repeat until the fit is perfect

This is slower than cutting to the line in one pass, but it produces much tighter-fitting joints. Professionals call this “sneaking up on the line.”

The Scoring Technique

For crosscuts in solid wood or plywood where tear-out is a concern:

Score the cut line deeply with a marking knife
Score a second line about 1 mm into the waste side
Chisel out the small V-groove between the lines
The saw now has a channel to follow, and the severed fibers cannot tear out

This technique, combined with a sharp crosscut blade, produces glue-line-quality crosscuts.

Practice Exercises

Hand saw accuracy: Draw a straight line across a board. Saw to the line, stopping exactly at it. Repeat until you can consistently saw within 0.5 mm of the line.
Square crosscuts: Crosscut a board with a hand saw. Check the cut face with a combination square on all axes. The cut should be square in both directions.
Rip to a line: Rip a board to a marking-gauge line. The saw cut should follow the line consistently within 1 mm. Plane the edge to the final line.
Crosscut sled accuracy: Build a crosscut sled for your table saw. Make test cuts and verify squareness with the “five-cut method” — make five successive cuts on the same board, rotating it 90° each time, and measure the error on the final piece. Adjust the fence until the error is negligible.
Clean plywood crosscut: Crosscut a piece of plywood using both the scoring technique and masking tape technique. Compare the results to an unprotected cut.

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