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Kerf and Yield Calculator

Real yield per stick once blade kerf is counted.

Your measurementsEvery assumption editable01

A thin-kerf circular blade is about 0.09 in, a full kerf 0.125, a bandsaw far less.

YieldCalculated live02

Result

4sticks

7 pieces per stick — 4 needed for 24

Pieces per stickignoring kerf you would expect 8
7
Sticks required
4
Used per stick6 cuts at 0.125 in
84.75 in
Drop per stickoffcut left over
11.25 in
Total lost to kerfacross the whole job
2.5 in

Kerf is the width the blade removes, and it vanishes as dust rather than staying in the piece. Dividing stock length by piece length ignores it, which is why a stick that should yield eight pieces sometimes yields seven.

The last piece off a stick needs no cut beyond it, so a stick yielding n pieces absorbs only n−1 kerfs. That off-by-one is what makes a piece appear or disappear right at the margin.

Cut all identical pieces from a stop block rather than measuring each. Measuring from the previous cut accumulates one kerf of error per piece, and by the twentieth it is visible.

Dividing stock length by piece length ignores the material the blade turns into dust. That is why a stick which should yield eight pieces sometimes yields seven — and why a run of parts comes up one short.

Why use this tool?What it does differently03

Why use this tool?

Real yield

Shown against the naive division, so you can see exactly when kerf costs you a piece.

Sticks required

For the whole job, not just one length.

Drop per stick

The offcut left over, which tells you whether a different piece length would use the stock better.

The off-by-one

A stick yielding n pieces absorbs only n−1 kerfs. That detail is what makes a piece appear or vanish at the margin.

How this worksThe method04

How this kerf and yield calculator works

Each piece consumes its own length plus one kerf, except the last one off a stick — nothing is cut beyond it. So a stick yielding n pieces absorbs n − 1 kerfs, and that off-by-one is exactly what decides marginal cases.

The naive figure — stock divided by piece length — is shown alongside. When the two differ, kerf has cost you a piece per stick, which multiplies across the job.

Drop per stick is the leftover. A large drop suggests a different piece length or stock length would use the material better, which matters when stock is expensive.

How to use itStep by step05

How to use it

  1. Step 1: Enter stock and piece length

    The length you buy, and the finished length you need.

  2. Step 2: Set the kerf

    About 0.125 in for a full-kerf circular blade, 0.09 for thin kerf, far less for a bandsaw.

  3. Step 3: Enter the quantity

    How many finished pieces the job needs.

  4. Step 4: Cut from a stop block

    Measuring from the previous cut accumulates one kerf of error per piece.

Example usageWorked figures06

Example usage

Where kerf costs a piece
12 in pieces from a 96 in stick: the naive answer is 8, but with a 0.125 in kerf only 7 fit. For 24 pieces that is 4 sticks rather than 3.
The leftover
Those 7 pieces plus 6 kerfs use 84.75 in, leaving an 11.25 in drop — nearly another piece, but not quite.
Across the job
24 pieces from 4 sticks loses 2.5 in to kerf in total. Trivial in material, decisive in whether you have enough sticks.
Frequently asked questionsCommon questions07

Frequently asked questions

What is saw kerf?

The width of material the blade removes, turned into dust rather than staying in the piece. A full-kerf circular blade is about an eighth of an inch.

Why do I get fewer pieces than expected?

Because dividing stock length by piece length ignores kerf. Each cut removes material, so the pieces plus the kerfs must fit within the stick.

How many kerfs does a stick absorb?

One fewer than the number of pieces, because nothing is cut beyond the last piece. That off-by-one decides marginal cases.

Should I measure each piece from the last cut?

No — use a stop block. Measuring from the previous cut accumulates one kerf of error per piece, and by the twentieth it is clearly visible.

How wide is a typical kerf?

Around 0.125 in for a full-kerf circular saw blade, 0.09 for thin kerf, and often under 0.035 for a bandsaw, which is why bandsaws are used for resawing.

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