Thread: Metric TS Jig = Metric Kerf?

Originally Posted by Tankstand

Q1.... Does one need to buy a metric width blade to make life easy when producing those thin slivers from the "outside" of the blade?

I've been wondering about this as well. I don't have mine set up yet, but I'm assuming if you have a standard 3.2mm kerf blade you will have to move the lead screw 0.2mm every single cut which would get annoying after a while.
Metric kerf blades don't seem to be very common either unfortunately.

In terms of making your own rules with graduations to match the kerf, that wouldn't work because the Incra will always lock into the nearest millimetre.

Don't you just adjust your zero to line up with the 'outside' of the blade?
I don't have a TS incra but I do have one on the router table.

Most of the time you are keeping the wood that is between the fence and the blade so the kerf width is immaterial.

However for those thin rip cuts then yes you need always add the width of the kerf to the measurement. Two options available here.

1. Order extra Lexan rules and install them in the remaining two slots. You just have to remember (or mark them) which rule is for which kerf blade.
2. Cut off about 10cm from the non-steel supplied rule and calibrate this for your main rip blade. Just zero it back including the kerf width.

The remaining part of the original plastic rule (11-40cm) can still be used on the left side of the blade if your saw tilts to the right. If you indeed need a 5cm wide board bevelled then it's probably better to do this on the router table any way.

I have taken an Imperial rule that came out of my Incra 1000HD and installed it in one of the empty rule slots on the TS Positioner. This won't be used for accurate cutting of course as the lead-screw is metric but it helps when you are working from an Imperial plan.

Remember that none of these plastic Lexan rules are permanently installed. You could easily have all three slots used for various kerf widths and then if you do need to rip a bevel some time, then just zero one of the rules for that particular cut.

In South Africa, Torkcraft sell cr@ppy blades which for some reason have 30mm bores and 3mm kerfs. I just assumed a normal kerf is 1/8".

Hope this helps.