Video: DIY kerfmaker with scrap hardwood and a drywall screw

A kerfmaker is a simple device used to measure the distance needed for a perfect dado minus the kerf of your current blade. In this video I will show just how easy one of these gadgets are to make. Before making one I was under the impression I would never use it. Boy was I wrong. After making these two I have used them in a lot of projects. I recently made 3 projects with half lap joinery back to back to back and used a kerfmaker in each of them. With just a few minutes of shop time you will be well on your way at making perfect dados. For the sake of showing how easy these are to make I used a scrap piece of poplar, 1-1/4″ drywall screw and a tiny piece of maple to make one. At the end of the video I showed how accurate this little guy is. During the process of making the poplar model for the video I also mad one out of oak and a toilet flange bolt. This one is the same setup but just a little beefier. It will last a little longer in my shop considering the way most of my smaller tools get tossed around. Now I use one of these all the time in my projects Just showing how easy these are to make.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Hey jay niece jig and love your projects and vids so rad and unic way to tackle down on not buying a dado blade might make own and maybe on more but my own version maybe I will send a pic. and just wondering in a month or I’m gonna make my own little shop in the backyard can you like give me any good ideas for storage and if so please make video please thanks keep them coming

  2. Great videos.
    Damn, I just realized now I have to watch 2 wood working channels. Yours and Steve’s (Wood Working for Mere Mortals) There goes my next weekend.
    :P

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