Gettin' Kerfy Wit It! Explaining what Kerf is and how to adjust for it for Laser Cutting

What is Kerf? How does it apply to Laser Cutting? I explain all these things in this video so you can Kerf like a Pro! After this video I made a little Kerf Finder Tool you can use. You can download it here:
www.dropbox.com/s/0ma4hx7vr6e...
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[@jfriddell]

Awesome job on this video and making it easy to understand! I know it’s the same concept but would like to see your explanation on adjusting kerf for slots soon! Pretty please!

[@thatlaserdude]

Im going to be definitely doing a video on creating slots and stands and talking about kerf. 😊. Soon.

[@carriekirkes5599]

First time I've ever truly understood kerf from start to finish of a video. Usually get frustrated and exit stage left. Anyway! Amazing job and can't wait for the next one!

[@thatlaserdude]

This is exactly what I wanted to hear!! Thank you!

[@barbarascott6402]

Thank you for this! Very easy to understand.

[@thatlaserdude]

Great to hear!

[@dennisc155]

Great visual!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@lorikoza4426]

Awesome. As I knew it would be. Congrats on your launch!🎉

[@thatlaserdude]

Thanks Lori!

[@courtneysackett6344]

You are the best Daryl! Great video!

[@thatlaserdude]

❤❤❤

[@ShereeBix]

Great video! My husband usually does all the fine tuning stuff but now he's back in the office full time, so I now have to do everything myself. Thanks for sharing!

[@thatlaserdude]

Now you can do the kerf. Lol

[@belindamason8286]

Super awesome explanation! Love your fun personality 😍

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you ❤

[@nobiasummer1419]

Excellent video! You take a complicated concept and turn it into something easy to understand!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@jill63302]

Well done Darryl! Easy to understand!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@proudpalawena]

Thanks for this kerf-tastic video. Finally a kerf tutorial I can easily understand.

[@thatlaserdude]

Yay!!!

[@spacenerd8741]

got some bill nye the science guy vibes from this. Awesome job!

[@colettehammons9305]

Love the examples! Thanks for explaining in such a fun way 👍

[@thatlaserdude]

It was fun!

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

I understood what kerf was… but this helped on another project I’m working on. I think it’s why I’ve been so all over the board on trying to figure out a tight fit. Thanks for sharing. Glad you decided to get into the world of KZbin.

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!!

[@dianaruffalo9797]

Great video! Very easy to understand. Looking forward to more great videos.

[@thatlaserdude]

❤❤

[@teardrops7841]

Thank you! I kept hearing about kerf, but didn’t quite understand it. You explained it perfectly! ❤

[@michelleahrens6741]

Fantastic video!! I appreciate the real world examples!!

[@thatlaserdude]

😊♥️

[@SullyWags]

Great explanation and easy to understand! Thank you, look forward to more videos!

[@aerisaspin4355]

Great video!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you 😊

[@tawnyiasvajdlenka6631]

Great video! Congratulations on your launch!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!!

[@danielleaspin2060]

Thank you for making it so easy to understand. 😊

[@thatlaserdude]

❤❤

[@mortenolesen7761]

Love the energy and humor!! Liked and subscribed :) Keep it up!

[@maelynnmorton2643]

Darryl thank you for all you do ❤

[@thatlaserdude]

😊♥️

[@sherigilger9794]

Great explanation and demonstration!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@katiberwald3643]

That was so easy to understand. Now to figure out what the different Kerf settings are for my Muse

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!! Try 0.007 - 0.01. Probably in there somewhere. Go up in increments of .001.

[@reginalabofish5933]

Great job! I can't wait to see what you do next!

[@thatlaserdude]

So much work to do. Lol. Got lots of ideas. 😊

[@RebeccaPodkul]

Hi Darryl, great video! Can you explain on an upcoming video how you went about finding the kerf for your machine? I have tried a process on a box making website, but it always comes up different and I can't seem to get it to fit right. Thanks 🙂

[@thatlaserdude]

Absolutely. I will be making something like that. But so many factors are at play. Focus. Lens. Air assist. Material. So for me it is trial and error in many cases. Even if your focus changes for a material you will change your kerf. So it’s not completely straightforward but I’m going to be doing a video explaining this in the future for sure. It’s not as complicated as it sounds tho. 😊

[@RebeccaPodkul]

@@thatlaserdude Awesome Darryl, I just downloaded the tool. Can't wait to get off work and do some testing with it.

[@hannahb1884]

I’ve been wanting to do some inlay jewelry:) great job friend!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you.

[@michellekoehler5334]

This is fantastic thank you Darryl ☺️

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!!

[@anitaheidelberger1616]

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! Seems like a simple concept, but it just was not clicking with my mind. Love the video. You are awesome!

[@thatlaserdude]

I’m so happy you got it!!

[@Amberella4259]

Best freaking video. It makes so much more sense to me now! Thank you!

[@thatlaserdude]

Awesome!!!

[@malicea899]

Thank you!! You explained it at my level!!

[@thatlaserdude]

My level too 😊

[@littleredbarncraft4101]

Good info

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@lightspeedlaserengraving6048]

And now I fully understand kerf. Who woulda thunk.

[@annedirkes7893]

Great video big help thanks

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!

[@tessaprater]

Congrats on the channel!!! You are fun and entertaining to watch, but also inspiring. Thank you so very much for the video. I would love to see examples of how you would adjust the kerf of finger joints, especially if it's a purchased file or a file already created. Is there an easy way to do this?

[@thatlaserdude]

All manual. Not really an easy way. But something I can look at showing everyone. 😊

[@mikemarsh9495]

I want some of what he has had 😂 Great video and explanation of kerf.

[@michelepaxton-ww2yn]

You got FANS!

[@thatlaserdude]

Yay!! Lol

[@dbthomas2729]

Heys. Love what you've done with the place! - Dian with Ladybug Beach

[@thatlaserdude]

Thanks Dian!!

[@cowlhoods]

Great video. I have a great KZbin guy in Canada that does videos building cars and he cant get the views you got on first day of your channel. That speaks numbers on your content and personality. Make sure from time to time to plug your band for the new viewers not from the groups that know. Cheers from Alaska

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!!!

[@charlenegreen9107]

Would like see adjustments for slots on Glowforge aura. I can’t understand how adjust kerf on it

[@personofnote1571]

Thanks for this video. I've seen other videos suggest using the Kerf Offset setting on your cut layer. Can you explain the tradeoff between embedding the kerf in your design vs. using the kerf offset setting? I'll be experimenting with this so I understand better but in my software brain it seems like storing the kerf in Lightburn might make the designs more "portable" for different lasers.

[@heididaily7434]

LOL Great video and explanation, I felt like I was watching Bill Nye 😂

[@carolarrieta3654]

Great explanation PBK! One question: How do you adjust for kerf when you are joining two surfaces to make a bigger one?

[@thatlaserdude]

I’m not sure what you are asking. 😊

[@user-kc1rn5sp8c]

Hi Darryl! Thanks for the kerf video for wood products. I’m working with 1/8” acrylic. What offset should I set to cut it with my Glowforge Pro?

[@thatlaserdude]

I would try 0.008" and adjust from there :)

[@KrazzieLeo]

Hey darryl, its tammie!

[@thatlaserdude]

Hi Tammie!

[@breanndutra3070]

Question! When doing inlays, I noticed you pushed it in and it kind of "snapped" in place. Is that the last step, or do you also need to use glue somewhere to ensure it never comes back apart? This video was perfect timing, as I have a sign with stand I need to make. I already did a test run and realized that I needed to adjust for kerf but I didn't know that's what it was called 🤣 thanks for the demo!

[@thatlaserdude]

Depending on how tight the kerf you may not need glue. But putting a little bit of glue won’t hurt and will ensure it stays in place for sure. 😊

[@ianlets7531]

@That Laser Dude, is there a reason why you adjusted the kerf in your drawing program (Illustrator) , as to adjusting the kerf in a cutting program like (Lightburn)?

[@thatlaserdude]

Just easier to do in Illustrator

[@mybike1988]

Can you please please please do a speed test with the Mira 9 vs the glowforge there are no true videos an you have both please help🙏🏻

[@thatlaserdude]

I can do that! I'll tell you now the Mira 9 is going to destroy the glowforge badly. LOL.. It's going to be ugly hahaha..

[@lisameade9953]

Is the kerf measurement different for different brands of laser (ex: glowforge vs thunder)

[@lisameade9953]

Oops, I needed to watch all the way thru before I asked.

[@ThunderLaserUSA]

with a laser, the kerf is largely determined by the material, focus, lens used, air assist, etc... and can vary depending on machine, settings, and substrate. the beam can change, so it's not quite as straightforward as say a saw blade or router bit with a known and more uniform kerf width.

[@geraldfischer1057]

This absolutely isn't working for me. when I hit offset wether it be .01 or .008 - it just seemingly gives me a copy of the same size. I think It's operator error ( me ) I'm just not getting the same results - Edit: Figured it out finding the two lines, and pulling the bigger one.. my glowforge kerf fits well with wood @ .3 - .35 pt offset path on AI. Just found out glowforge has a tool to just copy and resize there, he started at .008 and worked his way down to .001 to fit acrylic. Will play with it more. Your video was great thank you.

[@teardrops7841]

Can you explain “stroke” please? When you say you are adding a stroke, I have no idea what you mean. Thank you 😊

[@HaltWhoGoesThere]

What software are you using on the computer?

[@thatlaserdude]

Adobe illustrator

[@Penguin817]

What is a "stoke" that you are adding?

[@thatlaserdude]

Stoke? Not sure what you are asking. 😊

[@Penguin817]

@@thatlaserdude 9.08 time slot on the video "Give it a stroke of black" ... is that just the color choice?

[@thatlaserdude]

@@Penguin817 Ahh.. Gotcha. You stroke things in black for cut, another color to score and another color to engrave. It's how the laser can distinguish between steps. I always use Black strokes for "CUT" (but you could any color.

[@stevebucci7776]

This was hugely helpful. I finally get kerf! Having the .008 number for GF was big help!

[@thatlaserdude]

Love it!

[@canderson3899]

Great video!!!

[@thatlaserdude]

Thank you!