The most common cutting mistakes

In short

1. 01Chipped edges come from a blunt blade, or a scoring blade that is off or not in line with the main blade. Before a batch, make a test cut on an offcut.
2. 02Edge tape does not fix chipping. It covers the edge, but the chipped paper next to the edge stays visible.
3. 03A corner that isn't square gives a cabinet that won't go together straight and gaps that aren't even. Check it with the diagonals, which are equal on a rectangle.
4. 04The fence on the sliding table must be square to the blade, and the board is guided with a straight edge, not the factory edge.
5. 05Check the grain in the cutting list before cutting. The parts most often turned the wrong way are drawer fronts and parts that are almost square.
6. 06Edge tape is taken off the finished size exactly once. A part cut to the finished size is too big once banded, and one with the edge tape taken off twice is too small.
7. 07Measure the first piece of a batch and compare it with the cutting list before you cut the rest.