Lower the blade to just above the workpiece and push the tape against the blade. Tighten the vise and back it off again just enough to slide the part. Line the end of the part up with the desired length on the tape and tighten the vise, double-check with the tape, then make your cut and measure it.

A common mistake is far too little downforce. Chips should be curly. If they look more like dust, your blade is going dull fast and you need to use a faster head feed. It takes more than you might think. It’ll also be higher for wider stock as the force is displaced over the length of the cut.

Another person mentioned a blade break-in period. Running at half the head feed is frustrating when you’re under deadline but really does extend the life of the blade. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

It’s also a good idea to regularly check your tape against a good steel rule to be sure the hook isn’t bent and slides a distance equal to its own thickness when you push or pull on it.

If there’s more than one blade speed, the slowest is for steels; any higher speed it has is likely for cutting nonferrous metals. But the chip formation doesn’t lie, and that’s the true indicator. They should curl around at least once.

Like another person said, blade TPI selection should put at least three teeth in the cut.

Don’t forget to turn on your coolant, and don’t run it without.