Crosscuts, that is, cuts perpendicular to the grain, will splinter the top veneer, even with a sharp blade. A circular saw, or skill saw, is a common tool used to cut plywood. After watching this video, you will be able to make plunge cuts and full width cuts with out leaving rough edges. Be fussy here. Both factors minimize saw tooth marks. I keep one in reserve and use it only when I need a fine cut. This is especially true if you cut particleboard. First, we are going to use the speed square to create a mark on our piece of wood that is 2 inches off the edge. Use a straightedge clamp as a saw guide. Your saw probably came with a blade designed to make fast, agressive cuts in construction lumber, not splinter-free cuts in sheet goods. The deeper you set your saw blade, the more marks you get. With the Rip-Cut, you can cut ⦠Take your circular saw and place the base tightly up against the factory edge of the top guide and carefully cut off the excess from the bottom of the guide. Thank you so much for your nice clear advice. That also allows the smaller cutoff piece to move aside slightly as you finish the cut, so you can finish the cut cleanly, without binding. Since 2009. This setting lets the teeth shear the wood fiber rather than chop it, and it helps stabilize the blade (less vibration). The Kreg® Rip-Cut turns your circular saw into a precision edge-guided cutting tool that makes straight, accurate, repeatable cuts in plywood, MDF, and other large sheets. Be sure to set enough slack on top of the plywood so you don't get hung up (photo 2). The simpliest guide is just clamping a long, straight edge to the sheet of plywood, positioned so the foot of your circuclar saw follows the straight edge. The disadvantage of the 140-tooth plywood blade is that the teeth will dull much faster than the teeth on the three carbide blades. Find the Proper Saw Position. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won't cut cleanly. Taping crosscuts reduces the tendency to cause fine splinters. The alternative is to cut it into small size using a circular saw. Setting up a fence is easy, you just need to measure the distance from the teeth of the saw blade to the edge of the plate and then set your fence to this distance away from your cut. The large size and the weight of plywood also makes it difficult to cut a full sheet directly on the table saw. (We made a dark line for photo clarity.) This shouldnât come as a surprise, but the blade that came ⦠I was also able to cut half the width of the plywood sheet. The rubber grips on ⦠Draw your cut line right on the tape. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 9 Ways to Keep Your Dog Active Inside During the Winter, Get Precise Circular Saw Cuts With This Simple Hack, Do Not Sell My Personal Information â CA Residents. Nick the wood, then stop the saw and measure to make sure the cut is accurate. Set the saw along the plywood edge, lift the guard and look closely as you set the depth. Cutting Plywood with a Hand Saw Buy a good saw. For one thing, the factory edge is usually perfectly straight (sight along the edge to make sure). The 2x4s will be “sacrificed” just a bit when the blade passes over them, but that won't affect the quality of the cut. Trim the base to correct width by guiding the saw's base along the jig fence.  I do about 1/4" - so for ripping 3/4" thick plywood, I set my blade to about 1" depth.Â, Of all the tips I can give you, this one helped me the most. Â. I keep a piece of rigid foam board in my workshop. When I cut plywood, I place the plywood on top of the foam, and cut right into the foam. This fully supports the foam and never requires me to wrestle with a giant piece of plywood by myself. Set up the work area. And you don't have to bend or stretch into an awkward position. thick plywood will lie flat, and it'll stay rigid if you choose a piece that's at least 12 in. Cut the excess plywood along 8 ft. of the 1 x 4's length, trimming the larger side of the plywood. But the cord can do you in. So, pick up a carbide-tipped blade thatâs designed for making fine cuts. Set the guide the measured distance from the cut line. Run the saw along the edge of the plywood to produce straight cut. As long as they're sharp, any of these four 7-1/4- in. That way you're sure to get solid, stable support so the plywood won't move, even if you have to climb on top of it to complete your cut. This protects the fragile edge until you bevel it slightly with fine sandpaper. Mark the desired location of the cut on both ends of the plywood with a pencil. Measure from the edge of the blade to the edge of the base plate. That means the blade enters the wood from below, and exits at the top. If you stop, you'll leave a blade mark in the plywood edge. Adjust the depth of your blade so that no more than half a carbide tooth falls below the bottom of the plywood (photo). Simply make your cut in two passes instead of one. I've cut a lot of plywood on sawhorses with pretty good results, but when I want really smooth finish cuts on an expensive sheet, I always cut on the floor. You only have to clamp the ends. Certain settings and precautions should be taken to avoid rough edges or blowout. The bottom edge usually remains splinter-free. Remember to allow for the thickness of the saw blade. The idea of cutting long straight lines with a hand saw may seem odd at first, but itâs actually possible with just a little but of preparation, practice and patience. Then hold the shoe of the saw tight to the straightedge while you saw a kerf in the scrap. If you don't have access to power tools, you'll ⦠The process of cutting Plywood using a Jigsaw is almost similar to a Circular Saw. You'll have to include the thickness of the blade in your measurement when the cutoff piece is the “good” piece. I can't recommend any technique for cutting straight lines freehand on a table saw because you should not do that. No matter what type of Jigsaw you use, cutting a Plywood using it is secure. Pocket cuts. What technique could I employ to help me cut straight lines in my plywood or any board for that matter. A higher tooth count will give you a smoother cut. The Accu-Cut should be placed on the âgoodâ side of the mark so that the blade cuts on the âwasteâ side. The more stable the plywood, the better your chances for a perfectly smooth cut. A Jigsaw is a cheaper and more portable than a Circular Saw. Generally, the more teeth a blade has, the smoother the cut. Sometimes the saw even comes unplugged. This is a bigger issue when both sides of the plywood will be visible. ⦠Home Tools, Gear & Equipment Tools & Supplies Saws Circular, By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine. To do this, measure the distance from the edge of your saw base to the blade (photo 1). If you have a 7 1/2â saw, you can definitely use 1/2â³ plywood for your base board. In general, the more teeth, the smoother the cut. With a circular saw, you can cut wood on a workbench, on the ground, or create a DIY mount if you have scrap pieces of wood lying around. You'll get both blade and burn marks if you let the blade spin in one place, so it's important to keep moving.  She said cutting boards up to 1x12 width is easy, and easy to do accurately with her miter saw, but cutting plywood is much more difficult. Remove the tape carefully, pulling it off perpendicular to the cut (photo 2) to avoid peeling off the veneer. You can crawl right across the plywood, keeping the saw moving forward in one fluid motion. Also note that a circular saw cuts on the upstroke, which often splinters the top edge (veneer) slightly. Place the plywood on a set of sawhorses. Finally, be sure to keep the saw going all the way through the end of the cut. plywood. How to make a straight cut using a circular saw Letâs say you want to cut two inches off a long piece of wood. Cutting speed depends on many factors, including the type and sharpness of the blade and the type of plywood you're cutting. Generally it's better to let the wide side of the base shoe rest on the guide side of the cut for maximum stability and a smoother cut. We show you out seven best tips for making smoother, straighter and more accurate cuts on big sheets of plywood. Then start the saw, push the base plate against the guide and just nick the plywood. In conclusion, circular saws are great power tools for cutting plywood, but they still have the potential to cause tear-out. In addition, the 3/4-in. 2018 Best in DIY – Cordless Circular Saws. 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