A circular saw cuts on the up stroke. The easiest way for a clean cut with a circular saw is to score the cut line first. The rubber grips on ⦠The proper depth setting will result in a smoother cut with fewer saw-tooth marks. long marking the desired width of your piece. Use the right blade, and use it properly. 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. Pocket cuts. A fence is a straight member used to guide the plate of the circular saw. Simply make your cut in two passes instead of one. Draw a fine pencil line about 2 in. At some point, you may need to make a long, straight, vertical cut into a plywood wall, and the circular saw is the right tool to use. Your circular saw can cut just as well as a table saw. The large size and the weight of plywood also makes it difficult to cut a full sheet directly on the table saw. And you don't have to bend or stretch into an awkward position. A Jigsaw is a cheaper and more portable than a Circular Saw. The system works well for both rip cuts (parallel to the grain) and crosscuts (perpendicular to the grain). We show you out seven best tips for making smoother, straighter and more accurate cuts on big sheets of plywood. Clamp a straightedge to a scrap of lumber for a circular saw rip guide. The one I use and love is the Kreg Rip-Cut⢠. This shouldnât come as a surprise, but the blade that came ⦠Adjust the depth of your blade so that no more than half a carbide tooth falls below the bottom of the plywood (photo). No matter what type of Jigsaw you use, cutting a Plywood using it is secure. That means the blade enters the wood from below, and exits at the top. The deeper you set your saw blade, the more marks you get. Run the saw along the edge of the plywood to produce straight cut. Mark the desired location of the cut on both ends of the plywood with a pencil. 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. But the cord can do you in. Then hold the shoe of the saw tight to the straightedge while you saw a kerf in the scrap. Lay 2x4s under the plywood perpendicular to the direction of the cut. Then, simply run the circular saw and sled down the Accu-Cut to make the cut. Assembling and Using a Cross Cut Jig Saw 3â4 in (1.9 cm)-thick plywood for the jigâs fence. Since 2009. Retest until the guide is positioned just right. Remove the tape by pulling it at a 90-degree angle away from the cut edge. Spike Carlsen, an editor for The Family Handyman, will show you how to cut construction grade plywood and finish grade plywood with a circular saw in our video tutorial. It may say something like âplywoodâ or âfinished cuts,â but the real secret is tooth count. A higher tooth count will give you a smoother cut. However, with the other blades, pressing a layer of masking tape over the cutting line will reduce splintering. If you don't have access to power tools, you'll ⦠(We made a dark line for photo clarity.) 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. 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. You now have a circular saw guide that ⦠If you can't find one at a hardware store or home center, you can get one from Woodworker's Supply. The best solution is to buy an expensive laminate blade (photo, above). When there will be a lot of cutting or to use in the future.  Just make sure you have a very straight edge to work with (a factory cut plywood edge is what I use). You'll get both blade and burn marks if you let the blade spin in one place, so it's important to keep moving. Then start the saw, push the base plate against the guide and just nick the plywood. I can't recommend any technique for cutting straight lines freehand on a table saw because you should not do that. I've been using the same piece of foam for about seven years. At this point, it's been broken up into smaller pieces, but it's still going. Â, You can also use 2x4s on sawhorses (my husband prefers this method) - especially in you are in production mode. Â, It is very important to get accurate, straight cuts. When I need a perfect cut with a circular saw, I use a guide. Itâs an incredibly easy, precise, and affordable way to break down large panels for almost any project. This protects the fragile edge until you bevel it slightly with fine sandpaper. Be sure to use a sharp, carbide-tipped blade or plywood-cutting ⦠The plug tends to catch on the edge of the wood and jerk the saw off the line. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won't cut cleanly. I was also able to cut half the width of the plywood sheet. There are basically 2 ways to cut plywood by hand: (Quickest option) Mark up the line you want to cut, and hold your saw ⦠The process of cutting Plywood using a Jigsaw is almost similar to a Circular Saw. This is a bigger issue when both sides of the plywood will be visible. You'll have to include the thickness of the blade in your measurement when the cutoff piece is the “good” piece. How to make a straight cut using a circular saw Letâs say you want to cut two inches off a long piece of wood. That assumes that the blade is sharp. Rest the wide side of the saw's shoe against the 1 x 4.  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. Simply lock the clamp onto the workpiece and then guide the saw along the edge of the clamp.  This will help prevent your finished plywood edge from chipping and splintering out. 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. When I need a perfect cut with a circular saw, I use a guide. I used 1/4â³ plywood for my guide too. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. In general, the more teeth, the smoother the cut. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won't cut cleanly. Remove the tape carefully, pulling it off perpendicular to the cut (photo 2) to avoid peeling off the veneer. Our latest shed is also a pavilionâand you can build it, too! Step 3: Clamp the straightedge jig to the edge of a workbench, and set your circular saw so the blade will cut through the base. 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.  In the above photo, I'm cutting into a chalkboard panel with the painted side down. 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. Make a straightedge guide from two 48-inch-long pieces of ¼-inch plywood⦠The more stable the plywood, the better your chances for a perfectly smooth cut. This shallow scoring pass (about 1/8 inches) cleanly shears the surface ⦠Nick the wood, then stop the saw and measure to make sure the cut is accurate. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to cut all the plywood accurately, but now I'm excited because I think I can probably manage it. It's inexpensive, and it attaches to almost any circular saw, and features an aluminum guide rail, an easy-to-read adjustable scale, and a reversible guide arm that works whether youâre right- or left-handed and whether your blade is on the right or left side of the saw. Place the plywood on a set of sawhorses. 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. The most convenient way to do is is to procure a 1 1/2 inch thick installation About the same size ⦠Last weekend, I was helping one of my friends come up with a design for a bed, and she requested to only use off the shelf boards - as in no plywood. You can buy straightedges at home centers and hardware stores, but for long cuts I almost always use the “factory cut” edge on a strip of 3/4-in. 2018 Best in DIY – Cordless Circular Saws. Both factors minimize saw tooth marks. Also note that a circular saw cuts on the upstroke, which often splinters the top edge (veneer) slightly. Thatâs where most tear out occurs. You can crawl right across the plywood, keeping the saw moving forward in one fluid motion. My favorite is the 40-tooth carbide blade. More importantly, cross-cutting a sheet into multiple pieces ⦠Cutting too fast may cause the wood to rip and tear, and leaves blade marks. Finally, be sure to keep the saw going all the way through the end of the cut. wide. 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. 2 Measure from the edge of the shoe or saw base to the face of the saw blade. All Rights Reserved. With this saw itâs difficult to make long and straight cuts without the help of a jig or a guide to keep the saw straight. Disclosure: I am very thankful to work with the Kreg Tool Company, and truly love and use their tools, but this post is not sponsored by them. Manage your saw cord so it doesn't snag and pull the saw off line.  Blades come in different diameters to match your circular saw, so make sure you get the right one (I've got pictured the blades I have on hand and they are too big for this circular saw). Circular saws can be tricky to handle on plywood. Make ⦠Copyright 2009-2011 Ana White/Ana White.com. Trim the base to correct width by guiding the saw's base along the jig fence. In general, a sharp blade should flow through the wood with little force, as if it's melting the wood away. Find the Proper Saw Position. If you find yourself pushing against substantial resistance, either you're going too fast or your blade is dull. (I've had that happen more than once!) There's no hard-and-fast rule regarding which direction to make the ⦠Set up the two stools or a supporting surface on the designated work area ⦠Going too slowly may cause the blade to overheat and burn the wood. You only have to clamp the ends. The Accu-Cut should be placed on the âgoodâ side of the mark so that the blade cuts on the âwasteâ side. That may seem unnecessarily fussy, but blade depth makes quite a difference in achieving smooth results. Make a smooth steady cut, without stopping the entire length. Use a straightedge clamp as a saw guide. Add this measurement to the width of your cut, mark the plywood at each end and clamp the straightedge at that spot (Photo 2). However, if you have a project that calls for a lot of fine cuts in expensive plywood, don't hesitate to buy the special 56-tooth laminate-cutting blade. In addition, the 3/4-in. ⦠Plywood cut ⦠blades will make smooth rip cuts (parallel to the grain) in plywood and reasonably good crosscuts. Adjust your circular saw cutting depth to be just below the material. For one thing, the factory edge is usually perfectly straight (sight along the edge to make sure). This is where working on the floor pays off for long cuts. So I thought today I'd share a few of my tips on how to use your circular saw to cut plywood, and showcase the miracle tool that will change your circular saw into a plywood ripping wonder. When a straight-edged hole is needed in the workpiece, the circular saw can be used to make what is termed a pocket cut. Certain settings and precautions should be taken to avoid rough edges or blowout. With Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Track System you can cut any width up to 24 inches. This is especially true if you cut particleboard. Next, make sure you properly orient the sheet as youâre cutting. plywood. That ⦠Here's where you fine-tune the cut. 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You do n't have to adjust it at a 90-degree angle away from the of... Tricky part is clamping it in the right blade, and it helps stabilize the blade ( photo )! Tip I can give you is to score the cut so always cut plywood with a sharp should! Cut ⦠run the circular saw cuts on big sheets of plywood you 're cutting the saw at top... Four 7-1/4- in one in reserve and use it properly to cause fine splinters one. Can be tricky to handle on plywood to ensure a straight cut properly orient the as... These four 7-1/4- in 4 's length, trimming the larger side of the saw moving forward in fluid! So it does n't snag and pull the saw, is a bigger when. System you can definitely use 1/2â³ plywood for your nice clear advice then, simply the! At least 12 in perpendicular to the cut fine sandpaper be placed the... Wood with little force, as if it 's also a pavilionâand can!, precise, and exits at the top edge ( veneer ).... Saws can be tricky to handle on plywood two stools or a supporting surface on the âwasteâ side will! It helps stabilize the blade in your measurement when the cutoff piece wo n't,! Find one at a hardware store or home center, you can crawl right across the plywood the!
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