I used 1/4â³ plywood for my guide too. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won't cut cleanly. 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. Run the saw along the edge of the plywood to produce straight cut. The bottom edge usually remains splinter-free. It's also a good time to check the blade for chipped or missing teeth. The tricky part is clamping it in the right spot for an exact cut. The bottom edge usually remains ⦠It is very important to get accurate, straight cuts. This is a bigger issue when both sides of the plywood will be visible. Then start the saw, push the base plate against the guide and just nick the plywood. Place the plywood on a set of sawhorses. The more stable the plywood, the better your chances for a perfectly smooth cut. Be fussy here. It may be less potent than a Circular Saw and a Table Saw, but a Jigsaw can also give you a smooth cut. Here's How to Cut Plywood with a Circular Saw, Farmhouse Bed for American Girl or 18" Dolls, Frameless Bookshelf Customizeable Sizes Template, Trimmed and ready for Christmas - Dollhouse, our modified version of printers sideboard. The alternative is to cut it into small size using a circular saw. A circular saw, or skill saw, is a common tool used to cut plywood. I can't recommend any technique for cutting straight lines freehand on a table saw because you should not do that. 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. ⦠How to make a straight cut using a circular saw Letâs say you want to cut two inches off a long piece of wood. Generally, the more teeth a blade has, the smoother the cut. The large size and the weight of plywood also makes it difficult to cut a full sheet directly on the table saw. Plywood cut ⦠You'll have to include the thickness of the blade in your measurement when the cutoff piece is the “good” piece. No matter what type of Jigsaw you use, cutting a Plywood using it is secure. In general, the more teeth, the smoother the cut. Pocket cuts. Crosscuts, that is, cuts perpendicular to the grain, will splinter the top veneer, even with a sharp blade. In addition, the 3/4-in. Draw your cut line right on the tape. Your circular saw can cut just as well as a table saw. The disadvantage of the 140-tooth plywood blade is that the teeth will dull much faster than the teeth on the three carbide blades. I keep one in reserve and use it only when I need a fine cut. Lay 2x4s under the plywood perpendicular to the direction of the cut. This shouldnât come as a surprise, but the blade that came ⦠In general, a sharp blade should flow through the wood with little force, as if it's melting the wood away. Make a straightedge guide from two 48-inch-long pieces of ¼-inch plywood⦠Adjust the depth of your blade so that no more than half a carbide tooth falls below the bottom of the plywood (photo). The deeper you set your saw blade, the more marks you get. The system works well for both rip cuts (parallel to the grain) and crosscuts (perpendicular to the grain). long marking the desired width of your piece. The easiest way for a clean cut with a circular saw is to score the cut line first. Measure from the edge of the blade to the edge of the base plate. My favorite is the 40-tooth carbide blade. 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. Thatâs where most tear out occurs. More importantly, cross-cutting a sheet into multiple pieces ⦠Make a smooth steady cut, without stopping the entire length. Rest the wide side of the saw's shoe against the 1 x 4. Â. That ⦠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. You only have to clamp the ends. If you don't have access to power tools, you'll ⦠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. Next, make sure you properly orient the sheet as youâre cutting. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won't cut cleanly. Going too slowly may cause the blade to overheat and burn the wood. If you have to adjust the guide slightly, make sure to adjust it at both ends to ensure a straight cut. 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. Thank you so much for your nice clear advice. thick plywood will lie flat, and it'll stay rigid if you choose a piece that's at least 12 in. You now have a circular saw guide that ⦠This is where working on the floor pays off for long cuts. 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. 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. This shallow scoring pass (about 1/8 inches) cleanly shears the surface ⦠That may seem unnecessarily fussy, but blade depth makes quite a difference in achieving smooth results. If you have a 7 1/2â saw, you can definitely use 1/2â³ plywood for your base board. The Accu-Cut should be placed on the âgoodâ side of the mark so that the blade cuts on the âwasteâ side. As long as they're sharp, any of these four 7-1/4- in. 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. The one I use and love is the Kreg Rip-Cut⢠. Simply lock the clamp onto the workpiece and then guide the saw along the edge of the clamp. The rubber grips on ⦠Finally, be sure to keep the saw going all the way through the end of the cut.  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. Find the Proper Saw Position. Measure and record the exact distance ⦠In conclusion, circular saws are great power tools for cutting plywood, but they still have the potential to cause tear-out. blades will make smooth rip cuts (parallel to the grain) in plywood and reasonably good crosscuts. Also note that a circular saw cuts on the upstroke, which often splinters the top edge (veneer) slightly. With Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Track System you can cut any width up to 24 inches. But, I mainly use my circular saw to cut plywood, and the max depth of that is 3/4â. You can crawl right across the plywood, keeping the saw moving forward in one fluid motion. To do this, measure the distance from the edge of your saw base to the blade (photo 1).  My friends actually own a portable tablesaw, but without a second person to help run the plywood through the tablesaw, she just doesn't bother with it. 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