How To Cut Plywood At Home
How to cut plywood without chips. What kind of saw blade is better to cut plywood. Here’s what you need to know to cut plywood and chipboard without chips
Application of adhesive tapes
Adhesive tape (tape, electrical tape, fiberglass) can be used to protect the back of the material being processed. To do this, you need to stick a tape along the cut mowing line, which saves the material from pulling out large fragments.
Pasting surfaces is one of the most effective ways to ensure a clean cut with a jigsaw. But masking tape is not suitable for these purposes because of its fragility. The highest quality cut can be obtained by pasting the cut material with aluminum or fiberglass reinforced tape. It should be wide enough so that at least 15 centimeters of the material surface is covered on each side of the cut. In addition, the density of the sticker is important. The tape must be carefully pressed down with a dry cloth and wrinkles must be excluded at all costs.
Do not use a tape with a very strong adhesive, because during the tearing process it can carry away small fragments of the laminated surface or MDF panels. In addition, strong peeling off of the tape will lead to an increase in microcracks that have already formed during cutting. You also need to pay attention to how easily adhesive traces are removed and whether the adhesion of the adhesive is high for working with rough materials (not sanded plywood and OSB).
How to cut material without chips
To avoid the appearance of such defects, it is advisable to take into account the following recommendations:
- Based on the cutting drawing and the dimensions of the selected tool, a thrust bar is set. It will avoid vibrations of the cutting device, which will reduce the amount of damage.
- If the work is carried out with a hand-held circular saw, then the tooth ejection is minimized. As a result of the adjustment, the sawing part should not protrude more than 5 mm.
- To make the edge without chips, a special tape is glued along the mowing line. This reduces delamination but does not guarantee complete freedom from defects. An alternative option is to wet the upper area, but due to the moisture resistance of the material, it will not be possible to achieve the desired effect.
- The cutting part is brought to the start of the process when it is switched on, because when starting, immediately at the edge, the teeth tear the wood fibers.
- The movement of the tool should be uniform, pressing too hard creates creases and burned areas. If you move very slowly, then as a result of constant entries into the surface, traces will appear.
An important point is the type of plywood. Laminated options are the most difficult to process: chips can be completely eliminated only on a panel saw, where trimming is carried out from above and below. Damage can be minimized by immediately selecting the front side and making a trial saw along the section. This will allow you to determine the correct position of the sheet in relation to the cutting edge.
Electric
The jigsaw is the most popular variety with maximum ease of use. The thin saw moves straight up and down along the markings, and the working stroke is carried out only when moving up. This mechanism encourages the jigsaw to dock with the surface instead of pushing it away. The result is a mowing line that is very neat and smooth, requiring no additional sanding.
It does not require additional adjustment. it is enough to carry out the initial adjustment correctly. The cutting blade is tightened immediately before use is sufficient. The jigsaw can be equipped with different files to create different cuts on different metals. For example, these can be straight or curved mowing lines, circles and rectangles made on wood, plastic, ceramic tiles, brick and even steel. Saws change very quickly.
A circular saw
This device is a cutting disc mounted on a table, therefore it is similar to the above tool. It is not difficult to cut plywood with this device, but you can only cut straight, which ensures that parts of a certain format are obtained.
In fact, a stationary circular saw is an analogue of a hand one, but it provides the ability to finely adjust the position of the cutting blade and fix the plywood on the desktop
To work with a circular, you must take into account the following nuances:
- For the process, only special discs with a lot of teeth are used (at least 160 by 5 cm).
- In order to quickly and accurately cut the desired part, a stop is required, which is a movable rod of an even shape. This is true for all cutting devices.
How to cut plywood. Tool tips
In the manufacture of various finishing works or the manufacture of furniture, the use of plywood is a common practice. At the same time, home craftsmen face a choice: how to cut plywood and how to achieve a perfect cut without chips. When cutting such a material, some difficulties arise: the sheet is large, and the structure of its base creates difficulties when sawing. Knowing some of the features, you can achieve excellent results when working with an electric jigsaw, hand saw or circular saw. The main condition is to ensure reliable fixation of plywood.
Plywood is a practical and easy-to-handle material
Masking tape or tape
The use of budget adhesive tape and its varieties allows you to quickly and easily perform not only straight, but also curly cut of sheet plywood without the effect of “breaking” the top layer of the material.
Instructions for the main steps:
- Mark the cut line.
- Stick scotch tape or tape-tape along the markings.
- Re-mark the tape.
- Make a cut with an electric jigsaw.
Masking tape has low strength, so making a straight cut with an electric jigsaw is not difficult. For curly cutting, preference should be given to aluminum tape or fiberglass reinforced material.
Advice
To cut the plywood sheet correctly, you must use a suitable tool and follow some rules:
- Before cutting, you need to take all measurements and check yourself in order to avoid annoying mistakes;
- During operation, it is necessary to monitor the power cord;
- Before using the tool, you need to adjust the cutting depth to an unnecessary value;
- The saw blade must be suitable for cutting plywood;
- The use of the saw should be accompanied by the use of protective gloves and goggles;
- Dull saw blades are more dangerous than sharpened ones;
- When cutting plywood, it is necessary to observe safety not to put your hands close to the blade;
- Do not start work without power tool skills.
Sawing with a circular saw
Using a guide when sawing with a circular saw will help avoid unevenness
To effectively cut a sheet with a circular saw, you should follow these rules:
- Place the plywood sheet on a stable support and make the first notch closer to the middle of the sheet.
- Adjust the cut in depth. To do this, lower the disc and start cutting, while the immersion depth of the disc should be 0.5 cm greater than the thickness of the blade.
- Position yourself to the side of the line of action of the saw to avoid injury due to the high probability of kickback.
- Prepare the saw for making the required cut. To do this, attach the saw shoe (part of it in front) to the blade and install the blade on the cutting line, having first bend the cover.
- Make sure there is no interference at the bottom of the sheet.
- Switch on the saw and slowly immerse the blade in the material. Hold the saw firmly to prevent kickback. After plunging into the slot of the disc and installing its shoe on the surface of the sheet, return the protective casing back.
- Guide the tool along the mowing line to the end of the blade.
- Turn off the saw and only after it has come to a complete stop, remove it from the slot.
Steaming
When heated, the wood becomes more flexible, which makes it easier to handle. At home, it is possible to increase the temperature of the material by placing it in an airtight container with steam. The recommendations are as follows:
- At a temperature of 60 ° C, correct the designation of degrees, after the number there is a space, a circle close to the letter C, like this: 60 ° C the exposure time increases by 2 times. Only then can the part bend.
- If soaking is carried out at a water temperature of 15-30 ° C, it will be difficult to bend the part.
The template is created in advance, with particular attention to size and shape. It is required to fix all surfaces at the required angle relative to each other. The workpiece is fixed on a template and left to dry completely in a sealed container with warm steam. How to straighten plywood with this method? It is enough to steam the part and make it straighter, fix it in this position and let it dry. The method is suitable for creating original designs that will be used in industry or in everyday life.
Notching
If plywood with a thickness of 16-22 mm needs to be given a complex shape, then the notching method is used. Special grooves are created with a cutter. When carrying out such a procedure, you should consider:
- Marking for grooves is done in the place of the future bend.
- The depth is set depending on the thickness of the material, should not exceed half.
- A veneer sheet is glued on top.
It takes about a day to consolidate the result. The grooves formed can be filled with adhesives. How to bend plywood in case of small thickness? In this case, another method applies.
Gluing
The gluing method has also become widespread. A template is created from a thin sheet of material to give the required shape. The plywood plate is bent over the surface. PVA glue is used for gluing individual sheets, it is distributed evenly over the surface of each sheet.
PVA glue for plywood dries for about a day. During this period, all sheets are fixed with clamps. At the end of the procedure, all irregularities and protrusions are sanded.
How and how to bend plywood
Among the many building materials, plywood should be distinguished. It can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Good workability determines that the material in question is often used in the independent manufacture of furniture, home decoration, in carpentry and for other purposes. The most common question is how to bend plywood.
Features of plywood
There is already plywood on sale that is bent at a certain angle. But in most cases, its thickness is no more than 4 mm, which is not enough for solving many problems.
Plywood bending is often done at home. This material has become widespread for the following reasons:
- Acceptable cost.
- High enough strength.
- Can be bent to get almost any shape.
- Good workability.
- Suitable for the manufacture of various products.
- It is possible to cover the surface with paint or varnish.
The main characteristics of the material are associated primarily with the multilayer structure. This moment also determines that after shaping, it persists for a long period.
Necessary accessories
The attachments and tools required will largely depend on which bending method has been chosen. In some cases, you need:
- The template to form the shape. How to align plywood? For straightening, a regular board with the required rigidity is often used.
- Workpiece clamping device.
When choosing a humidification method, you need a bath in which the workpiece will be soaked. In case of steaming, an airtight container is required. An electric tool such as an angle grinder is used to make grooves.
Moisturizing
Moisture also significantly increases the flexibility of the wood. The humidification method involves soaking the workpiece in a bathtub or under running water. Do not forget that too high humidity can cause delamination of the material. Therefore, before directly performing the work, you need to check the method on a small piece of material.
You can moisten the plywood yourself. The procedure consists of several stages:
- The workpiece is soaked in the bathroom.
- The softened workpiece is placed according to the template.
The hardness is checked every 5 minutes. In most cases, it takes no more than half an hour to give the required degree of elasticity. Only after all layers are completely dry can you start further work. The primitive method has been used for many years, as it can be carried out even in the absence of special equipment.
| Three-layer material, thickness mm | Carrying out the procedure along the fiber, min | Across the direction of fibers, min | Five-layer material, thickness | Carrying out the procedure along the fiber, min | Across the direction of fibers, min |
| 1 | 15-20 | 10-15 | 1 | 60-90 | 60-90 |
| 1.5 | 20-40 | 15-20 | 1.5 | 90-120 | 90-120 |
| 2 | 40-60 | 20-30 | 2 | 120-150 | 120 |
| 2.5 | 60-90 | 60 | 2.5 | 150-180 | 120 |
| 3 | 90-120 | 90-120 | 3 | 180-240 | 150 |
| 4 | 180 | 120 | 4 | 240-300 | 180-240 |
Complex plywood constructions
There are a large number of different plywood parts on sale, which have a complex shape. The most common arches for doorways. The soaking method is suitable for creating original designs of almost any complexity. In this case, you need to consider:
- A template is prepared in advance.
- Fixation is carried out using special clamps. When clamping, you must exclude the possibility of damage to the surface, since after soaking the surface becomes softer.
Despite the flexibility of plywood, not all complex shapes can be shaped. Too many transitions cause loss of strength.
Plywood bending methods
How to bend plywood is often considered due to the fact that the material is suitable for creating complex products. The most common methods of bending are:
- Gluing.
- Steaming.
- Notching.
- Moisturizing.
On sale you can find complex plywood products. Industrial bending is done by combining several different methods.
There are several challenges to consider when considering how to bend plywood. Based on which flexion method was chosen, they are as follows:
- With increasing sheet thickness, more force has to be applied. At home, workpieces are processed, the thickness of which reaches 40 mm.
- The structure is represented by veneer, which is located relative to each other at a certain angle. Due to this, the product is given greater strength. Therefore, the workpiece can be bent only during its preliminary processing.
- Too much force leads to cracks inside the structure. If the workpiece is bent incorrectly, then it will no longer be possible to restore its state.
Folded plywood quickly loses its heat after heating. Therefore, you need to give the required shape at home until it cools completely.
Benefits of using an angle grinder for woodworking
The tool has a massive engine, which allows it to effortlessly handle complete rocks used in Russian housing construction and production. You, we are talking about working with lumber, board and chip blanks. Even a low power of 500-700 W will be sufficient for processing standard lumber. However, at the same stage, another question arises: Is it possible for an angle grinder to cut wood as such on a different log? It depends on the size of the attachment, but specifically for solving such problems, a chain saw is faster. the angle grinder, in addition to productivity, also brings benefits in functional theory. Modern small-sized models weigh little, but they have a wide range of regulation, safety and equipment control systems. The operator can personalize the device according to the cutting depth, the number of revolutions, use a soft start and other abilities.
Tips for cutting plywood with cnc. Read the same
Plywood thickness. 20 mm Compression mill. 4 mm working mode. 3000mm / mm Frequency.
A sharp compression cutter. However, there is one more thing about wood. I did not inspect, but they gave a hint that the tree can be cleanly milled by cooling it in the freezer.
T \ with a D4 cutter at a speed of 3000mm \ min. Plywood 20mm. Cut less than 5mm. Will break, for sure
Stanislav Agronov tell me, to what extent do you have a spindle of kW? And how is it cooling? thanks
Dropsy, 3kw
Sorry for late answer
The integrated handle on facades of 18 mm plywood must of course be milled without breaks and burnouts?
Sell without burnouts, without breaks, which means?
Thanks for the advice. Tell me what programs you use to prepare the layout?
Work process
Cutting should be started with a soft start, if there is such a function. It is essential to ensure work at low speeds, increasing the torque as needed already along the way. Almost everything in a cut configuration strategy depends on the hardness of the workpiece itself and its dimensions. How can an angle grinder cut wood when a bevel cut is needed? Sometimes, a crooked cut is absolutely not allowed. The workpiece is cut only at right angles, and any inclinations are excluded, since you literally like the skew is not safe. Complex operations of curly wholly unusual cutting are performed as part of post-processing using a different tool. After working, wait for the disc to stop, turn off the device and unplug the plug. Then the tool is disassembled and cleaned of wood chips with dust.
How can you saw an angle grinder wood with a metal attachment?
Most of these discs have a small tooth, necessarily complemented by victorious, in other words, diamond chips. This allows you to work with both metal and natural stone. It is not safe to use such attachments for wood species, but now there are models of discs, the device of which is close to good cutters for soft material. What is needed, you can saw a wood angle grinder with a disc for metal when, when two conditions are met:
- The circle has the rarest and average tooth (a large one increases the risk of a wedge).
- Segments or other inserts on the nozzle are made of tungsten or carbide.
This design will allow you to minimize unnecessary effects in the process of work, alas, the correct safety precautions are not enough to implement an angle grinder in similar operations.
Plywood cutting
For repair and construction work, as well as for the manufacture of furniture, cutting of plywood is required. The easiest way is to hire a specialized plywood cutting company. Such companies have all the format. cutting equipment that accurately cuts sheets of any thickness. Therefore, if you need to cut large volumes or cut out curved parts with a large area, then it is better not to wonder how and what to cut plywood and turn to professionals.
Of course, you can do it yourself, because any plywood is perfectly sawn with a jigsaw with a fine file. All that is required is to carefully guide the jigsaw pressed against the plate, without jerks and sudden movements. It is advisable to process the sections with sandpaper after cutting.
This method is ideal if you need a small number of complex elements. If you have a certain skill, you can get a neat cut. True, plywood carving in this way is very tedious and unproductive.
In order to create straight cuts, you can use a circular saw with a fine-toothed cut-off wheel. Chipboard cut-off wheels do a good job of cutting plywood, and the saw should be guided slowly and with little pressure.