How To Saw Plywood Sheets

This guide is designed to rip plywood into strips by running the straight edge along the edge of the plywood while the circular saw cuts a certain distance away.

How to saw plywood sheets.

Set the depth of the circular saw blade so it cuts through the plywood but not too deeply into the sawhorses or supports. Hold the saw firmly to keep it from kicking back to you. The most convenient way to do is is to procure a 1 1 2 inch thick installation about the same size as yours sheet and play it on the floor. This means you can rip cut a full sheet of plywood.

The alternative is to cut it into small size using a circular saw. Once the saw is completely lowered into the cut and the saw bed is flush with the cutting surface release the blade guard. It s also a good time to check the blade for chipped or missing teeth. Also note that a circular saw cuts on the upstroke which often splinters the top edge veneer slightly.

Turn the saw on and slowly lower the saw blade into the sheet. Use the circular saw to rip or crosscut the plywood. For ripping plywood sheets i use my circular saw with my kreg rip cut guide. Set the saw along the plywood edge lift the guard and look closely as you set the depth.

Many panel saws are designed to only cross cut a sheet of plywood. Place long pieces of 2 x 2 lumber in the notches between the two sawhorses so they re flush with the top of the sawhorses. For table and miter saws invest in an 80 tpi plywood blade one designed for cross miter saw or rip table saw cuts. My favorite part about this panel saw is that you can lock the blade into position on the guide rails rotate the blade 90 degrees and then you can push the plywood through the cut lengthwise sliding it along the support wings.

The large size and the weight of plywood also makes it difficult to cut a full sheet directly on the table saw. A blade with bad teeth or wood pitch buildup won t cut cleanly.