Circular Saw and Plywood technique?

[Bill Miltner]

I do not use plywood very much, but when I do I break the plywood down with a circular saw. The cuts are pretty good but could always be improved. Currently Iuse the following: 60tooth carbide blade, a ZCI plate on the circular saw and a straightedge. is there anything else that I can use (other than a tracksaw) that will improve my cuts?

[Charles Lent]

You could make some spacers that are exactly equal to the space between your saw blade and the edge of your saw's base -

Use these spacers to position your straightedge the proper distance from your cut line. Once you get used to using them you will be able to break down your sheets into perfect sizes without the need to do final trimming cuts on the table saw to get the sizes that you need.

You could make a cutting table -

I made mine with banquet table folding legs from Harbor Freight. The top is just an open frame about 24" wide and 72" long. Some 1 X 4 pine on edge forms the frame, and 2 X 4 stock is cut to make cross pieces to allow fastening the legs. These get glued and biscuited in so the wide side of the 2 X 4s are flush with the top edge of the frame. That way the legs that get attached to the bottom side of them will fold up into the 2" space below them, making the cutting frame easier to store. I assembled mine with biscuits, so the only metal in the wood are the short screws that hold the legs to the bottom of the 2 X 4s. To use the cutting table I set mine up, placing the sheet stock on top, position and clamp the straightedge, set the saw depth to cut about 1/4" deeper than the thickness of the sheet stock, and then make the cut, The saw grooves in the cutting table don't hurt anything. I can replace the 1 X 4 and 2 X 4 pieces when they get too cut up, but I've had my table for almost 10 years and the top is still very serviceable. The big benefit of a cutting table like this is you won't have pieces falling to the floor when you reach the end of the cut. Both pieces just sit right there waiting for you to pick them up, and no broken edges either. I don't use saw horses for breaking down sheets anymore.

If you make 2 pivoting tabs from 3/4 thick stock and attach them with one screw each to one side of the table frame they can help you get the sheet stock onto the table -

Turn the tabs so they extend above the table and then lay the table on it's side with these tabs down against the ground. Now place your sheet stock on edge, on these tabs, and against the table. Reach down and lift the table and sheet together until the table is standing upright and the sheet stock is lying on it. Now turn the two tabs so they do not extend above the table and they are out of the way so they won't interfere with your cutting.

Charley

[Prashun Patel]

I do not use plywood very much, but when I do I break the plywood down with a circular saw. The cuts are rretty good but could always be improved. Currently i use the following: 60tooth carbide blade, a ZCI plate on the circular saw and a straightedge. is there anything else that I can use (other than a tracksaw) that will improve my cuts?

Try masking your cuts with painters tape and scoring the cut line with a sharp utility knife. These tricks help sometimes.

[Gene Waara]

I break my plywood down with a circular saw as well, Bill. I have found a cheap BORG plytooth blade works the best - least splinters, etc. When it gets dull I throw it away and buy another for $6-8.

[Van Huskey]

Since you are already set on a blade (the Freud LU80 is the best blade I have found for this) and Prashun has already mentioned painters tape, the only thing I have to add is using a piece of 4X8 rigid foam insulation and cutting on the floor helps you keep a non-track saw running straight as opposed to cutting up at waist height.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Don't forget the rule that portable tools and stationary tools run opposite from each other.

Circular saw - good on the back, good side down
Table saw - cut good side up

Handheld Router - left to right
Router table - right to left

Place the plywood good face down and cut it from the backside.

[Bill Miltner]

Thanks everyone for your posts!

[Justin Bukoski]

Bill,

Turn your saw into a track saw by building a panel break-down jig. start with a piece of hardboard that is 3" wider than the base of your saw and as long as you need to break down a sheet (ie 8' if you need to rip it long ways). Take a 2" piece of hardwood that has been jointed and glue it to the left edge of the hardboard to act as a fence. Then take your circ saw and cut the hardboard by running along the hardwood fence. This will give you an exact line where your saw cuts and further support the edge of the cut to prevent chip out. Glue some sandpaper to the back to give it grip and you won't even need clamps.

Hope that makes sense. I used one of those for years before I got my Festool saw.

[Dave Lehnert]

Here is a PDF on working with ply-wood.

http://www.woodsmithshop.com/download/308/7plywoodtips.pdf

[Rich Engelhardt]

Currently Iuse the following: 60tooth carbide blade
Personally, I don't go any finer than a 40T blade - 48T on the Festool TS55EQ.
(not that I'm any authority on the subject - I've just found that the more aggressive 40T cuts goes through material a lot slicker than the higher tooth count blades.)

By far, the best 40T circ saw blade/bang for the buck, I've run across is the Freud Diablo.
HD sells them for ~ $15.
I slapped one in my old Skil saw last year and using one of the above described shop made guides, cut a bunch of 1/2" Durock cement board.
Maybe 15 to 18 pieces of the stuff.
I used it after on some 1/2" plywood and it cut like brand new.

[Harold Burrell]

I break my plywood down with a circular saw as well, Bill. I have found a cheap BORG plytooth blade works the best - least splinters, etc. When it gets dull I throw it away and buy another for $6-8.

Really??? You have good luck with those? I tried a "plywood blade" once and it chewed the heck out of the stock.

[Curt Harms]

Justin is right on. With a good blade you might be surprised how nice a cut you can get. If you want a nice clean edge on both sides, try running the saw twice. The first cut set the depth shallow to score the veneer only. The blade teeth are running mostly horizontal so don't tend to lift the fibers but cut them clean instead. Then make a second pass for the through cut. I have an 8' piece of hardboard with piece of aluminum honeycomb material glued to it. A Porter-Cable trim saw with a Frued blade tracks this setup perfectly, doesn't want to leave the fence at all. The sawboard edge also functions a little like the anti chip strips on the track saws.


Bill,

Turn your saw into a track saw by building a panel break-down jig. start with a piece of hardboard that is 3" wider than the base of your saw and as long as you need to break down a sheet (ie 8' if you need to rip it long ways). Take a 2" piece of hardwood that has been jointed and glue it to the left edge of the hardboard to act as a fence. Then take your circ saw and cut the hardboard by running along the hardwood fence. This will give you an exact line where your saw cuts and further support the edge of the cut to prevent chip out. Glue some sandpaper to the back to give it grip and you won't even need clamps.

Hope that makes sense. I used one of those for years before I got my Festool saw.

[Wayne Hendrix]

I found the same thing, the best blade that I have used is a general use freud diablo blade designed for framing. Its like $10 at HD.

edit: I forgot to add that I put painters tape on the cut line also. Either with or without the tape the cheap diablo blade still cuts better than the high tooth finishing blade I bought.

[Darl Bundren]

I use the Diablo blade with my EZ Smart deal and it cuts great. Cheap, too.