How Plywood and MDF Board are Cut to Size?

Cuts are important. Every woodworker knows that. And every tip helps no matter how long you have been woodworking. Cutting plywood is different to cutting wood in many ways. You need to plan your cuts differently to get the desired finished results. Often, plywood sheets are large and heavy and pose a problem when making the initial cuts. There is a solution to that as well. Saw blades matter, positioning of the board matters, technique of cutting matters.

All these factors come together to make a cut on plywood that gets you close to perfect at the very start.I know that it’s a pretty basic and straightforward topic. But still there are some tips that are worth sharing when working with plywood. Being a little more informed about the different variety available as well as techniques for handling plywood helps in making better building decisions.

How to Cut a Large Plywood Sheet?

First thing to keep in mind, and you know this but it still worth repeating, plywood is heavy. A full board is both heavy and cumbersome to carry. So take care when moving the sheets. There are some simple appliances you can use to assist you In moving sheet goods around your workshop. The most common and easy to find it is a trolley on wheels or rollers. You can probably find that out your closest home depot

The large size and the weight of plywood also makes it difficult to cut a full sheet directly on the table saw. The alternative is to cut it into small size using a circular saw. The most convenient way to do is to procure a 1 1/2 inch thick installation About the same size as your sheet and play it on the floor. The installation sheet cost about 20$.

The purpose is to put the foam sheet directly on the floor so can so you can lay the board directly on it and start cutting to size using the circular saw. You are mainly cutting to make smaller and more manageable pieces that will receive their final and accurate cuts on the table saw.

Get Clean cuts with a Circular Saw!

I want to mention here that there is every possibility of getting clean and accurate cuts with your circular saw in the first place as well. You can do this by using a good circular saw and a reliable guide to make plywood cut to size. There are some complete systems available that are a combination of a circular saw that fits on a custom guide enables you to make a very clean and very straight cuts.

However, if you don’t want to invest in a complete system you can purchase a generic cutting guide or fashion one yourself in your workshop. They are pretty basic and very easy to make.And just so that you know, the installation form sheet is going to last you for many cuts and many boards before you need to replace it for another $20. Set the blade of the circular saw to go slightly into the foam.

Remember to put the board good side down because the circular saw blade rotates upwards so you are likely to get some tear out in the side facing up. A way to avoid that is to use good sharp blade, like the carbide tipped ones, or even better use the special blades that come for cutting plywood. They are a useful investment if you cut plywood a lot.

The way they work is by having a large number of teeth and taking very small bites. You can find these specialized saw blades for your table saw as well.

MDF Board Cut to Size

It isn’t easy to make MDF board cut to size properly, especially if you are doing it by hand. Your saw will more likely veer away from the cut line. Yet, if you follow the following simple steps, you would indeed end with a straight cut on the MDF board.

Step 1: Select a Suitable Hand Saw For Cutting MDF Material

Every excellent woodworker needs to select a quality saw when cutting MDF board. If you don’t have a quality hand saw, you can buy one. Remember that when cutting MDF board, it will be good to start with a quality saw. The teeth of the blade should be sharp, and the hand saw should have a thin kerf. Moreover, the hand saw should have a higher TPI.

Step 2: Mark Your Cut Line

The succeeding step you must do is to make a straight cut line that is highly visible. You can use a small square to make sure that you delineate the cut line well, perpendicular to the board’s long side.

Step 3: Clamp a Straight Edge

Before you cut, you should get a straight edge and clamp it. A straight edge is a device or tool that you can use for drawing straight lines. You can also use it for checking the straightness of your cut line. Moreover, it usually features spaced markings (equal) along its length.

You can then clamp the straight edge to the board next to the cut line. You can also use two clamps to ensure that it will not move. Afterward, secure the board likewise to the workbench using clamps. Ensure that the clamps will not get in the way when cutting. This straight edge will serve as your guide when cutting.

As you cut, you might end up cutting along the edge of the straight edge. So, it will be wise to use something that you can do away with, something expendable.

Step 4: Score the Cut

If you want to ensure that the MDF board will not splinter or chip, you can score the cut line to help the blade’s teeth cut the MDF board’s surface layer easier. You can use a shard-edged knife for this scoring. Drag it along the straight edge a few times to create a shallow cut along the cut line.