
Cutting plywood is a common and easy job if you know how to do it. If you are a woodworker, carpenter, or an enthusiastic DIYer, you must know how to cut plywood with a jigsaw without splintering. This job is easy only with a bit of skill.
The convenience of a jigsaw tells how effective this tool is. If you have to shape furniture or a wood piece, you must use this cutting tool to make things easy. For plywood, it also has great use that other tools may find difficult.
A jigsaw machine is easy to operate and handle. It ensures quality plywood cutting without splitting. But the effectiveness also depends on how it has been operated.
What Is the Reason of Splintering while Cutting Plywood?
It is important to know the reasons of splintering before cutting. If you know the actual reason, you will be able to concentrate on that to fix the issue. It will take less time and the job will be easy to solve.
You might be thinking about a lot of facts that can cause splitting and trying yourself to fix those in your head. But time has come to let you know the main 4 reasons for splitting.
- Choosing the wrong blade can cause splitting.
- The cutting speed might not be perfect.
- Overcutting or lower cutting speed.
- Trying to finish the job in a hurry.
- Some undesirable issues with the blade teeth.
Let’s discuss the solutions to stop splitting in a brief.
1. Picking the Right Blade for Cutting Plywood:
A wrong blade is well enough to make a mess. It will create a bad cut and splint additionally. This is why choosing the right blade is very important for accurate cutting.
Considering plywood, a thin blade is the best one. It will create almost no splint and precise cutting is a guarantee. So, before cutting, make sure that a thin blade is on.
2. The Cutting Speed:
If you do not follow the cutting speed, a splint will happen. Every material does not require the same speed and the same force all the way. So, you have to figure out the correct cutting speed.
For this fact, the experience varies. If you know how to control the speed, things will be easier for you.
3. Are You Making It too Quick:
This is something that you should never do. To finish the job quickly, few workers apply force or push the saw which is not good for the machine and also causes splinting.
The last thing that can happen by doing this is a blade break. So, the damages are many but the solution is simple. Just follow the cutline and let the blade go through in its force to avoid splinting.
4. Blade Teeth:
Suppose, you are doing everything right but what about the blade condition? A blunt blade is enough to spoil the whole work, money, and time. Especially for plywood, you must check the blade teeth before cutting.
Teeth type is another thing to consider. Downward and upward – are the two kinds of teeth that are available. The upward teeth are perfect to avoid splinter.
Blade related problems are obvious after using the jigsaw for a while. To solve this, you can change the blades or sharpen it. So, this sort of issue is not critical.
But you must concentrate on other problems if appears. To keep the jigsaw fine and let it serve you long, it should be taken care of properly and the issues must be solved.
How to Cut Plywood with a Jigsaw without Splintering?
If you know the tactics well, cutting plywood without splintering is not that hard. Following a few techniques, you can do it easily. Here, we will discuss 3 methods to get rid of splintering while ripping plywood with a jigsaw.
Splinter Guard: To remove wicker, a splinter guard can be very useful. This process is easy and the result is satisfying. Except for the manual way, the replaceable stripe is handy stuff to cut plywood.
As the stripe is transparent, the user will get the view of the other side. So, there is no chance of cut out or excess cut using it. Moreover, a single stripe will last long which makes it cost-effective.
Masking Tape: If you use masking tape on the marked area before cutting, the result will be good. The best is to use the tape on both sides of the work material. This process works great for wicker.
As an alternate of splinter guard, the masking tape works great. Using it, there will be less chance of cut-out. When the job is finished, you can easily take it off without leaving any spot.
Engrave the Marked Line: This is a manual method. For it, you have to use a knife and engrave on the marked area. When the cut is enough to visible, you can start using the jigsaw.
If the teeth blade is down-warded, then it will occur on the downside. To etch on the upper side, you have to use the upward teeth blade. With the cutting, the etch mark will be no more visible.
We have described all the effective methods to cut plywood with a jigsaw without splintering. By following any one of these, the splintering problem will never occur.
Safety Tips
- Eyewear and dust mask are a must while cutting plywood.
- Never push the jigsaw hard.
- Lubricate the jigsaw before using it.
- Choose a dry place for operating.
- Do not let anyone come closer to the saw.
Final Words
We have tried our best to clear the concept how to cut plywood with a jigsaw without splintering. As a jigsaw is a heavy tool and can take care of almost all the cutting jobs, applying a few techniques will make it more effortless and splinter-free.
The cutting needs are not limited. This is why a convenient tool like a jigsaw is the best option for you. But with any equipment, cons like splintering problem will come and you have to face it. If you went through this article properly, the splinter will never be an issue for you.