If you’re looking to cut plywood, look no further than your trusty jigsaw! With a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to make smooth, accurate cuts in no time. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to use a jigsaw to cut plywood like a pro.
If you’re looking for an easy way to cut plywood, look no further than your trusty jigsaw! With just a little bit of practice, you can make clean, accurate cuts in no time at all.
What type of blade to use?
The best blades for cutting plywood are the perforated type. These have multiple, tiny holes in them which will make your cut line smoother when they come in contact with the wood. Standard blades have a solid edge with no holes or slits in it, so they don’t have that same smoothness to them.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to use a jigsaw to cut plywood like a pro.
Step 1: Make Sure You Have All The Tools
Jigsaw Sander Drill Bit Countersink Bit Phillips Head Screwdriver Rubber Mallet A few spare blades for your jigsaw Safety Glasses and Ear Plugs
Make sure you have all of these tools before you get started.
Step 2: Mark Your Cut Line
To make your plywood cut smooth and accurate, you’ll need to mark out your lines first. Start by measuring the piece of plywood that you want to cut. This will determine how long your cuts are going to be along each side of your board. You can draw straight lines using either a pencil or a marker.
However, for best results, it is recommended that you use a marker because it won’t smudge when it gets wet with sawdust. Draw both lines on the face of the plywood, making sure they match up at any corner where two lengths meet.
Step 3: Determine Cut Locations
Now that you have your cut lines drawn, it’s time to put together your jigsaw puzzle. Start by lining up the blade of your jigsaw along with one of the lines. The blade should be right near where you want to make your first cut. Make sure that it is lined up with the mark or centered between both marks. That way, when you push down on the saw you will get a straight cut all the way across. Once you’re happy with how it looks, tighten down the knob at the back of the tool so that there is no wiggle room left in it. If there’s too much slack in this screw, it can throw off your cut line later.
Step 4: Start Cutting
Now that you’re ready to go, plug in the jigsaw, and let’s get started! After making sure that both of your hands are firmly holding onto the tool by gripping it with your thumbs on the handle and four fingers wrapping around one side, press down on the trigger until you feel resistance (don’t push all the way down!) and start moving forward along your cut line. Keep a constant pressure applied to make smooth cuts; don’t worry if there is some over-spray or “blow out” underneath where the jigsaw blade is cutting through the wood.
Step 5: Finish The Cut Line
Now that you’ve got most of the board cut out, set your jigsaw aside and grab a sander with some 120-grit sandpaper attached. Plug it in and carefully run it back and forth along the cut line until you reach the end of it. If there’s still any resistance left when you try to cut, you can turn the board around and do another pass where it’s still connected.
Step 6: Mark Cut Location On Back Of Plywood Piece
Once you have a nice smooth cut line left behind, switch out your sander for a drill with a countersink bit attached. Place the tip of the bit right over where your jigsaw blade came through the wood. You want to make sure that it is lined up perfectly, so take your time here and get it exactly how you want it before pressing down on the trigger. Don’t go too deep; about 1/8 inch should be enough to use any standard screw-in this hole without it poking out of the back of your board.
Step 7: Insert Screws In Holes And Begin Securing Board Down
Now go ahead and drill those two holes down into the plywood. You’ll want to make sure that you use a screw size and type that is recommended for this specific job, so be sure to check with your local hardware store before heading out if you’re not sure what it should be. Drive both screws in completely and then you can start putting together all those pieces of wood!
Step 8: Get Plywood Piece Laid Out Where You Want It
Once the two pieces of plywood are secured together, it’s time to put them where you want them. This is kind of a trial-and-error process, so take your time and shuffle things around until you get everything perfect. By that we mean the edges of the board looking as nice as possible.
Step 9: Trace And Cut A Top Panel To Fit Over Board
Now that you’ve got all your measurements measured and double-checked, grab one more sheet of plywood and use those dimensions for marking on this piece as well. Lay the two plywood boards together, so that their cut sides are facing up, and set this new board on top of them in the location you want.
Step 10: Cut The Panel And Drill Some Holes
Once your measurements are all marked out, go ahead and grab your jigsaw again. Cut around all four sides of the panel; take it slow since there’s no need to rush through this one. When you get to each corner, make sure that you’re cutting outside of your line by at least 1/4 inch (preferably more like 1/2 inch) to ensure a cleaner corner when the excess is trimmed off later.
Tips and tricks
- Try to cut exactly in the middle of two supports, this will make it easier to pull the plywood off.
- Run your saw slowly when you approach angle cuts. This way you won’t burn the edge when cutting into an outside angle.
- Keep the blade at full depth when cutting across the end of aboard. If you don’t, you won’t get the size cut that you want.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have everything you need to know about cutting plywood with a jigsaw. With the right blade and some practice, you should be able to make clean, accurate cuts in no time at all. Be sure to take your time and pay attention to what you’re doing, and before long you’ll be able to tackle any woodworking project that comes your way!