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Post by vikx on May 31, 2016 20:28:38 GMT -8
OK, I got a good deal on some 1/8 plywood and bought 23 sheets. It's not perfect, but shellac really helps. My back is killing me from bending over painting. LOL.
So here is the question:
How to cut thin ply without shattering the veneer?
Here's what I have tried on raw plywood so far:
1. Masking tape on the cut line. Helped a little bit, but wood is still shattered. Sharp 24 tooth framing blade, carbide tips. Tried good side and down side with the saw.
2. 1/16" cut on good side with and without tape, plywood 80 tooth steel blade. Both edges shattered somewhat.
3. Cutting clear thru on good side with plywood blade on tape worked the best but is not perfect.
4. The Jigsaw with a non splintering blade makes pretty clean cuts in delicate areas.
Any ideas? I've considered cutting a fine line with a utility knife but the line might be hard to follow. Many cuts will be across the grain but hopefully hidden by trim. I can do a lot of cutting with the jig, then belt sand fine cuts. I also thought that cutting after 2 coats of shellac might prevent splinters.
Thanks!
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Post by danrhodes on May 31, 2016 20:37:16 GMT -8
My super cheap router and old bearing trim bit did ok...a little chipping cross grain, but painters tape helped here. A good variable speed router and new bit would probably do much better. My plywood turned out to be lower quality, so a better grade might also give better results.
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Post by vikx on May 31, 2016 20:42:30 GMT -8
Thanks Dan, it isn't and won't be better quality... We don't have it around here. That being said, a router came to mind, but haven't tried that yet. It would be extra work to set up the router, but well worth it for clean cuts.
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Post by danrhodes on May 31, 2016 20:48:18 GMT -8
I've also wondered about a rotozip. They have thin, knurled blades that sort of "sand" their way through. This action might keep chipping to a minimum. If you have a dremel, you could buy a rotozip bit to experiment.
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Post by vikx on May 31, 2016 20:53:25 GMT -8
I do have one. Good idea...
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RinTin
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Post by RinTin on May 31, 2016 21:43:46 GMT -8
For my 10" table saw I have two good quality carbide tipped plywood blades from Amana and another manufacturer I don't recall at the moment which yield nice clean cuts. When I start to get a little tear out, it's time to sharpen the blade. A good sharp shop is a must.
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Post by vikx on May 31, 2016 22:54:19 GMT -8
Gonna be trying tomorrow... Swear words to come.
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chametzoo
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Post by chametzoo on Jun 1, 2016 1:54:58 GMT -8
Gonna be trying tomorrow... Swear words to come. It seems that tapes on the cutting line help somewhat. How about clamping down a strip of cheap wood batten or other thin scrap wood on the cut line. That way the veneer might not check, split or crack, cuz it's buried in the cut and not exposed to the attack of the blade. I've done a version of this when drilling through thin vulnerable materials like plywoods, etc., in order to get a very clean surface hole. The trick with ripping sheets on a table saw will be adhering/clamping the batten to the sheet. |
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windborn
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Post by windborn on Jun 1, 2016 2:30:00 GMT -8
We made a few cuts with a utility knife when we only had to trim off less than an inch. It's not the easiest but does make a really clean cut. Straight lines are a lot easier because you can line something up and drag the knife along that for a guide. Just watch where your other hand is! I have a business where I use an xacto knife frequently and my left hand is covered in scars.
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Jun 1, 2016 3:10:31 GMT -8
I use a zero clearance insert in my table saw. I make em out of 1/2" ply, traced around the original insert, carefully raise the blade up through the new one to the depth I need for whatever I'm cutting.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jun 1, 2016 6:55:23 GMT -8
For cutting on the table I just cut from the back side. No problems. For the radius cuts I use two methods. If the curbing is smooth enough I cut to within a half inch of the radius on the table from the back side and then use a router to finish it off. Another way I have used is to belt sand it down to the finished radius but when doing so I cut closer to the finished line first on the table. Then belt sand to the curb.
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Post by vikx on Jun 1, 2016 11:18:52 GMT -8
Great ideas, thanks everybody. The biggest problem is plywood quality these days. I've noticed more troubles with splinters as time goes on. Ply used to cut clean even with a regular blade. Not now. Sigh.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jun 1, 2016 11:29:56 GMT -8
Seven years ago when we started working on Hamlet, I wish we had all these great ideas. We used a jigsaw and on the cross grain places, cut it a smudge bigger and sanded. Didn't even think of cutting from the back side until we were almost done. Sigh.
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chametzoo
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Post by chametzoo on Jun 1, 2016 11:56:26 GMT -8
Great ideas, thanks everybody. The biggest problem is plywood quality these days. I've noticed more troubles with splinters as time goes on. Ply used to cut clean even with a regular blade. Not now. Sigh. I think the pieces in the plies are getting smaller and smaller, which might contribute to the splintering… more voids too! |
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jun 1, 2016 18:37:43 GMT -8
Great ideas, thanks everybody. The biggest problem is plywood quality these days. I've noticed more troubles with splinters as time goes on. Ply used to cut clean even with a regular blade. Not now. Sigh. I think the pieces in the plies are getting smaller and smaller, which might contribute to the splintering… more voids too! It's just plain garbage. Just like way back when I was a kid, you didn't want to go to Tijuana to get your upholstery done because they used what ever horse dung or any other trash they could find to stuff your seats. I think the Chinese are putting all their garbage and trash through a shredder and mixing it in with the core material. The last stuff I cut had strings coming out of the cuts. If you pulled on the string it just tore out more of the core and got bigger and did more damage. Amazing. |
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