I just bought an expensive piece of oak veneer plywood at the lumberyard and stupidly asked them to cut it in half on the panel saw. I watched in horror as the saw left 48′ of splinters on both pieces. After I got home, I remembered how to avoid edge tearout on plywood. First I set the straightedge saw guide to the right place,then set the circular saw blade to only penetrate approx. 1/8 of an inch. I make the cut, then set the saw to cut through the piece. The second pass leaves almost no splinters. I guess i won’t forget the next time. Tom Connolly
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story

There are important considerations to keep in mind when building a slab-on-grade home with continuous insulation.
Related Stories
Highlights
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
If the dork running the saw knew what he was doing it woudn't have been nearly that bad. Though I'd never expect such a cut to be finish grade -- don't even expect that of the factory edges.
You can also put a piece of masking or painters tape down the cut line to reduce tearout.When cutting plywood with a circular saw always put the worst graded side up.