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What Can You Use to Cut Plywood? (How To)

Plywood has made its way into just about every workshop and professional site out there due to its durability, pliability, and its strength due to the interlocking construct of the material. Therefore, if you find yourself needing to cut a piece of plywood, what can be used?

The various tools that can be used to cut plywood include a circular saw, dremel, handsaw, jigsaw, router, bandsaw, hacksaw, knife, reciprocating saw, and a table saw.m An angle grinder can be used, but it is not ideal.

Man Cutting Plywood

Plywood may not be the most attractive material to look at, but below the surface, plywood is engineered to be a material that can hold up to extreme weight, pressure, and tension. With interlocking veneer layers glued together, this material holds up well in just about any condition, making it a popular option for a slew of different projects. If you have plywood and are wanting to see what tools can be used to cut it, continue reading below.

What Can You Use to Cut Plywood?

Whether you are looking to fill in the gap of a damaged garage wall, are building your kids a roof over their brand new treehouse, or are working with larger scale projects such as cabinets or other types of furniture, you may find yourself reaching for plywood to not only save expense, but have a material that can hold up well over time. If you are needing to cut plywood and don’t know the tools that can get such a job done, read on to find out.

The various tools that can be used to cut plywood include a circular saw, dremel, handsaw, jigsaw, router, bandsaw, hacksaw, knife, reciprocating saw, and a table saw.m An angle grinder can be used, but it is not ideal.

Can You Cut Plywood With a Circular Saw?

Tools cutting the plywood

The circular saw is one tool that you can find in just about every metal or woodworking shop out there. Whether you are new to the DIY business or have years of experience under your belt, this tool’s versatility is the reason why people find themselves not being able to live without it when it comes to cutting down a variety of different materials. Knowing this then, can you cut plywood with a circular saw?

Yes, you can cut plywood with a circular saw, but be sure you are using the safest cutting process to do so. With most plywood being large pieces of material, it is wise to cut plywood on the floor with support beneath, a secured straight edge, and the blade set to the proper depth.

Can You Cut Plywood With a Dremel?

Tools cutting the plywood

A dremel is another very versatile tool and just like the circular saw, it is operated by hand, but even better, this tool is very compact and lightweight. A dremel is primarily used for grinding, sanding, carving, and cutting, but due to the size of the bits that are attached to the tool, it is not ideal for making deep cuts. With that being understood, is it possible to use a dremel to cut plywood?

Yes, you can use a dremel to cut plywood, but this tool is mostly ideal for making small cuts rather than cutting thick pieces of the material. With the right bits, you can easily cut rounded edges, rabbet cuts, and even cut molding depending on the intricacy level you wish to achieve.

Can You Cut Plywood With a Handsaw?

Tools cutting the plywood

A handsaw is one of those tools that has been around for as long as just about anyone can remember, as this was one of the first tools that could rip through tough materials without needing any type of power to support it. A handsaw can be used on a variety of different materials such as stone, wood, and plastic, so when you have a piece of plywood that needs to be cut, can a handsaw work well with the material?

Yes, you can cut plywood with a handsaw. The most important factor when cutting with a handsaw is to have a blade that is sharp enough to cut through the interlocking material so that the motion will be smooth and even rather than the blade getting caught in the plywood and shredding.

Can You Cut Plywood With a Jigsaw?

Tools cutting the plywood

The jigsaw is, yet again, another very popular and versatile tool that many hobbyists and professionals alike find themselves keeping on hand at all times. The jigsaw is capable of making intricate cuts while also having the ability to cut through thicker pieces of material without having to worry about the limitations that a circular saw may have on certain projects. Therefore, when looking to cut plywood, can a jigsaw work for such a job?

Yes, you can cut plywood with a jigsaw, but be sure to equip the job properly so that this tool does not cause tear out or splintering of the material. To avoid this, use a sharp blade that is designed for such material, operate the jigsaw at the proper speed, and be sure to use a splinter guard.

Can You Cut Plywood With a Router?

Tools cutting the plywood

When looking at a router and considering its construction, you may think that the internet behind this tool would only go as far as trimming and shaping, but there is much more that this tool is capable of. If you are wanting to cut plywood, then you need to have an attachment that is long enough to get through the material without completely shredding it during the process. When it comes to cutting plywood, can a router work?

Yes, you can use a router to cut plywood. When using a router, keep in mind that this may be harder on the kerf of the saw and it may take a few passes to get the depth you wish to achieve, but with the right jig or sled attached, a router can work well for such a job.

Can You Cut Plywood With an Angle Grinder?

Tools cutting the plywood

An angle grinder is one tool that has quite a few different purposes, but when it comes to taking this tool into areas where deep cuts need to be made or lots of ripping needs to happen with various materials, this tool won’t quite make the cut. An angle grinder is designed to be able to grind and polish, which makes this tool a bit of a mystery when it comes to cutting plywood. Knowing this, can an angle grinder cut plywood?

Yes, you can cut plywood with an angle grinder, but the tool must be fitted with a three-tooth cutting disc and should only be used for cutting small sections of wood. If using an angle grinder, always be sure to proceed with slower speed to avoid tear out or injury.

Can You Cut Plywood With Bandsaw?

Tools cutting the plywood

If you are someone who is often working with thick materials that needs a tool to rip through without having to worry about making multiple cuts to achieve the cuts, you may find yourself in ownership of a bandsaw. This tool works great with thicker items, but even more than this, it is used to make irregular cuts and shapes that other handheld tools cannot achieve. When it comes to cutting plywood though, can a bandsaw do so successfully?

Yes, you can use a bandsaw to cut plywood, but this tool can only be used for items that are no larger than 8-10 inches in width. It should also be mentioned that the cut with a bandsaw is rather rough, as this tool is used for ripping, which will likely leave the edges jagged.

Can You Cut Plywood With Hacksaw?

Tools cutting the plywood

A hacksaw is another handheld saw that is used to cut material by using a back and forth motion that is only operated by hand. The hacksaw can be used for a variety of different cuts and materials, but it is not designed to complete more intricate work. If you have plywood that needs to be cut and a hacksaw on hand, can this tool be used to cut through the material without a problem?

Yes, you can use a hacksaw to cut through plywood, but be sure that the blade is sharp enough to cut through the material to avoid tear out. For longer cuts, consider placing a stiff board over the material to use as a guide to ensure that the cut remains straight and your tool stable.

Can You Cut Plywood With Laser?

Tools cutting the plywood

A laser may be one tool that many of you find yourselves without, as this is a method of cutting and engraving that really only applies to a small sect of people using the tool for a very specific purpose. However, if you have a laser and are looking to avoid using other types of saws or other hand tools, a laser might do just the trick. For cutting plywood though, what type of laser is the best to get the job done?

You can use a laser to cut plywood, but a CO2 laser should be the laser of choice. Keep in mind that the heat produced from the laser will cause the surface of the plywood to darken. If this is not an issue for your particular project, then such an outcome should be of no co

Can You Cut Plywood With Knife?

Tools cutting the plywood

A knife is great for whittling pieces of wood, cutting through packages, using it as a secondary option for unscrewing screws, and cutting through great pieces of steak. However, if you find yourself in a position where the only tool you have is a knife on hand and you need to cut plywood, you might be wondering if you can cut such a material with this tool.

Yes, you can cut plywood with a knife, but this tool should only be used on material that is very thin and for only a few different cuts. A knife is not the proper tool to cut through thick pieces of material but for very small projects, this tool can be used.

Can You Cut Plywood With Reciprocating Saw?

Tools cutting the plywood

The reciprocating saw may look like something you can use for finer cuts, but make no mistake, this handled tool was designed to rip through material at a fast pace to maximize both time and effort. If you have a reciprocating saw and are looking to cut plywood, can this workhorse of a tool cut through such a material?

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on March 24, 2022.

Yes, you can cut plywood with a reciprocating saw, but it should be noted that this tool will leave very jagged edges along the cut due to the nature of ripping action from the device. Using a general reciprocating saw blade is fine for such a task.

Can You Cut Plywood With Table Saw?

Tools cutting the plywood

A table saw is one tool that you will find in the workshops of those who find themselves cutting large pieces of material regularly, as this saw is capable of passing through big pieces without having to cut them to fit the table. Therefore, if you have a big piece of plywood that needs to be cut, can a table saw cut through it or is this tool powerful for such a material?

Yes, you can cut plywood with a table saw, but you need to have the tool fitted with the right blade. With cutting plywood with a table saw, be sure to have the tool fitted with a plywood blade to avoid tear out or splintering of the material when passing through the blade.

How to Properly Cut Plywood

Confused man worker

Plywood can be an intimidating material to cut as it is not one solid piece of wood, but is composed of layers upon layers of wood veneer that is glued together. This makes the material very durable and capable of being easily manipulated, but when it comes to cutting, the construct of plywood can easily cause tear out or splintering if the right tool is not used. To see how to properly cut plywood, continue reading below.

To properly cut plywood, the best tool to use for the cleanest cuts is a circular saw. For smaller pieces of plywood, a jigsaw may be more manageable, just be sure that you are using the proper blade and speed to avoid damaging the material during the cut.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on March 24, 2022.

The various tools that can be used to cut plywood include a circular saw, dremel, handsaw, jigsaw, router, bandsaw, hacksaw, knife, reciprocating saw, and a table saw.m An angle grinder can be used, but it is not ideal. For the best results when cutting plywood, a circular saw is ideal.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on March 24, 2022.

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