Issues with finished wood cut with the wrong saw blade
Ambrosious
| Posted in New To Woodworking on
So this is my first time building anything with wood, I’m trying to make a desk. I bought a big sheet of finished wood from Home Depot, I had it cut there BUT they cut it with the wrong saw blade now I’m stuck with wood that is all jagged on the edge of the face…. how In the absolute world should I go about fixing it??? I tried sanding but the splintered edges go through the first layer of wood. I did research and thought I’d use a block plane to slice the layer off but a home depot clerk suggested against that, now my only idea in mind is to just use a circular saw with a finishing blade to take a whole quarter inch Of wood entirely. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Replies
I often have a home center cut a sheet down, making it easier for me to get it home and in the shop.
But they are incapable of cutting to either an exact size, or smoothly.
I always retrim the plywood at home to get a nice clean and square edge. If I were you, I would trim that with a saw. You'll be at it forever with a block plane.
Panel saws are notoriously bad. Ask the man to cut very slowly, and always a tad oversize so you have room to trim. A circ saw with a sharp blade and a zero-clearance guide fence or a router with a downcut spiral or compression bit are your best bets now.
Look into getting a track saw if you plan to build more things with plywood. They cut clean and accurately. All you need is sawhorses and a cut table, both easy to make yourself.
You say this is your first time. Well done for noticing! You have come to the right place. I have put together a few basic and not so basic ideas which a beginner should be able to do with limited tools, or tools that are inexpensive and useful for many purposes.
As others have said, don't trust the home store panel saw to cut well enough to get great results - it's fine for building but not so much for woodworking.
If you are not prepared to live with the chips, you will have to cut them off and either make a smaller project or work around.
On making it shorter:
Even with a finishing blade, you are likely to get some chipout on that kind of ply. It is not made from the strongest stuff.
I use a scoring blade on the table saw, and even with that, in soft pine ply some of this still happens. You can reduce the chipout to almost nothing by scoring your lines with a sharp knife and straight-edge before cutting. Keep your show face down as the down side if using a circular saw or up side on a table saw. Most chipout occurs as the saw blade exits. ALSO, if possible cut across the grain first then along the grain second. This is because chipout like this occurs mainly in crosscuts and it is hardest to control the saw at the start and finish of a cut. If you do the crosscut first, most stuff-ups will then be fixed by the easier rip cut.
On alternatives:
If that edge is going to show, you are going to want to ease it some anyway and a block plane is the best starter plane to use. I love mine and now use it for all easing and smaller radius roundovers. You could cut a round over or chamfer on that piece and lose nothing - if you hate it, there is always the make it shorter option.
You could use a trim router (which is a very useful tool to have and cheap) to put a profile on the edge.
You could cut the edges short and glue on a piece of pine or a contrasting timber either generously to make a statement or thinly as edge-banding.
Getting fancier, you could inlay a thin strip of timber by routing out a rabbet in the edge and inlaying bit then plane to size.
The diablo 40 tooth finishing blade is very good, especially when new!
You can make a zero clearance plate for any circular saw by simply double sticking a thin piece of ply or MDF on the bottom, then plunging the blade.
You can also make the cut from the bottom so any tear out is on the underside or "B" side of the sheet.
Alternatively, if you have a router, a straight edge and a down cut or compression spiral bit will leave a perfect edge. Go slow!
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