6/17

Cutting on the Inside of Your Line

Make sure the saw blade is on the waste-piece side of the line, not about to cut into the material you’ll use. Not paying attention to this little detail is the number one beginner cutting mistake. Most saw blades take away close to 1/8-in. of material, so if you cut the wrong side of the line you’ll end up 1/8-in. too short.

7/17

Binding or Pinching the Power Saw Blade

To make a safe cut, the waste piece should fall away at the end of each cut or be supported, so it doesn’t fall back and bind against the blade at the end of the cut. Think of it this way: A piece of plywood will sit on a pair of saw horses forever, but if you try to make a cut between the saw horses, it will eventually collapse and pinch the blade.

Add a couple of 2x4s between the sawhorses under the plywood to support the material during the whole cut. Just be sure to set the blade shallow enough to cut all the way through the plywood, but not the 2x4s.

If you’re only cutting off a small amount, make the cut outside the sawhorses, so the cut piece just falls down.

8/17

Using the Wrong Blade

Rip blades are used for ripping, or making cuts — typically longer ones — with the grain, often on solid lumber or sheet goods like plywood. They have fewer teeth, with spaces called gullets, designed to carry the sawdust and reduce friction and burning during long with-the-grain cuts.

Crosscut or trim blades are for crosscuts, or cutting across the grain, usually on plywood, trim and shelf boards. They have a lot more teeth, often 80 to 100 for 10- or 12-in. blades, and make a smoother, finer cut across wood grain and fiber.

The two are not interchangeable. Plywood veneer, for example, will chip and tear if you try to cut across the grain with a rip blade.