How to cut a furniture board without chips. How and with what to cut plywood and chipboard without chips: straight and figured cut. What is the difficulty of sawing with a circular saw with discs
chipboard is very common chipboard, coated with a paper-resin film, which is also finely sanded. Lamination takes place at a temperature of 140-210 degrees Celsius and at a pressure of 25-28 MPa. After the entire lamination procedure, the surface turns out to be beautiful, durable, resistant to thermal effects and mechanical damage, which gives laminated chipboard a very attractive look when making furniture and when finishing the interior of the room.
A large number of craftsmen prefer to make furniture on their own and for this they buy high-quality chipboard from manufacturers or in ordinary construction stores. A wide range of colors when laminating the surface makes it easy to choose necessary material. Textures also have a variety: it can be embossed under wood spores or shagreen, or smooth, and also imitate a natural stone or wood.
But in order to make exclusive interior or unique furniture, it is not enough just to purchase chipboard. The laminated coating has a very fragile structure. If the actions are not correct, cutting the chipboard turns out to be very torn, and deep shells appear on the edges. In order to cut chipboard without cracks and chips, you need to know a few tricks when making a cut.
Basic rules for cutting chipboard
You can cut laminated chipboard at home using circular saw, jigsaw, hand saw with small teeth. For all work to be successful, you should:
- Fix very tightly along the line of the main cut adhesive tape, which does not allow the teeth to harm the front of the surface.
- With a sharp knife, make a cut along the cutting line of the laminated coating. In this case, the saw will cut the inner layers of the laminated chipboard, exerting only a tangential effect on the coating.
- A hand-held saw should be positioned at a very sharp angle relative to the board surface when working.
- Saw with electric tool with minimum supply.
- On this part, cut off the edge layer of the surface at an angle of 45 degrees with a thin knife.
- Grinding the cut should be done with a small file, grinding the cut in the direction from the edges to the center.
To further protect the surface from cracks and chips, overlays should be used: C-shaped patch edging, self-adhesive melamine tape, T-shaped edge.
So, I collected a sufficient amount of material and decided to dash off another analytical note. This time the theme is sawing chipboard without chips.
There is a fairly fair opinion that it is possible to cleanly cut chipboard only on professional equipment (that is, a panel saw).
The whole highlight of this machine is that it has two saw blades located strictly on the same axis. The first cuts the chipboard, the second cuts it through.
The cost of this unit is about 700,000 - 1,000,000 rubles (of course, there are more expensive))). NOT VERY ACCEPTABLE FOR THE AMATEUR.
Not a bad way to trim incorrectly marked parts, but you can’t cut the whole cabinet in this way. Chips, of course, are present, but in an amount that is quite comparable with the formatter (it also, in secret, leaves a small number of small chips). A lot of hassle with markup. Only straight cuts can be made.
Method 5 - Fraser
Provides the cleanest edge of the workpiece; the quality is no different from the formatter, often even better.
With it, we first saw the workpiece with a jigsaw, departing from the marking line 2-3 mm, and then we align the line according to the template (I usually use the second piece of chipboard, sawn on a formatter, right size). should be copy, that is, with a bearing.
Very clean cut. The possibility of carrying out curvilinear cuts, that is, the manufacture of many, including several completely identical ones. Cons - a lot of trouble: the need for accurate marking, preliminary sawing of blanks, setting a template or tire under the router, that is, not very suitable for mass use.
How to cut chipboard without chips at home, let's try to figure it out briefly. Currently, cabinet furniture is very popular, which is also made from chipboard. LDSP - finely sanded chipboard coated with a paper-resin film. The finish is durable and beautiful. In addition, chipboard compared to solid wood cheap material, and due to the laminated coating, it is not necessary to paint or varnish the finished product.
The texture and color of the surface is very diverse, but main disadvantage chipboard is that with inaccurate cutting, chipping of the material is possible.
How to cut chipboard
Chipboard can be sawn with a hand saw with a fine tooth, an electric jigsaw, a circular saw. The place of the cut is glued masking tape and cut along the cutting line sharp knife. The knife cuts through the laminate and the upper fibers of the wood underneath. Further, when passing with a saw, the chipboard will not chip off. Finishing the end for a C-shaped patch edging in the manufacture of furniture, this method is quite suitable. And under melamine self-adhesive tape it is better to use another method.
With an electric jigsaw or a circular saw, we saw chipboard with a margin of 2-3 mm. from the cutting line. I sawed with a jigsaw along the guide. As a guide, you can use any flat rail or rule. In my case, fiberglass 150 mm wide. thickness 4 mm. As described above, chips formed on the chipboard. 
Next, set the guide exactly along the cut line and manual router With an edge cutter we remove these 2-3 mm. which we kept in reserve. The design of the edge cutter has a bearing on the shank equal to the diameter of the cutter itself. As a result, we get a perfectly even edge, to which you can easily stick a self-adhesive melamine tape. Also, when cutting curved cuts, one cannot do without the use of a milling cutter. With an electric jigsaw we make a guide with the desired radii and also pass the end face with an edge cutter. Way cutting chipboard without chips also suitable for cutting laminated plywood and MDF.
AT this material we will touch upon such a topical issue for garage masters dealing with chipboard furniture as cutting chipboard without chips. In fact, the issue is quite topical, because professional equipment (panel saw) on which cutting is carried out in furniture workshops, costs about a million rubles, which not everyone can afford, and the area for its placement should be slightly larger than the standard 18 square meters. meters. The peculiarity of such machines is the presence of two saw blades(the first small undercut and the second main one, following exactly behind it). What can replace such a machine in an amateur workshop?
The most optimal, in my opinion, replacement is a plunge-cut circular saw complete with a guide rail. That's what we're talking about today.
Personally, I use the Elitech plunge-cut saw - this is a domestic budget model, which, despite its simplicity, allows you to achieve good results.
Professional models (e.g. Festool saws cut even better, but also cost 5 times more).
So, how is a plunge-cut circular saw different from a regular one? Firstly, with its spring-loaded working part with a depth limiter. Due to this, it is very easy to set and change the depth of cut, in addition, the “head” returns to its original position on its own in the absence of operator pressure. Secondly, these are the obligatory grooves on the sole for integration with the guide rail. Thirdly, a rigid structure that excludes backlash (the cut passes strictly in one place).
The tire itself is equipped with an anti-splinter tape (as a rule, this is a tape made of hard rubber - the black stripe on the right)
The tape presses the laminate, preventing pieces of it from coming off at the points where the teeth of the saw blade come out. Also, the tire has grooves for fixing on workpieces with clamps and tapes for easier sliding (red stripes).
By the way, the Festool saw is equipped with anti-splinter inserts on the side opposite to the bar, which makes the cut clean on both sides of the blade.
The tire itself is rigidly attached to the workpiece and does not move. Fixation is carried out with special clamps (their shape is somewhat different from the standard F-shaped ones. The price, by the way, is also).
All these features allow you to cut in "two passes". The first - not deep cuts upper layer laminate. The second - through cuts to the full depth. At the same time, there is no longer any material at the point where the tooth exits the workpiece, therefore there is nothing to pull out, respectively, chips are not formed. All this is in theory. Let's see how this all works in practice.
The markup is quite traditional. Using a tape measure, mark the start and end points of the cut (you can use a carpenter's square).
We draw a marking line, connecting these risks.
We set the guide rail along the line so that the edge of the anti-splinter tape is aligned with the markings.
Please note that the tire lies on the part that should remain (there will be no chips on it - the tape on the tire will help). On a free-hanging piece, they are possible due to the lack of an insert on the saw itself.
You can, of course, saw by laying a sheet of chipboard on a workbench, but this damages the surface of the workbench and you need to use interchangeable worktops (I don’t do this, although with big chunks this may be the only correct method).
The tire is mounted on the workpiece with a pair of F-shaped clamps, wound into special grooves on the tire.
We take a saw in our hands and set 11-12 mm on the depth regulator, which corresponds to 5-6 mm of cutting depth (the tire itself “eats” about 5 mm).
We put the saw on the tire, combining the grooves on the sole with the protrusions on the tire.
We carry out the first shallow cut. The photo shows that there are a small number of chips on the part of the workpiece not covered by the tape.
And another photo from a different angle.
And close up
We change the depth by 35-40 mm and make a second through cut without changing the position of the tire.
Having removed the tire, we see a fairly neat cut that does not require additional processing.
Separately photographed the detail after removing the tire from above
And from the bottom side.
By the way, the cut from below is traditionally more “clean”, because in this place the teeth of the disk only cut into the material, they tear it out at the exit.
Let me also note one more important fact. Work with sharp discs. The disk used in this lesson is already pretty tired and needs editing. I think that with a zero disk, there would be no chips at all.
In addition to the sharpness of the teeth, the quality of the cut is also strongly affected by the material being cut. There are more caustic coatings and more durable coatings. AT this example 16 mm Lamarty chipboards were used - one of the best domestic boards. Chipboard Egger or Kronospan are much more prone to chipping, and I would most likely not have achieved such a result with this disc.
All these moments come with experience, it's up to you to get a divorce for the purchase of this device.
In principle, it is possible to cut in “two passes” with ordinary circulars with homemade guide rails, the main thing is that the sole does not hang out, but doing this is less convenient than plunge saws, primarily due to the inconvenience of rearranging the sawing depth.
When you look at the price tags of furniture made from chipboard in a store, you are amazed at how expensive it is! But chipboard is one of the most available materials for the design of furniture with their own hands. Fortunately, all the necessary accessories are now on sale. And furniture projects, both on the Internet and in “paper” magazines, can now be found for every taste. So what's the problem? The main problem is to carefully cut the chipboard.
Of the household tools, the most suitable for cutting chipboard is a hand-held circular saw. But even when cutting chipboard with its help, a number of problems arise: 1) it is very difficult to follow a strictly straight line, the saw wags; 2) chips are formed.
Are there any ways to solve these problems? There is. It is about them that we will tell today. By the way, all these tricks apply to cutting plywood.
Tip 1: Cut chipboard on the floor with full support
Cutting with full support means that when you bring the saw to the end, the cut chipboard sheet won't fall off right away.
If you want a very even and crisp cut, chipboard is best cut on the floor. So you will 100% get a solid, stable foundation. The chipboard won't move even if you climb on top of it to finish the cut. You will also be sure that the cut piece will not fall off, split or fall.
Place 5 x 10 cm blocks under the chipboard sheet perpendicular to the direction of the cut. The bars will have to be sacrificed, as the saw will go through them. The more stable your chipboard sheet lies, the neater the cut will be.
Tip 2: Adjust the depth of cut
The correct depth of cut affects the quality of the cut.
Adjust the depth so that no more than half a tooth of the disc protrudes beyond the bottom edge of the chipboard or plywood (see photo above). This may not seem important to you, but believe me, the depth of cut greatly affects the quality of the cut. With this setting, the tooth cuts the material instead of chopping it, and the saw is also stabilized so that it vibrates less during the cutting process. Both of these factors make saw marks on the chipboard cut less noticeable.
Position the saw along the edge of the chipboard, raise the guide and look from close range to set the correct cutting depth. By the way, at the same time it is good to check the saw blade for damage, because a saw with bad teeth will make a rough cut. Another point: the saw is designed so that its stroke goes up, so chips are most often formed on the surface of the chipboard that faces up, and the cut from the side of the surface looking down is cleaner. Therefore, when cutting chipboard, have a good, face down.
Tip 3: For rip cuts, use a hard, long, straight object as a guide
As a guide for making an even straight cut, it is convenient to use a narrow long piece of chipboard, 16mm thick and about 30cm wide, which was cut professionally in a specialized workshop. All you need is to tighten its ends with a clamp.
The main difficulty is to position it in the right place for an accurate cut. To do this, you need to measure the distance from the edge of the saw support platform to the blade (see photo below).
Add this value to the width of your cut, make marks on the chipboard at both edges and lay the guide board. You also need to factor in the thickness of the saw blade in your measurements.
Usually it is best that the metal base plate of the circular saw rested against the edge of the guide, so maximum stability of the saw is achieved during cutting.
Tip 4: Check the guide before making the cut
This is, so to speak, fine tuning. Make a mark with a pencil - a line 5 cm long, thus determining the width of the part to be cut. Then start the saw, press the saw support platform against the guide and score the chipboard. Make sure that the saw blade begins to rotate in the air before it touches the sheet being cut, otherwise the edge of the sheet may split. Now measure the distance from the edge of the sheet to the notch to make sure that you did everything and calculated correctly. It is better, as they say, to measure seven times ...
Tip 5: Cut at a constant speed without stopping
Cut without stopping and maintain a constant speed. If you stop, there will be a mark on the chipboard or plywood.
Cutting speed depends on many factors, including the type of saw blade and the sharpness of the blade, as well as the material you are cutting. In general, the sharp disk passes through the chipboard sheet with little resistance, as if it were melting the wood. If you feel like you have to force and push the saw, either you are sawing too fast or the blade is dull. Too much fast cutting tears chipboard fibers and leaves visible marks on the cut. Too slow can cause the disc to overheat and ignite the wood.
Then you will get both marks and a burnt mark on the cut. That's why it's best to cut on the floor when you're making a long cut. You can crawl on your knees right on the chipboard, following the movement of the saw, without the need to reach or bend.
Just calculate in advance whether the length of the electrical cable is enough for you.
Tip 6: Get a CD large quantity teeth
The more teeth on the disc, the sharper the cut will be. And, of course, the disc must be sharp.
In principle, all the discs from the picture above are able to make a good cut on chipboard and plywood. As we wrote above, the more teeth, the better the cut. However, the disadvantage of the 140 tooth disc is that it dulls faster than the other three types. Especially if you are cutting chipboard. Take a disc with 40 or 56 teeth. It's better to keep another one in reserve. A 56-tooth blade is commonly used for cutting.
Tip 7: Cross cutting is best done with duct tape
The cross section is perpendicular to the plywood grain, and even the most sharp blade easily leaves behind chips. This is a big problem, The best decision which, buy a disc for cutting laminate, which we wrote about above. However, you can perform this task using other disks. To do this, stick adhesive tape on both sides of the cut line. It will prevent the formation of chips.
You need to remove it carefully, pull it in the direction perpendicular to the cut (see photo below) so as not to damage the chipboard laminating coating.
And one last piece of advice. If you need to cut expensive material with front side, cover the saw platform with adhesive tape so that it does not leave scratches on the surface of the sheet.