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 home tools, the most suitable for cutting chipboard is manual 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 chipboard sheet being cut does not immediately fall off.
If you want a very even and crisp cut, chipboard is better just 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 beyond the bottom chipboard edges or plywood, no more than half of the tooth of the disc protruded (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 closely 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 longitudinal cut 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 lies in placing it in right place for a precise 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.
It is usually best to have the metal base plate of a circular saw rest against the edge of the guide to maximize the stability of the saw 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 fast cutting tears the fibers of the chipboard 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 disc with more 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 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 cut is perpendicular to the grain of the plywood, and even the sharpest blade easily leaves behind chips. it a big problem, the best solution 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 on both sides of the cut line adhesive tape. 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.
Any home craftsman sooner or later faces the need to cut chipboard. It can be making furniture with your own hands or wall cladding. MDF panels or chipboard. As you know, cutting chipboard is not difficult, but making the cut even and without chips is not an easy task.
Do it yourself or order?
Custom cut will be smoother
quality sawing chipboard difficult to do by hand due to big size sheets. Dimensions standard plate 2440x1200 is not the limit. However, if you often work with chipboard or MDF, it makes sense to get an expensive tool and work for your own pleasure. If you only need to cut a few sheets, you can go two ways:
- Cut the slabs yourself using the available hand tools;
- Order cutting chipboard in a specialized workshop.
What to choose is up to you, and we will consider each of these options.
Cutting panels at home
It is quite possible to cut a sheet of chipboard or chipboard manually. True, in this case, you are unlikely to be able to avoid the appearance of chips and burrs, but you can try to reduce their number and size.
There are several rules that should be followed when cutting chipboard panels:
- cutting sheets must be done on a flat, solid surface. For sawing large panels, two large tables(they must be the same height!);
- in order to prevent the appearance of chips, stick adhesive tape or a good masking tape along the cutting line, which will hold the edges of the laminated layer;
- for cutting with hand saw pick up a canvas with a grinding tooth. The saw teeth should be well sharpened. You need to drive the saw with a little pressure, at an acute angle to the surface, constantly monitoring its position;
- to cut chipboard and chipboard with a jigsaw, the cut line should be scratched or even cut. It is best to use sharp knife to cut through a durable layer of laminate;
- install a file with a small back tooth;
- select the maximum speed of the jigsaw, turn off the "pendulum";
- fix a flat rail along the saw line and guide the jigsaw strictly along it;
- the jigsaw should be firmly pressed against the sawn surface.
All these recommendations help to properly cut and cut chipboard, but chips, nevertheless, cannot be completely avoided. Therefore, if it is so important to get a perfectly smooth, straight line cut, without chips and traces of a saw, you should contact specialized workshops, where for a moderate fee any figure will be cut out of a chipboard sheet.
Accuracy and quality
Accurate cutting is the key to success
Panel saws for sawing chipboard and chipboard have high quality cut, which allows to reduce subsequent costs for processing cuts (grinding, removing chips and burrs, and so on). That is why on such machines it is possible to cut any complexity and configuration, which means almost inexhaustible possibilities in the production of furniture. Fantasy children's furniture, comfortable tabletops computer tables, figured through carved decorations in the doors kitchen facades– all this is possible with the use of machines.
There are two types of panel cutting machines:
- vertical, which is a strong rigid vibration-resistant welded frame (frame), installed vertically with a back deflection of 50 °, with guides located above and below, along which the saw beam moves. It is a bracket for the saw unit, which moves up and down along the beam, and also rotates 90 °, which allows you to make both vertical and horizontal cuts. The cutting precision is amazing. For sawing laminated chipboard, as well as solid, wavy or porous slabs, a special scoring unit is used. The rotational speed of the saw reaches 15 thousand revolutions per minute;
- horizontal, consisting of a table for a plate, a carriage for moving the saw along the saw mechanism and the actual saw mechanism, consisting of one or two cutting units. The cutting units themselves are equipped with a main and scoring saw. The principle of operation is simple: the main saw cuts deep chipboard, and the undercut accurately and clearly cuts the bottom edge (veneer or laminated surface). The saw unit can also be tilted up to 45°.
The miter saw is a "domesticated" and greatly reduced copy horizontal machine. It will not be possible to cut a wide sheet of chipboard or chipboard on it, but it will cope with fine details.
Sawing other types of panels
Cutting MDF is different from cutting chipboard panels. high density material quickly blunts the teeth of the saw, so it often has to be sharpened or completely changed. You can cut unfinished MDF on conventional machine, however, for laminated board requires machine with optional bottom saw. This is especially important when sawing boards with a double-sided finish.
Cutting fiberboard can be done at home using an electric or manual jigsaw. Of course, the file must be sharp, with a fine tooth, it is necessary to set the maximum speed on the jigsaw. Install the fiberboard horizontally on a support that should not interfere with sawing (between two tables or chairs, for example), secure with clamps if necessary.
The electric jigsaw should be held with both hands, pressing firmly against the surface, moving smoothly, strictly along the marking line, without jerking and pressing. The same applies to working with a manual jigsaw.
In the case when you need to cut a lot of sheets of material, it is more convenient to contact a specialized company. This will save you time and effort.
Video on cutting chipboard with a circular saw
Cutting chipboard beautifully and without chips is not always easy. See how to do it right:
As practice shows, do high-quality cut chipboard with a durable melamine coating is very difficult. Rough tools often leave nicks on cuts. You can no longer assemble a neat door or shelf with such defects. Sawing chipboard at home, usually occurs when repair work or making furniture.
How to cut chipboard without nicks and chips?
Special equipment
Of course the most the best option- use a special format machine. With it, you can get any cut. But for private needs you cannot buy such an instrument, but on manufacturing plant providing sawing services, such a procedure will cost good money. More cheap way- Circular Saw. There are even special saws for chipboard. But they also require the use of special tools. However, many in the arsenal should have milling machine, which will fix the rough cut with the cutter. If you have experience with such a machine, it will not be difficult to get a satisfactory appearance cut.
improvised tools
You can cut chipboard and a jigsaw, but it will be a rough cut. The edges may not turn out straight, but sinusoidal, and in the worst case, the edge will come out not perpendicular to the front surface.
During the cut, you must be prepared for the fact that the jigsaw file will begin to “walk” due to the bend. You need to cut with a margin of 4 mm, and then level the edge.
Sawing chipboard at home with a jigsaw reduces the formation of chips. When cutting, you need to increase the speed and reduce the feed by setting the swap to 0. Only sharp saws designed for special sawing of chipboard should be used. Only by following these rules can you achieve good result. After cutting the butt, which will be in sight, you can earn some money with sandpaper. Additionally, before cutting, as already mentioned, you need to cut a line along which the cut will take place. But we do not file along this line, but near it - then the chips will not touch the limits you need. In the end, it remains only to finish the edges with sandpaper.
Indents from the contour can be up to 4 mm. Then these few millimeters are removed with a cylindrical cutter using a hand-held electric mill with a bearing. The bearing is guided along a long level, fixed with reverse side sheet.
In addition, if the chips are in a non-working, inconspicuous area, they can be masked with a marker or felt-tip pen, matched to their color.
The most undesirable way to cut chipboard- a file (oddly enough, in old textbooks a lot of material is devoted to this method). It is possible with a planer, but preferably electric and with carbide knives. But here it must be borne in mind that the dust from under the planer will scatter throughout the room.
And the most comfortable way- by using manual router along the guide. The butt should be even and under 90 gr, there will be no chips, and when the vacuum cleaner is turned on, there will be almost no dust.
Masters recommend using a hacksaw for such a cut. If you have a saw with a fine tooth, then the procedure is as follows:
1) Draw a line of cut with a knife. Sharpen the saw before starting work. The knife should be driven with a little pressure so that the laminated top layer is notched.
2) Glue a tape with a sticky base along the intended cutting line. She will help keep decorative layer from cracking. You can also use paper tape.
3) The tool should be held at a very sharp angle. In this case, the angle should not be higher than 30 degrees - this will reduce the likelihood of chips. In the process of cutting, it is necessary to slightly press on the saw. If the work is done with a power tool, such as a jigsaw, then you do not need to rush and press it
4) After finishing sawing, the cut can be cleaned with a file. But in many cases, this is not required, since the small teeth of the saw do not deform the laminate. If torn edges have formed, then delicate work with a rasp will bring the cut into the proper form. The grinding tool must be guided towards the center from the edge - this minimizes possible damage to the top layer.
5) A glued strip of veneer will give the final beauty to the cut.
Of course cutting chipboard at home does not imply professional quality and high speed. For those who are in a hurry, we can offer sawing chipboard with a grinder. As cutting element wood disc is used. A bar is attached to the chipboard on clamps so that the grinder is guided along it for an even cut. After cutting, possible chips are treated with the same grinder, only with a different nozzle - for grinding. But a more gentle option is to use sandpaper.
The furniture in the store is beautiful, attractive. Road. And it does not always turn out to be exactly the most desirable addition to the interior, as it was drawn in the imagination that was played out in earnest.
Another thing is custom-made furniture. The master came (at least that's what they call themselves), measured everything, asked everything, assessed everything, left to fulfill the order. Sometimes for a long time. Less often - not quite what was required. But the price of custom-made furniture often turns out to be even higher than its analogue, which is languishing in the store.
Guided by such considerations, the heads of middle-income Russian families often think that it would be nice to acquire the skills of the legendary Pope Carlo themselves and sculpt masterpieces of furniture architecture right at the place of their future residence. That is, at home.
Starting, as a rule, with "light infantry" - stools, bedside tables, coasters - simple hacksaw and ax workers inevitably face one problem. Her name is Smooth cut chipboard. Making reciprocating movements with the same hacksaw, or (worse) leading a vibrating jigsaw along the drawn marking line, they get anything but an uneven cut of the material. Well, maybe even. But this is a rarity.
But for cabinet furniture, geometrically flawless ends wooden boards are of critical importance. This is the quality of fitting the elements together, and the appearance of the decor, and in general, so on.
In what ways did our ancestors, who were more skilled in this matter, achieve this level of processing?
When working with a hacksaw, the tool itself is primarily important: its choice depends on the material being processed, its qualities and properties. For chipboard, which is now common, it is highly desirable to use a hacksaw with fine teeth, diluted by half the thickness of the canvas. A larger divorce will give a wide propyl and unwanted chips; narrow - jam the tool in chipboard sheet leading to mild psychosis. In addition, if the hacksaw is armed with hardened teeth, this only goes to her "plus" - and the wiring is preserved better, and the sharpening is lost more slowly. It is important.
However, sawing long cuts with such a hacksaw is fraught with significant fatigue, since small and frequent “teeth” are quickly clogged with wood dust and are no longer able to effectively perform their functions in this state. But still, at home, using a tool with just such parameters is most preferable. The sawing itself should be done at the most acute angle. cutting edge hacksaws for the sawn plate. This is less tiring, and besides, it gives the desired even cut.
Of the electrified devices in this area, such figures are known as electric jigsaw and a miter saw.
The first is characterized by a rather riotous nature with uncontrolled conduct of his harvesting. Techniques for his restriction of freedom here are quite simple and unpretentious. This is, first of all:
- guide - flat and straight, preferably a metal ruler, fixed with clamps along the marking line. Resting against it with the sole, the tool passes its distance almost perfectly, without “blockages” and chips.
- the file itself - its parameters, this is rigidity and purpose - for simple chipboard- with small teeth directed upwards and without wiring, for wood - divorced large teeth, predatory sticking out in different directions from the plane of the canvas. But about the first ones, it should be remembered that, after about a meter of cut, their canvas will inevitably heat up, lose its qualities and “tear” to the side. Almost always this happens with inevitability of 100%;
- adhesive tape pasted from the side where the teeth exit to the surface. Better yet, both. You never know ... Chips appear in these places. However, it is not out of place to monitor the strength of the bonding of the adhesive tape itself with the surface to be treated: if it is subsequently removed, it is itself capable of heaping up characteristic flaws, even worse than a file;
- two parallel cuts with a carpenter's knife on both sides of the marking line for the entire length of the intended cut. It also saves from chips, and is especially true for laminated chipboard sheets.
After sawing, you can modify the cut with a milling cutter or grinder, however, firstly, this is due to circumstances, and secondly, too many tools are already required for a cabinet that will appear in life once and for many years.
Pro miter saw only one thing can be said: it is necessary.