How to cut a circle in plywood: selection of tools, curly cutting technologies with a jigsaw, milling cutter and improvised means. Hole in chipboard

The electric jigsaw is a well-known tool manual type designed for cutting patterns on various surfaces. In its significance, it is as important as a drill or a hammer drill.

The jigsaw is used for sawing various kinds of materials (wood, metal, etc.).

They can make straight and curved openings in wood of any species and other non-natural materials, precise cuts geometric shapes with a complex trajectory. To find out the question of how to cut a circle with a jigsaw, the tips and recommendations listed here will help.

Bench tool properties

The jigsaw is intended for household and professional needs. Devices of the first type are characterized by low power and are designed for work in small volumes. The purpose of using special equipment is the professional orientation of the tool, its productivity and a long period of work.

Typically, household appliances have a standard set of functions:

frequency of moves;
method of fixing the sheet for cutting;
pendulum type movement;
saw rotation.

The electric jigsaw is used for finishing surfaces, sawing out uneven edging, holes in the internal position, and making furniture. The processed material is reliably fixed on the basis. Marks are made on it in advance, then holes are sawn. The rotational vibrations of the shaft are converted into translational movements. The saw is fixed on the rod, its quality determines the period of use of the product. When choosing a device, preference should be given to round shapes and thickened stems.

The jigsaw is different positive qualities, How:

Cutting holes in any samples.
A simple device allows for quick replacement of saws.
Possibility to make round or rectangular cuts.
Ease of use.
Does not require special knowledge and skills.
The presence of a significant number of saws with different step limits of action, tooth shapes makes it possible to carry out different kinds work in a single device.
Reliable fixation of the sawn sample allows any distance from the edge of the product.
The device of universal action allows you to cut to any depth.
At the time of work, the material is practically not damaged.

Drawbacks:

The shortened movement of the web provides a slowdown in the operation of the device.
Possibility of injury.
Probability of cable failure.
Perform a battery level check.

The jigsaw has a built-in protection system, pneumatics and an electric drive.

Released new items are equipped with advanced features: reducing the number of vibrations, improving work productivity, equipping the device with convenient functions. Depending on the method of fixing the cutting part, saws are:

with holes;
with a cruciform element;
with a smooth base.

A jigsaw in some way can replace a router, hand saw, circular, chain saw, angle grinder. The tool is necessary in any household, it allows you to carve wood.

The current supplied to the device from the network gives an impulse to the engine, setting it in motion. Together with the gearbox, it transmits momentum to the gear, which secures the stem. The circular action of the shaft is modified into the movement of the working element of a reciprocating nature, moving up and down. Saws are fixed with screws or clamping mechanisms. Such fasteners help to change canvases in a short time.

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Rules for working with an electric jigsaw

To understand how to properly cut a circle in wood, it is important to study the features. This carpentry tool helps to saw out ovals, wavy patterns, figures with uneven outlines, non-standard carved caskets, shelves with patterns of a through plan. In order for the interaction with the jigsaw to be organized and safe, it is important to adhere to the rules:

In order for the work with the jigsaw to be quick and safe, do not forget to fix the product before work.

To avoid inconvenience, special stands should be prepared during work. A slot is made to the middle of the support, somewhat resembling a lock hole.
The stand is fixed with clamps or screws to the workbench.
At the time of work, you need to sit down, place the file strictly vertically relative to the floor and perpendicular to the surface.
The workpiece is placed in the middle of the stand, holding it with your left hand, you can cut plywood with your right hand. The location of the cuts should be in the middle of the support hole.
The tool does not tolerate strong pressure: a small touch and a gradual movement up and down is enough, and it will begin to work effectively.

Attributes:

pencil;
drill;
drill;
jigsaw.

The main fastener in the assembly of furniture is confirmat. It is screwed in with a pre-drilled hole. It is the drilling of assembly holes in chipboard for confirmations that we will consider in this article.

To assemble chipboard parts, we need:

screwdriver
Bat for confirmations
Ruler or tape measure
Pencil and awl

Hole depth and width

When usually used confirmat size 6.4 * 50. Because the diameter of the thread is 6.4 mm, and the diameter of the body of the confirmation is 4.4 mm, then for high-quality fastening of parts, the diameter of the hole should be in the range of 4.5-5 mm and a depth of at least 50 mm.

If the thickness of the hole is more than the specified one, the confirmation will not hold the parts well, if it is less, it can break the chipboard with its thickness.

For drilling, a confirmation drill with a diameter of 4.5 mm is used, which is equipped with an additional head for drilling an enlarged hole for the neck of the confirmation, which also makes a countersink for its head.

Of course, you can also use conventional drill with a diameter of 5 mm, but for high-quality fastening in the hole, you will additionally need to make space for the neck of the confirmant and his hat.

To perfectly fasten two parts, it is necessary to mark the places of their attachment as accurately as possible.

On the part that will be superimposed on the end (the one on which through hole), you need to make two measurements - along the length (usually 5-10 cm) and from the edge - exactly 8 mm (this is if the plate thickness is 16 mm).

On the part that lies perpendicularly, we mark the drilling point at the end. Here you need to maintain the same distance in length (5-10 cm from the beginning), and in width - strictly in the center (8 mm from the edge).

Marking should be done as accurately as possible, especially along the length, because. if the layout is incorrect, your parts may have extra gaps or protrusions when docking.

It is better to make a through hole in the first part, attach it to the second one - and immediately mark the place of drilling at the end of the second part with a drill. And then, separately already, calmly drill a hole.

We make a hole at a distance of 8 mm from the edge.

The drill must ALWAYS be held strictly perpendicular to the surface.

Before you make a through hole, place a piece of unnecessary chipboard under the part. This will prevent chipping on the back.

When the through hole is made, to drill holes for the neck and the cap of the confirmation, the part can be drilled on the fly.

The main rule is that when drilling at the end, the drill must be strictly perpendicular to the end of the part. If you don't hold the drill straight, the drill may go sideways and come out, ruining the part.

When drilling, you need to pull out the drill several times so that chips do not clog in the hole.

This option is considered the most accurate and, moreover, the fastest. But in order to make a hole in two parts at the same time, you will need to fix them before drilling. This may require special clamps, clamps and other devices.

Hole drilling accessories

In order not to mark 8 mm from the edge both into the layer and along the end each time, you can use a special device, which, by the way, is easy to do yourself.

It is a kind of wooden template with a metal sleeve for the drill inside.

It looks like this, see the photo:

And this is more professional stuff:

Watch a short video on precise drilling of holes in chipboard for confirmations and assembly of furniture parts:

Dowel drilling

The hole for the dowels is made with an 8 mm drill. Also, in order not to drill through the part, it is advisable to equip it with a depth gauge.

At the end, we drill with the same drill to a depth of 20 mm. Do not forget that during any work, the drill must be strictly perpendicular to the plane of the part.

Of course, if you took a drill in your hands for the first time in your life, you will not succeed very well. But this lesson can be learned pretty quickly.

Often the question of how to cut even circles from plywood with a jigsaw confuses novice craftsmen. After all, it is much more difficult to do this than a simple straight cut, no saw will help here.

Most often, a jigsaw helps to cope with the task of figured cutting. Jigsaws are manual and electric. A manual jigsaw consists of a frame with clips for the blade and a handle. The main disadvantages of a manual jigsaw: low mechanical strength of the blade and small size framework. As a result, the blade is often torn and it is impossible to cut at a large indent from the edges of the part. Such jigsaws are usually used for processing wooden products. Electric jigsaws are ordinary, in which the saw is located vertically, and for artistic cutting, where the cutting element is a steel blade. Electric jigsaws usually used when working with thick material.

Key Rules

To make the sawing process simple and fast, you must follow the basic key rules of work:

In order for the edges of the plywood to be even, it is better to cut along the canvas.

you can only work with dry material, as moisture increases the resistance of the material, as a result of which the veneer may begin to delaminate;
it is necessary to change the cutting blade immediately after the first signs of blunting of the teeth appear;
it is better to work with an electric jigsaw along the fibers of the material, so the edges will be more even;
with a hand jigsaw it is necessary to cut across the fibers of the veneer.

To work safely, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

firmly fasten the sawing table and saw blade in the frame;
the jigsaw must be with serviceable and well-fitted handles;
you should not press too hard on the jigsaw, trying to "help" it, this will only lead to faster blunting of the working blade;
straight and long cuts are best done with a wide blade, so the sawing process will go faster;
it is necessary to always see the markings, so the sawdust from the material being cut must be removed by hand, in no case should it be blown off, as they can get into the eyes.

Compliance with these simple rules will help a beginner learn how to cut circles with a jigsaw and facilitate his work.

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Cutting instructions

Before starting work, you need to drill a hole in the plywood for the jigsaw blade.

To cut even circles with a jigsaw quickly and beautifully, it is not necessary to be an expert in this field, but for a beginner it can be a very difficult task. In this case, the main thing is patience and, of course, the availability of the necessary accompanying tools, such as the jigsaw itself, a file, compasses, a simple pencil and surface polishing devices.

The first thing to do is to draw a circle on the surface of the material you will be working with. It is best to use a compass or choose a suitable circle and circle. It is necessary to trace with a pencil so that traces of it can be erased in the future.

If it is necessary to cut a circle inside the surface, then a through starting hole should be made. Next, you need to insert a jigsaw blade or file into this hole and fix the free end of the file with a clamp. Cutting is recommended in a sitting position. First of all, you need to fix the file in the jigsaw with a key, while keeping in mind that the teeth of the file should be pointing down. It is necessary to cut in the direction from top to bottom. The tool should be held level to avoid nicks and bevels.

The main thing in this process is not to rush and cut smoothly without sudden movements.

In the process of sawing, it is necessary to take small breaks, as the file can overheat and break. Here is the circle and ready. Now it is recommended to align the edges with a file, erase the markings left by the pencil and polish the part. Can be varnished if necessary.

Of course, it requires some skill and skills, but everything comes with experience. Therefore, following the recommendations described above should help the novice master in mastering this interesting and exciting activity.

Plywood (and to a lesser extent other sheet materials such as chipboard or oriented strand board) has significant decorative potential. Sufficient if available a simple tool and certain skills, you can cut almost anything from plywood.
But in order for the details obtained as a result of such a carving to look presentable enough, the master should have a few tricks in stock. It is about them that we will talk in our article.

Getting started with sheet materials, many craftsmen have an idea only of how to cut in a straight line. 'Cause the question is how to cut even circle from plywood, many can confuse. Indeed, ordinary or circular saw fail to cope with the task.
Figured cutting most often done using the following tools:

The simplest device that is used for sawing. With the help of a jigsaw, even the most fine work you can do it yourself, but for thick material or long cuts, it is practically not suitable.
Jigsaws. Here you can use two types of devices:
- ordinary, with a vertically located file;
- artistic, in which the role of the cutting element is performed by a steel sheet.

Ordinary electric jigsaws will come in handy when working with thick. But if you are looking for a way to cut letters out of plywood or make others complex elements(for example details children's constructor), then it is best to use a model with a band saw.

Advice! Naturally, for each type of jigsaw, there are several types of files and blades. Right choice cutting element is necessary condition high quality product.

In addition to jigsaws for a curved cut, you can use a furniture router. Despite all the complexity in management, in terms of the quality of the holes made, it is many times superior to most models of plywood saws. With the help of a milling cutter, you can.

Also, do not forget about improvised devices, but we will talk about their use in the appropriate section.

Cutting from plywood has several nuances that the master needs to consider:

Firstly, you can only cut on dry material. High humidity leads to an increase in the resistance of plywood, therefore, with excessive force, either the veneer will delaminate or the saw blade will break.
Change the saw or cutting blade as soon as the first signs of dullness appear.
If we are cutting plywood with a jigsaw, then in order to get cleaner edges, the main cut lines should be placed along the grain of the veneer. But with hand files it is easier to work across the fiber: there will be a few more chips, but there is less risk of pinching the file or moving it away from the intended line.

Advice! When transferring drawings for cutting from plywood to a blank, try to place the template in such a way that the elements to be removed fall into areas with defects: knots, chips, spots, etc.

Curly cutting technologies

jigsaw

As we noted above, a jigsaw will come in handy if we are looking for how to cut a word out of plywood or make other parts of a complex shape:

We transfer pre-printed drawings or templates to the workpiece using carbon paper.

If there are through sections in the structure, we make starting holes with a thin drill.
We insert a file or a jigsaw blade into the hole. We fix the free end of the file with a fixing screw or clamp.
We make a cut along the intended line, pressing the workpiece to the workbench. The saw moves either automatically (for electric curly jigsaws) or manually.

After all the arc elements are propylene, we remove unnecessary sections and process the finished part with a file or sandpaper.

Frazier

A furniture router is great for cutting thick plywood. Of course, you can’t make a complex shape with it, but cutting through an arc or a circle is easy:

We fix the standard ruler, which is part of the router, in the center of the circle with a self-tapping screw.
If the length of the ruler is not enough, you can assemble a simple bracket from metal profile or wooden planks.
By rotating the cutter along a fixed radius, we select the groove along the circumference, resulting in an almost perfect hole.

Note! When calculating the diameter of the circle, the dimensions of the working cutter should be taken into account. The instructions for the device will tell you the exact numbers.

In this way, you can cut not only circles, but also individual arcs - for example, in order to make grooves for furniture brackets.

improvised means

For curly elements, it is desirable to have special devices, but any craftsman may need to make a rounded hole in a slab of glued veneer. Below we will tell you how to cut a circle out of plywood when there is nothing at hand.
Well, almost nothing:

For plywood cutting, a wooden plank with two nails is used.
One nail is driven through the bar into the workpiece, exactly in the center of the hole being made.
We drive the second nail into the bar so that the tip comes out on wrong side at least 5-10 mm. The distance from the first nail should be equal to the radius of the hole being made.
Rotating the bar, draw a furrow on the plywood with a point, deepening it with each turn.
Instead of a stick, you can use a strong cord. The principle of operation remains unchanged.

The sharper the nail used, the faster the hole will be made.
It should be noted that although the price of such a device is low, it should be used only when other methods are not available: the edges still turn out to be far from ideal.

1. Choosing the right drill

Ordinary twist drills are inexpensive. They are considered universal and are designed for drilling wood, metal and plastic. As a rule, their tips are sharpened at a 118° angle for most applications.

But due to such an obtuse angle, the drill can deviate to the side at the beginning and tear out the fibers of the wood at the exit, so leave such drills for plastic and metal, as well as for holes with a diameter of less than 3 mm in wood (thin drills have these shortcomings less pronounced). For holes with a diameter of 3 to 13 mm, choose center point drills designed specifically for wood. The tip of such a drill does not bark him to go to the side at the beginning of drilling, and the side cutting protrusions (the so-called undercutters) help to reduce chipping.

To make holes with a diameter of more than 13 mm, use Forster drills. Like center point drills, they have a pilot tip in the middle and cut very cleanly. Forster drills with a serrated cutting rim work much more aggressively, but the result of their work is no worse. Using such drills, you should reduce the feed and securely fix the workpiece with clamps.

2. Support the workpiece from the back

Regardless of the type of drill, when the metal passes through the wood, the unsupported wood fibers on the back of the workpiece are torn and chips are formed at the exit. Therefore, do not forget to support the reverse side of the material with trim

boards. The retaining cut supports the fibers at the point of exit of the drill and prevents a sharp increase in feed at the end. Making holes in drilling machine, simply place the cut under the workpiece, and when using an electric drill, fix it with clamps. If at the beginning of drilling the fibers around the hole rise or small chips form, stick masking tape on the surface, and then mark the center and start drilling.

3. Drill from both sides

If the location of the hole makes it difficult to install a retaining trim (for example, when drilling holes for wires in back wall cabinet), the counter drilling method will help, when the hole is made from opposite sides so that there are no chips on the edges.

To make neat holes of different diameters, you need all three types of drills - twist, center point and Forstner.

Make a through hole with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm, which will guide the Forstner drill or a drill with a central point to the middle of the thickness of the part.

Continue drilling with reverse side by inserting the tip of the drill into the pilot hole again. The two large holes should meet in the middle.

On a note:

We cut without chips

At the exit of the material, the tooth saw blade or cutters often forms chips - in wood, plywood or chipboard. The most common way to deal with this phenomenon is to have the cutting tooth come out of the material inside the slot. For example, if you move the workpiece along the rotation of the disk. But it is absolutely impossible to choose grooves to the full depth in this way. The energy of the rotating cutter is enough to snatch the workpiece from the hands. After that, it will fly with great speed in the direction of rotation. The consequences can be the most unpredictable!

Nevertheless, this principle is used in some machines for cutting chipboard. Only in them, the disk, which rotates in the direction of the material feed, makes only a shallow cut. During its formation, the impact of the scoring disc on the part is negligible, so the work is safe. Behind the scoring disc is the main working disc, which rotates, as it should be, towards the feed of the part. The blade cuts the material cleanly, without chips, because the already selected shallow groove is used (the cutting tooth comes out of the material inside the groove). I use this principle in my work. For those who decide to try my method, I want to remind you that milling machine installed in the table is a tool of increased danger. And when working with it, you must strictly follow the safety rules - use protective screens and hold-downs, and do not exceed the recommended feed rate of the workpiece and the speed of the cutter. The table should be free from foreign objects and well lit.

1. If you put a groove cutter on a router and skip the workpiece, there will definitely be chips!

2. Therefore, first I fix the plywood overlay to the guide milling table so that the cutter protrudes only 2 mm beyond the surface of the lining. And I skip parts in the direction of rotation of the cutter. This results in a shallow groove without chips.

3. Then I remove the overlay - now the cutter protrudes to a given depth. And I skip the workpieces, as expected, towards the rotating cutter.

4. There are no chips!

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