Well      06/16/2019

How to cut an even circle with a circular saw. Cutting from plywood - main features of the work How to cut a circle from plywood

Often, when repairing or installing various wooden products needs to be drilled perfectly round hole. In this article we will try to highlight all the ways in which such a hole can be cut. Options with the use of special tools, as well as without them, will be considered.

How to cut plywood

A hacksaw with a very narrow blade, a jigsaw, a drill saw and a round file are those hand tools, which can be used to cut along a curve.

It is the narrow blade that provides maneuverability to the hacksaw, but for the same reason it is extremely difficult to operate. You must have a steady hand and an attentive eye to prevent deviations from the markings. However, do not try to work quickly. On the contrary, it is better to advance in small spurts. This will help you hold the saw handle more confidently and guide it exactly along the given line.

It is better to cut out small round or oval holes and “narrow” curves using special tools - a drill saw and a round file, which can also be used to clean out curves.

However, the most suitable tool for cutting rounded parts and holes is an electric hacksaw. Its advantage is not only that it saves energy and time. The included set of interchangeable blades with different teeth allows you to choose a blade for sawing almost any type of workpiece, be it wood, plywood or chipboard. In other words, an electric hacksaw can rightfully be called a universal tool.

Round corners of furniture

By hitting sharp corner table, you can even get hurt. Therefore, we recommend cutting corners where possible. U homemade furniture they need to be rounded off from the very beginning.

Cutting circles and curved lines is no more difficult than making an absolutely straight cut on a workpiece, but under one condition: in your hands the right tool and you are good at it.

Mark missing parts

It may happen that the holes that you drilled to insert a narrow blade with a hand or electric hacksaw will end up in useful areas. To avoid such mistakes, you should mark all missing parts of the workpiece with shading.

What is suitable for the template

You can make a circle on a workpiece not only with a compass. Any object of a similar shape is suitable for this purpose. This could be a pan, plate, cup or bowl. However, when starting work related to the repair of furniture or some piece of furniture, calculate in advance the need for parts with rounded contours or with round holes. It may be enough to make only minor changes to the design.

Instead of a compass

A school compass can also be useful in a home workshop, but its range of action is small. What if you need to draw a circle of large diameter?

An easy way is to do this with string, a nail and a pencil. The nail is carefully driven into the workpiece, the rope is secured to it at one end, and a pin is secured to the other end. The length of the rope determines the radius of the circle being drawn. The only condition is that the rope must be taut along the entire path of the pencil. Then the distance from the center (nail) to the circle in all sections of the marking will be the same.

Strip of cardboard or slats

An equally simple, but more reliable way is to use a strip of cardboard or, even better, a wooden plank instead of a rope. Drill two holes in this bar (strip) - one, smaller, for a nail, the other, larger, for a pencil. The distance between their tips should correspond to the radius of the desired circle. All that remains is to install the nail in the right place and rotate the bar around its axis.

Two sharpened nails and a wooden strip or a strip of thick cardboard can replace a compass.

How to draw ellipses

An ellipse is a rather complex shape, but to draw it on paper, you only need two thumbtacks, a piece of string and a sharpened pencil.

Attach two buttons to the surface of the workpiece at some distance from each other. Take a piece of rope, tie both ends into a knot and hook the rope onto the button heads. Now, with a pencil, draw a line that the stretched rope allows you to describe. You can change the shape of the ellipse at your discretion.

The distance between the two focal points of the ellipse is indicated by buttons. If you guide a pencil within the boundaries assigned to it by a rope, then the outline of an ellipse will appear on the paper.

The ellipse shape can be larger or smaller, thicker or narrower, depending on the distance between the buttons and the length of the rope.

Templates

Shot glasses, cups, plates, pots or baking dishes - in any household there are many round-shaped objects that can be used to mark a circle. If you are making something and decide to give your product a rounded shape, then first look to see if there is a suitable template among the household utensils. To be sure, select a few items and take them to the workshop. There you can immediately try them on the workpiece and determine what is most suitable. With some practice, you will be able to make rounded lines from several round objects with different radii. Arcs of a circle can be drawn sequentially, or bridges-transitions can be made between individual arcs.

Preliminary drawing

Before attempting to draw a curve on a piece, design it on a large piece of paper or piece corrugated cardboard. Only after the result is satisfactory in all respects can you cut out a template from paper and make markings on it on the workpiece.

You can draw circles and fragments of a circle using a cup or plate by simply tracing them with a pencil.

Inserting a sink according to a template

Washing is one of the most important elements kitchen equipment. If you decide to cut your sink into your kitchen worktop yourself, the first thing you need to do is prepare an exact template.

First, transfer the outer outline of the shell onto a thick sheet of paper. Next, measure the width of its sides, which will rest on the tabletop. Usually this is 2-3 cm. Now step back from the outline drawn on the paper, inward by the width of the side and draw a parallel line. This will be the cutting line.

When applying markings, make sure that the position of the template itself on the plate is correct. Of course, if all the corners of the sink are symmetrical, then nothing bad will happen if, according to the markings, it appears to be in a mirror image. But if the sink has the shape of a trapezoid and the roundings at the front corners differ from the roundings at the back, then under no circumstances confuse the front and back parts.

Using a similar pattern, make templates and cut out holes for the devices. wall lighting or for loudspeaker mounted on wooden panels.

The line drawn around the sink is auxiliary. The second, drawn parallel closer to the center, is the sawing line.

Electric hacksaw

If you need to cut a round-shaped part and saw a round hole in the workpiece, then an electric hacksaw is the most suitable tool. With its help, you will save effort and time, since such a saw has great advantages over a manual one. Thus, the blade of the electric hacksaw is narrower, which provides increased maneuverability. Further, it has replaceable blades with different teeth, which allows you to process workpieces of any type, that is, wood, plywood, chipboard (it is no coincidence that the tool is also called a jigsaw).

To cut a section inside the workpiece, a hole is first drilled for a hand saw. But if you have an electric hacksaw, then this is not necessary. The tool is brought to the workpiece with a slight tilt forward and turned on in this position. The saw will cut the hole itself. Just don’t put too much pressure on the body - this can lead to breakage of the saw blade.

Lead in a circle

This device, simple in design, makes cutting out round holes or arcs much easier. It is enough to mark the center of the circle on the workpiece, fasten the device along the mark and connect the rod coming from it with an electric hacksaw. The divisions on the rod help set the saw blade at the required distance from the center of the circle. As a result, without preliminary marking, you can cut a circle or saw an arc with a radius of 5 to 20 cm.

The device (more precisely, its “sole”) is attached to the surface of the workpiece with screws. They should be well tightened. If the fastening is not rigid and starts to wobble, then an even circle will not work.

Suitable for lefties too

Left-handers can also use the device, since the guide rod is attached to the movable unit both on the left and on the right. So cut at your own discretion - clockwise or counterclockwise.

Using such a device, you can cut a round hole with a diameter of 10 to 40 cm in the workpiece without preliminary marking.

Jigsaw

When cutting holes or curves in small workpieces, sometimes you can’t do without a jigsaw. Replaceable blades with teeth of different shapes and locations allow you to work with wood of different densities. However, it should be taken into account that the depth of the cut is limited by the arc of the jigsaw, that is, the saw blade will not be able to move further than 30 cm from the edge of the workpiece.

Very thin, narrow saw blades can be easily damaged if the jigsaw is used incorrectly. The saw must be operated with careful, methodical movements. The main thing is to prevent the canvas from skewing. Otherwise, small and light workpieces will begin to move with the saw, which may ultimately lead to the blade bursting.

The thinnest jigsaw blade will “master” the narrowest curve, but only in small workpieces, since the advancement of the blade is limited by the arc of the jigsaw.

Drill saw

Neither a hand saw nor an electric hacksaw will help if you need to cut a small hole in the workpiece - less than 10 cm in diameter. A jigsaw may also be useless if the workpiece is large. In this case, the most suitable tool is a drill saw. With its tip it bites into the wood like a drill and thus makes a “starting” hole for further cutting. Externally, the saw is similar to a round file with the difference that its shaft is surrounded by a spiral around the cutting edge.

Drill saws are available with interchangeable attachments of various diameters, designed for processing wood, both soft and hard rocks, as well as a variety of materials made from it.

The working body of a drill saw is a metal rod with a cutting tip, like a gimlet, and a cutting edge that goes around the rod in a spiral.

This is what the narrowest of hand saws looks like. Thanks to the fastening unit, the blades in the hacksaw can be changed depending on the nature of the material being processed.

Drill attachment

One of the most popular and convenient options The hole is cut using a special attachment on the drill. It is made in the form of a crown comb and has a rounded shape. With this attachment, cutting holes occurs quickly, and they turn out quite smooth.

drill bit for holes

Nozzles come in different diameters, which allows you to cut a hole of the required diameter. If you have already prepared a hole, we can advise you to try your hand at options trading.

Drill

Cut big hole You can also use a drill. To do this, it is necessary to pre-mark the outline of the hole to be drilled. Next, use a small drill to drill along the contour prepared in advance, through holes. Next, using a jigsaw or a very sharp knife, we cut off the holes, thereby connecting the holes. After which you can smooth the circle using sandpaper of various grain sizes.

Chisel

You can also cut the required hole using a chisel. It is enough to remove the wood layer by layer along the contour. This option least suitable for interior decoration. The hole must be smooth, which cannot be achieved by using improvised and unsuitable materials for the job. The best option will be using a bit on a drill. The hole is even and has smooth edges.

Thus, to summarize, it becomes clear that you need to choose a tool for cutting a hole based on your goals. If necessary high-quality cut, then you can’t do without a special tool.

Instructions

First, make a special stand for ease of use. It is a durable board about twenty centimeters long, five centimeters wide and 1.5-2 centimeters thick. On one side, at a distance of five centimeters from the edge, a hole with a diameter of 15 millimeters is drilled in the center. Then, stepping back one centimeter from the edges of the board on the left and right, cuts are made to the edges of the hole. The result is a figured cutout reminiscent of a keyhole.

The stand is screwed to the table (workbench) with screws or attached with a clamp so that it protrudes perpendicular to the table by 15 centimeters. It’s inconvenient to work with a jigsaw without a stand, so it’s worth spending a little time making one.

They work with a jigsaw while sitting on a chair. The material, for example, a plywood plate, is placed on a stand and held with the left hand. When working, the jigsaw is held so that the file is positioned strictly vertically. Without pressing too hard, gently move the jigsaw up and down, making sure that the file follows exactly the line you drew.

As you saw along the drawn contour, move the plywood sheet so that the cut location is always inside the shaped cutout of the stand. To smoothly rotate the cutting line, turn the jigsaw slightly to the left or right. If you need to make a sharp turn - for example, on - then at the point of the turn, work with the jigsaw in place, without moving it forward and gradually turning it in the desired direction.

If you need to make an internal cut - for example, cut a circle inside a part - then first drill a hole in the area to be cut with a drill. Unscrew the top screw on the jigsaw that holds the file. Carefully, so as not to break it, insert the file from below into drilled hole and secure it again in the jigsaw clamp. After this, start cutting out the part to be removed. Having cut it out, unscrew the screw again and pull out the file.

When working with a jigsaw, the degree of tension on the file is very important. If the saw is loosely tensioned, it cuts poorly. With strong tension it is easy. Always tighten the saw blade screws well to prevent the file from slipping out. But don't break the threads on them. After working a little with a jigsaw, you are own experience determine the desired degree of saw tension and screw tightening.

In case you have to cut hard material– for example, textolite or other plastic, moisten the cut area with water. When working with soft plastic, make sure that the file does not get stuck in the material that has melted due to friction; to do this, also moisten it with water.

Plywood, unlike others sheet materials, due to its dense and not loose structure, can be easily cut out and obtained from it into various decorative complex shapes. With a standard set of tools, everyone House master capable of cutting out of this material any desired, and even complex elements. However, in order for the blanks to have a marketable appearance and not interfere with the intended decorative element, you need to take into account some nuances when working with plywood. How to cut an even circle from plywood?

Many people cut parts out of plywood more than once, but mostly they had to make straight cutting lines. It is not often necessary to cut out round or wavy parts; few people dare to make a circle out of plywood. Therefore, this task at first glance may seem impossible. For figured sawing You will need the following tools:

  • An ordinary jigsaw. A tool often used for DIY sawing of thin sheet materials. However, thick thicknesses are beyond his strength;
  • Jigsaw. Such power tools are divided into two types of devices: conventional, in which the file is located vertically, and for artwork, in which the working element is a steel sheet, as can be seen in the photo. Suitable for working with thick plywood regular jigsaw, but you won’t be able to use it to make an even circle of plywood. But curved elements, such as letters, can be cut out artistic jigsaw, which is equipped band saw. Thus, for high-quality performance of various types of work, an appropriate device is selected.
  • With more complex equipment, such as a router, a circle of plywood can be cut very smoothly. It is of course more difficult to control, but it can be used to cut a circle of plywood from sheets of sufficiently large thickness. The quality of work on such a machine is superior to other cutting methods, and the cut of the wheel is smooth.
  1. Templates for drawings should be placed on the workpiece sheet so that areas with damage and flaws then go to waste, and clean areas are located under the drawing, that is, they later become a finished product;
  2. Before cutting a circle from plywood with a jigsaw, you need to make sure that the material is completely dry. Since humidity increases the resistance of plywood, and as a result, either the veneer may delaminate or the tool may break;
  3. To ensure that the edges of the cut are free of notches and burrs, you need to cut it with a jigsaw along the grain of the veneer. Hand jigsaw, on the contrary, it is necessary to saw across the veneer fibers, although chips may form, but there is no risk that the file will deviate from the cutting line;
  4. As soon as it becomes noticeable that the cutting teeth have become dull, you immediately need to change the working blade or saw.

Curly cutting methods

When starting to cut out with a jigsaw, a sketch of the design is first applied to the sheet using carbon paper. The initial holes are drilled with a drill. A file or working element of a jigsaw is inserted into it and the free edge of the file is fixed using a clamp or screw. Next, sawing is done according to the template transferred to the plywood. Then unnecessary elements are removed, and the workpiece is sanded around the edges sandpaper, or processed with a file. The video shows this process.

A furniture router is not suitable for cutting out complex shapes, but cutting a circle out of plywood evenly is very easy. The standard ruler of this machine is fixed in the center of the circle using a self-tapping screw. When the cutter begins to rotate along a given radius, a completely even circle is cut out. To correctly calculate the diameter of the circle, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the cutting cutter. You can correctly navigate this issue by first studying the instructions for the equipment.

How to make curly blanks using various instruments, and the machines described above, and if you don’t have anything at hand, how to cut a circle from plywood without a jigsaw.

Here simplest technology cutting a circle from a slab of plywood, having a few simple items available:

  • Take a wooden plank and two nails. The first nail is driven into the center of the intended circle through the bar. The second nail is driven into the plank so that its sharp edge extends five to ten millimeters beyond the limits of the plank;
  • The distance between the fixed nails will be the radius for the required circle;
  • By making rotational movements, a line is made on the plywood. By wrapping the bar many times, the furrow is made deeper and deeper.
  • The sharper the nail is chosen, the sooner the drawn line will receive a recess;
  • The bar is easily replaced with a cord; the following cutting steps remain unchanged.

The above method is one of the least effective, but also has a right to exist. And if you have a jigsaw, cutting out a circle with your own hands will not be difficult.

The jigsaw is a famous tool manual type, designed for cutting patterns on various surfaces. In terms of its importance, it is as important as a drill or hammer drill.

A jigsaw is used for sawing various types 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. The tips and recommendations listed here will help you figure out how to cut a circle with a jigsaw.

Properties of metalworking tools

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 a sheet for cutting;
  • pendulum type movement;
  • turning the saw.

A jigsaw is used for finishing surfaces, cutting out uneven edges, internal holes, and making furniture. The processed material is securely fixed to the base. Marks are made on it in advance, then the holes are sawed. Rotational vibrations of the shaft are converted into translational movements. The saw is fixed on the rod, its quality determines the life of the product. When choosing a device, preference should be given to round shapes and thickened stems.

The jigsaw is distinguished by such positive qualities, How:

  1. Cutting holes in any samples.
  2. A simple device allows you to quickly replace saws.
  3. Possibility to make round or rectangular cuts.
  4. Ease of use.
  5. Does not require special knowledge or skills.
  6. The presence of a significant number of saws with different step limits of action and tooth shapes makes it possible to carry out different kinds work in conditions of one device.
  7. Reliable fixation of the cut sample allows any distance from the edge of the product.
  8. The universal action device allows you to cut to any depth.
  9. During the work, the material is practically not damaged.

Disadvantages:

  1. The shortened movement of the blade ensures slower operation of the device.
  2. Possibility of injury.
  3. Possibility of cord failure.
  4. Checking the battery charge level.

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

The new products being released are equipped with improved functions: reducing the number of vibrations, improving productivity indicators, and equipping the device with convenient functions. Depending on the method of fixing the cutting part, saws are:

  • with holes;
  • with a cross-shaped element;
  • with a smooth base.

A jigsaw can in some way replace a router, hand saw, circular, chain saw, corner grinding machine. The tool is necessary in any household; it allows you to carry out wood carving.

The current supplied to the device from the network gives an impulse to the motor, causing it to move. Together with the gearbox, it transmits the impulse to the gear, which secures the rod. The circular action of the shaft is modified into the movement of the working element of a reciprocating nature, moving up and down. The saws are fixed using screws or clamping mechanisms. Such fasteners help to change the canvas in a short time.

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Rules for working with a jigsaw

To understand how to properly saw a circle in wood, it is important to study the features. This carpentry tool helps to cut out ovals, wavy patterns, figures with uneven outlines, non-standard carved boxes, shelves with end-to-end patterns. To ensure that interaction with a jigsaw is organized and safe, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

In order for work with a jigsaw to proceed quickly and safely, do not forget to fix the product before work.

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

Attributes:

  • pencil;
  • drill;
  • drill;
  • jigsaw

A jigsaw is a very useful power tool. Using the right file, a little experience and confidence, and most importantly - correct position body, you can do everything with it. You can do many things that cannot be done with other instruments. The machine is used for cutting straight lines, curves, profiles and circle trimming. Great for cutting wood, metal and plastic.

The master showed how to cut a perfect circle with a jigsaw. He made a device out of wood. Its design is simple, and the device itself is easy to manufacture. To get an idea of ​​this, see this image.

Material used:

12 mm plywood sheet. Wooden strip. Nails.

How to do

First of all, measure the size of the jigsaw machine's base plate. The next step is cutting plywood sheet in an L shape as shown in the image.

After cutting the sheet of plywood to the exact size, the next step is to cut a strip of wood to attach the sheet with nails. This strip is used to hold the jigsaw in its position.

Make sure that there should not be any type of opening between the strip and the base plate of the jigsaw.

The next step is to drill small holes on the sheet. The distance between these holes is, for example, 1° cm. These holes are used for cutting circles of different diameters.

After that I painted it so that it looked good. It is now ready to be used to cut a perfect clamp circle.

Advantages:

It's very easy to do.

Easy to use.

Less costs.

Used for cutting round discs of various diameters.

For better understanding, watch the video below.