How to cut a circle out of plywood with a jigsaw. Plywood cutting - the main features of the work. Electrical appliances or hand tools

Plywood sheets are rarely used in the same format as they are commercially available. Most often, plywood is additionally cut. Often there is a task to obtain a workpiece certain form. How to cut a circle out of plywood, even without a special tool at hand, we will tell you more.

1. It is recommended to cut only on dry plywood. Moisture increases the board's resistance and increases the risk of chipping, delaminating the veneer, and other defects.
2. Make a replacement cutting tool better immediately when the primary signs of blunting appear.
3. When applied electric jigsaw in order to obtain the cleanest edges of the workpiece, the cut line should be directed along the fibers, but when using a hand tool - across the veneer. In the latter case, there may be more chips, but the tool most likely will not leave the cut line.
4. When transferring drawings or other elements to plywood, try to make sure that the flaws (spots, knots and cracks on the material) go to waste, and not to the plywood blank itself.
5. If the task is difficult, for example, cutting a round product, then you need to think about using a special tool (a circular or ordinary saw will not work) or original improvised means.

How to cut a circle out of plywood

The hardest thing to decide how to cut even circle plywood if there is no special tool at hand. But even in such a situation, there is a way out - improvised means. What is the essence of the method:

1. The main tool is a plank of wood with a pair of nails.
2. The first nail must be driven through the bar, and then placed in the very center of the plywood blank.
3. The second nail should be as sharp as possible. It is driven in at a distance equal to the radius of the circle from the first. The tip should protrude from the plank by about 5-10 mm or more (depending on the thickness of the plywood sheet).
4. By rotating the bar relative to the first nail, a furrow is formed by the second and gradually deepens in the plywood
5. Rotations are made until the moment of complete cutting of the plywood sheet.

Instead of a strap, you can use a high-strength cord, but the principles for obtaining a circle do not change.

More traditional methods for making a plywood circle using the right tool:

• jigsaw - electric or manual. Initially, a sketch is made with a pencil (let's say according to a template), then a cut is made along the lines, and the finished part is additionally polished with a file or sandpaper;
• milling cutter. Great tool for getting a circle out of thick plywood. The standard ruler is fixed with a self-tapping screw in the center of the circle. Next, the cutter rotates along a given radius, forming a hole with the correct round shape.

Why do you need a circle of plywood

Before you think how to cut a circle in plywood with a jigsaw, you need to clearly understand why it is needed. Subsequently, both the resulting round-shaped workpiece itself and the plywood sheet with a regular-shaped hole can be used.

Where can be useful round billet from plywood:

• for the manufacture of various crafts and patterns for them;
• be used as a base for wall clocks;
• apply for subsequent curly cutting or decoupage;
• act as a stool seat, kitchen countertop or coffee table etc.
• to create various souvenirs, for example, boxes, etc.

It may also be necessary to cut the correct circle from plywood for later use of a sheet with a hole:

• installations mortise sink in the tabletop;
• receiving a ceiling with a cutout under lighting round shape ( Spotlights or one chandelier);
• for the production of furniture decorative facades and other elements, etc.

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 of 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.

Usually 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:

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

Drawbacks:

1. The shortened movement of the web provides a slowdown in the operation of the device.
2. Possibility of injury.
3. Probability of cable failure.
4. 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 milling cutter, a hand saw, a circular saw, 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.

1. 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.
2. The stand is fixed with clamps or screws to the workbench.
3. At the time of work, you need to sit down, place 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 cut plywood with your right hand. The location of the cuts should be in the middle of the support hole.
5. The tool does not tolerate strong pressure: just a little touch and a gradual movement up and down, and it will begin to work effectively.

Attributes:

• pencil;
• drill;
• drill;
• jigsaw.

Plywood, unlike other sheet materials, due to its dense and not loose structure, lends itself to easy sawing and obtaining various decorative complex shapes. Possessing standard set tools, any House master able to cut out this material any desired, and even complex elements. However, in order for the blanks to have marketable condition and did not violate the intended decor element, you need to take into account some of the nuances of working with plywood. How to cut an even circle from plywood?

Many saw parts out of plywood more than once, but mostly they had to make straight cut lines. It is not often necessary to cut out rounded or wavy details, few people dared to make a circle out of plywood. That's why given task at first glance it may seem impossible. For curly sawing, you will need the following tools:

• The jigsaw is normal. A tool often used for do-it-yourself cutting of thin sheet materials. However, thick thicknesses are beyond his power;
• Electric jigsaw. Such a power tool is divided into two types of devices: the usual one, in which the file is located vertically, and for artwork, in which the working element is a steel sheet, as seen in the photo. An ordinary electric jigsaw is suitable for working with thick plywood, but it will not work to make an even circle of plywood with it. But curvilinear elements, such as letters, can cut out an artistic jigsaw, which is equipped with band saw. Thus, for quality performance different kind works, the appropriate device is selected.
• More sophisticated equipment, such as a router, a circle of plywood can be cut very evenly. Of course, it is more difficult to manage it, but with it you can cut off a circle of plywood from sheets with a sufficiently large thickness. The quality of work on such a machine is superior to other cutting methods, and the cut of the circle is even.

1. Patterns of drawings should be located on the sheet of the workpiece so that the places with damage and flaws then fall into the waste, and the clean areas are under the drawing, that is, they later become the finished product;
2. Before cutting a circle out of plywood with a jigsaw, you need to make sure that the material is completely dry. Since moisture increases the resistance of plywood, and as a result, either the veneer can delaminate or the tool breaks;
3. In order for the cut edges to be without nicks and burrs, it is necessary to cut with an electric jigsaw along the veneer fibers. Hand jigsaw on the contrary, it is necessary to cut across the veneer fibers, although chips may form, but there is no risk that the file will deviate from the cut line;
4. As soon as it became noticeable that the cutting teeth became dull, it is immediately necessary to change the working blade or saw.

Curly sawing methods

Getting started with sawing with a jigsaw, a sketch of the drawing is first applied to the sheet using carbon paper. The drill drills the original holes. A file or a working element of a jigsaw is inserted into it and the free edge of the file is fixed with a clamp or screw. Next, sawing is performed according to the template transferred to the plywood. Then they are removed necessary elements, and the workpiece along the edges is sanded with sandpaper, or processed with a file. The video shows this process.

A furniture router is not suitable for cutting complex shapes, but cutting a plywood circle evenly is very simple. In the center of the circle, the standard ruler of this machine is fixed with 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 figured blanks using various tools and machines is described above, and if there was nothing at hand, how to cut a circle out of plywood without a jigsaw.

Here the simplest technology cutting a circle out of a plywood board with a few simple items:

• A wooden plank and two nails are taken. The first nail is driven into the center of the planned circle through the bar. The second nail is driven into the plank so that its sharp edge extends five or ten millimeters beyond the plank;
• The distance between the fixed nails will be the radius for the required circle;
• Making rotational movements, a line is made on 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 most ineffective, but also has the right to exist. And if you have an electric jigsaw, cutting a circle with your own hands will not be difficult.

When working with various types wood, you always need to know the detailed variations in its processing. Before you cut a circle in plywood, you need to know all the options, because you often have to adapt to the situation. There are many options for performing such an undertaking, and they differ dramatically.

In order to cut a circle out of plywood, you can use both professional tools, and improvised means.

Power tools or hand tools?

Tools and materials:

• drill;
• jigsaw;
• jigsaw manual;
• milling machine;
• nails;
• rope;
• chisel;
• a hammer;
• stationery knife;
• sandpaper;
• compass.

When determining the diameter of the future circle, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the working cutter.

The most popular option among all is the electric jigsaw. This tool allows you to cut not only circles, but also any other geometric figures. Its only disadvantage is the need to form additional grooves at the corners (corners), but this is not noticeable when creating a circle. It is very important to choose the right nail file, because. they are of 3 types: tears on the left, tears on the right, tears on 2 sides. After the canvas is selected, cut out a circle of any size.

Jigsaw ordinary manual. Before cutting a circle out of plywood using this tool, you need to make sure that the workflow is available. The main difficulty is the limitation (usually up to 30 cm) due to the physical structure, i.e. in deep places will not work. At the beginning of the working activity, not from the edge, but directly from the center, the nail file is refueled at the very last turn.

Milling machine. A very convenient option, but requiring a rigid hitch with the surface, for which a self-tapping screw is screwed into the center of the circle. The circle is made of any diameter, and very quickly. Sometimes there is not enough working handle, which is why you have to make all kinds of impromptu brackets, which can be a channel, a profile, a bar, a board and even a rope, but it is much more convenient on a rigid hitch. This tool makes a fairly wide hole, so before starting work, you need to carefully measure the future design.

It is necessary to choose only sharp nails, and process the edges of the resulting workpiece with coarse sandpaper.

Nails. A very popular way in cases where the work should be done "already yesterday", and the tools will not be soon. It should be noted right away that the work in the end is quite rough, so it is used as a last resort. All you need is a hammer, 2 nails and a rope. One nail is driven in in the center of the hole, and the other is pulled on the rope to the required length (radius), after which a circle is drawn with a firm movement. Such circles with pressure continue until the circle is finally cut. At the very end, the nail is removed from the hole, turned over and carefully upholstered with a hammer to achieve a more accurate seam.

Chisel and stationery knife. Everything is much simpler here, because first you need to draw a circle with a compass (pencil), after which this circle is circled several times with a clerical knife under pressure. A feature of the stroke is the movement of not a knife, but a sheet of plywood, so as not to break the metal, and this action is repeated from 2 sides. Then a chisel is applied to the prepared seam and brought to the opposite seam with gentle blows (2-3 blows are usually enough). At the very end, a circle is knocked out with a hammer, as in the variant with nails.

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

How to cut plywood

A hacksaw with a very narrow blade, a jigsaw, a drill saw, and a round file are hand tools that can be used to cut curves.

It is the narrow blade that provides the hacksaw with maneuverability, but for the same reason it is extremely difficult to guide. It is necessary to have a firm hand and an attentive eye in order to prevent deviations from the markup. At the same time, do not try to work quickly. On the contrary, it is better to advance in small jerks. This will help you more confidently hold the handle of the saw and guide it exactly along the given line.

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

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

Round corners of furniture

Hitting the sharp corner of the table can even hurt you. Therefore, we recommend cutting corners where possible. At homemade furniture they need to be rounded off from the beginning.

Cutting circles and curved lines is no more difficult than making a completely straight cut on a workpiece, but on one condition: you have right tool and you are good at it.

Mark drop-down parts

It may happen that the holes that you drilled to insert a narrow blade of a manual or electric saw will be in useful areas. To avoid such errors, you should mark all the drop-out parts of the workpiece with hatching.

What is suitable for the template

You can make a circle on the workpiece not only with a compass. For this purpose, any object of a similar shape will do. It can be a saucepan, a plate, a cup or a bowl. However, when undertaking work related to the repair of furniture or some piece of furniture, calculate in advance the need for details of rounded contours or with round holes. It may be sufficient 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 radius of action is small. And if you need to draw a circle of large diameter?

An easy way is to do it with string, a nail and a pencil. The nail is carefully driven into the workpiece, the rope is fixed on it at one end, and the pin is fixed at 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 circumference in all sections of the markup will be the same.

Strip of cardboard or slats

No less simple, but more reliable way- use a strip of cardboard instead of a rope or, even better, a wooden plank. 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. It remains only to install a nail in the right place and turn the bar around the axis.

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

How to draw ellipses

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

Fix two buttons on the surface of the workpiece at a certain distance from each other. Take a piece of string, tie both ends in a knot and hook the string around the button heads. Now draw a line with a pencil that the stretched rope allows you to describe. You can change the shape of the ellipse as you wish.

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

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

Templates

Wine 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. After 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 you can draw bridges-transitions between individual arcs.

preliminary drawing

Before you try to draw a curve on a workpiece, design it on big sheet paper or piece corrugated cardboard. Only after a satisfactory result has been achieved in all positions, can you cut out a template from paper and mark it on the workpiece.

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

Sink insert according to the template

Washing is one of essential elements kitchen equipment. If you decide to embed the sink into the countertop of the kitchen worktop yourself, then the first thing to do is to prepare an exact template.

First, transfer the outer contour of the sink onto a thick sheet of paper. Next, measure the width of its sides, with which it will rest on the countertop. Usually it is 2-3 cm. Now step back from the outline drawn on the paper, inward to the width of the rim and draw a parallel line. This will be the cutting line.

When marking, make sure that the position on the plate of the template itself is correct. Of course, if all the corners of the shell are symmetrical, then nothing terrible will happen if it turns out to be, according to the markup, as if in a mirror image. But if the shell is trapezoid and the roundings at the front corners are different from the roundings at the back, then in no case confuse the front and back.

In a similar pattern, make templates and cut holes for wall lights or for a speaker 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 rounded part and saw through a round hole in the workpiece, then an electric saw is the most suitable tool. With its help, you will save time and effort, since such a saw has great advantages over a manual one. So, the blade of the electric cutter is narrower, which provides increased maneuverability. Further, it has interchangeable 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 saw, then this is not necessary. The tool is brought to the workpiece with a slight forward inclination and is turned on in this position. The saw cuts the hole itself. Just do not 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 it much easier to cut round holes or arcs. It is enough to mark the center of the circle on the workpiece, fix the fixture at the mark and connect the rod coming from it with the electric saw. The divisions on the rod help to set the saw blade at the distance from the center of the circle, which is necessary. As a result, without preliminary marking, you can cut a circle or saw through 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 must be well tightened. If the mount is not rigid, starts to hang out, 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 saw at your own discretion - clockwise or counterclockwise.

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

jigsaw

When cutting holes or curves in small workpieces, sometimes a jigsaw is indispensable. Interchangeable blades with teeth of different shape and arrangement allow you to work with wood different density. However, it should be borne in mind that the depth of 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 not used correctly. It is necessary to drive the saw with neat, 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 eventually cause the blade to burst.

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

Boring saw

Neither a manual nor an electric saw will help if you need to cut a small hole in the workpiece - less than 10 cm in diameter. A jigsaw can 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 a tree like a drill and thus makes a “starting” hole for further cutting. Outwardly, the saw is similar to a round file, with the difference that its core goes around the cutting edge in a spiral.

Drill saws are available with interchangeable heads different diameter, designed for the processing of wood, both soft and hard rock, as well as a variety of materials from it.

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

It looks like the narrowest of hand saws. 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 hole cutting is a special nozzle on the drill. It is made in the form of a crown crest and has a rounded shape. With this nozzle, holes are cut quickly and they are quite even.

hole drill bit

Nozzles are 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 yourself in options trading.

Drill

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

Chisel

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

Thus, summing up, it becomes clear that you need to choose a tool for cutting a hole based on your goals. If needed high-quality cut, then you can not do without a special tool.