Rough Cuts

Unless cut by CNC, full-size plywood is unwieldy and must be rough-cut into smaller pieces. For fast and accurate cutting, I created a saw and router cutting guide using MDF and an aluminum angle. One side of this guide is for a hand-held trim saw. The other side is for a portable router and will be used for final cuts where a smooth edge is required.

Before cutting plywood, I score the plywood veneer using a razor knife. The score is one-eight of an inch away from the cutting guide. A metal ruler is used for this offset as it is the same width as the trim saw blade.