As practice shows, it is very difficult to make a high-quality cut of chipboard with a durable melamine coating. 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?

Of course the most the best option- use a special formatting 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. A cheaper way is a 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.

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 sawing, you need to increase the speed and reduce the feed by setting the swap to 0. Use only sharp files designed for special cutting chipboard. Only by following these rules you can achieve a 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 are not cutting 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 on the back of the 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. It will help keep the decorative layer from cracking. You can also use paper tape.

3) The tool should be held under very acute 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 top layer.

5) A glued strip of veneer will give the final beauty to the cut.

Of course, sawing chipboard at home does not imply professional quality and high speed operation. For those who are in a hurry, we can offer sawing chipboard with a grinder. A wood disc is used as a cutting element. 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.

How to cut laminated board at home

Sawing chipboard is carried out using precise format-cutting machines, which will help to obtain blanks of a given size and shape.

Modern models allow you to evenly cut plate materials not only in the horizontal and vertical direction, but also at an angle.

In addition to cutting sheets, they will help you calculate and provide in the form of a visual video file several options for competent and economical cutting of sheet material (using special computer programs) and, if necessary, perform edging. However, if for some reason you prefer to do this work yourself, you will have to do some preparatory work before sawing chipboard.

If possible, it is best to cut chipboard with a manual milling cutter using homemade guides. This method is not very convenient when cutting large sheets, because when working with this tool, a table is required. In addition, with this method, you often have to change the cutters. But as a result, you will get cleanly processed, “cut-off” edges.

Electric jigsaw - the most popular tool for sawing chipboard

Some craftsmen use a jigsaw in their work, however, in the absence of skill, it is difficult to cut smoothly, and chips can form.

You can try to install a bimetallic blade with teeth pointed inward, designed for laminate, on a jigsaw. To cut with an electric jigsaw, increase the speed, with a small feed, so that breaks do not form.

If such methods do not suit you, then to cut chipboard at home, we will prepare for work:

• a hacksaw with fine teeth (the one that is designed for metal work is best). In this case, the teeth must be separated by 1/2 of the blade thickness and be hardened;
• paper adhesive tape;
• file for roughing the cut line;
• sandpaper for finishing the cut line.

How to cut chipboard without chipping?

Before starting to cut chipboard, especially laminated, we cut a line with a sharp tool along which we will cut and glue paper tape with a sticky layer along it. This will help minimize damage to the decorative chipboard layer.

To keep the chips as small as possible, it is necessary to direct the movement of the hacksaw at an acute angle to the surface (no more than 30 °). Movements should be smooth, without excessive pressure on the plate and sharp jerks.

If the chips still could not be avoided, we process the cut first with a file, working in the direction from the edges to the center, and then with a fine-grained sandpaper. It is also possible to mask all defects by applying, where possible, a flexible profile.

It is even more difficult to obtain curved surfaces of a given configuration at home, and you will have to spend extra money on purchasing a router that will help you get rid of the chips and notches that form when you cut chipboard.

The price of a manual milling cutter can vary significantly, depending on the manufacturer, power, availability additional features. If you do not plan to be engaged in the production of furniture professionally, then it is advisable to purchase an inexpensive model.

To cut chipboard, follow these steps:

1. having marked the contours of the necessary part on the chipboard sheet, we cut it out with an electric jigsaw, trying to cut it retreating only a couple of millimeters from the intended cutting line;
2. we make templates of the design radius from fiberboard or plywood and carefully grind the ends with sandpaper;
3. attaching the template to the part to be finished, clamp it with clamps and process it with a manual copy cutter with a bearing, removing excess material exactly to the intended line.

At the same time, it does not matter which cutter (it is used with two or four knives). The only condition is that the knives must capture the processed thickness of the cut along the entire height. After processing, it remains only to stick the edge on the part. How it's done - look at the video:

If the amount of work is large enough, and the quality requirements are low, some craftsmen advise cutting chipboard at home using a grinder (an angle grinder, commonly called a "grinder"). In doing so, they use a disc designed to work with wood. To make cutting easier, a guide bar is fixed along the cutting line with the help of clamps. Cutting chipboard using a grinder can sometimes be seen on the video.

Attention important! This method is absolutely unacceptable, since the probability of injury during work is very high, especially if large diameter discs are used and the protective cover is removed from the grinder.

What and how to saw MDF correctly?

If we are talking about sawing MDF panels at home and with our own hands, then this is one thing, if it is possible to cut it into circulars, then this is another.

At home, it is best to cut MDF with a manual circular with a special disk (photo below).

If there is no circular saw, then the second option is an electric jigsaw, but you need to buy special nail files for it, "popularly" they are called "nail files for laminate", distinguishing feature such darlings is that they have "teeth" in the opposite direction.

If there is no power tool at all, and you need to cut MDF, then get a hacksaw with fine teeth,

Before sawing, it is necessary to draw a line along which the saw will be made.

In general, a lot depends on the purpose for which you are sawing MDF, for example, if it is furniture facade, evenness and appearance of the ends are important there, it’s better not to take on such work without a tool, with one hacksaw, and if you saw MDF for mounting on walls (this is for example), then the lower saw will be closed with skirting boards, the upper one, or a baguette, or a corner , in this case, a hacksaw is just right.

It is quite difficult to cut painted or laminated MDF without skills and experience along the edges, in this case I advise you to turn to professionals in the workshop.

If you need even cut without any chips, I strongly recommend not to spoil the rather expensive material and contact the workshop where cutting will be done on a specialized machine, this service is not so expensive when compared with damaged material that will need to be replaced with a new one + cutting costs.

If you need to make a cut yourself, then it is best to use a circular saw, this will be perhaps the most accurate way. If there is no such tool at hand, then you can try to cut the MDF with a jigsaw, but in this case it is important to choose the right canvas, for these purposes there are special varieties.

Whatever tool you choose for cutting MDF, the board should lie on a flat area for a good stop. In this case, the amplitude of the movement of the jigsaw should be reduced, for a better cut.

For cutting MDF sheets, a format machine is usually used, which, when correct setting does not chip the ends of the material. Sawing with such a machine is very convenient, but its installation requires a huge space, and it costs a lot of money - from 100,000 rubles.

Personally, I use an electric jigsaw or a circular saw for cutting MDF sheets, since the quality of the end processing is not very important to me. If I need high-quality processed ends of parts, then for cutting I use a milling machine or a manual milling cutter, which processes the material very efficiently.

It is best to cut MDF on a machine with a special saw at high speeds, then the cut is quite even and without chips.

But if this is not possible, or it is necessary to saw off a small piece, then you can use a hand-held circular saw with such a circular saw on it, such that the teeth are small and sharp enough.

MDF can be sawn:

1. Hacksaw for wood. It is recommended to take a hacksaw with a fine tooth, so that the edge is even.
2. Hacksaw for metal. Cuts accurately and evenly but very slowly.
3. Bulgarian. Cuts quickly and accurately but generates a lot of dust.
4. Electric jigsaw. The same a lot of dust but you can connect a vacuum cleaner. The best option.

MDF can now be sawn with just about anything. But I advise you to use a circular saw for cutting if you have it available, or to convert a disc with teeth to a grinder. You can use a hacksaw with large teeth.

It is extremely rare when performing repairs using chipboard boards that it is possible to do without cutting the material. Unfortunately, often the owners cannot cut the chipboard so evenly that there are no chips or other damage. But with a competent approach to holding such an event, it is still possible to get quite a good result. To do this, follow these steps.

Preparing the tool for cutting chipboard

You can cut chipboard with an ordinary hacksaw. But in this case, it is necessary to select a tool that has very small teeth. More good option the use of a jigsaw is considered. A fine-toothed file should also be installed on it. The most successful tool for high-quality sawing of chipboard is considered a circular saw, but not everyone has this tool. Therefore, it is used extremely rarely.

Marking on chipboard

It will only be possible to cut the slab evenly if you first apply markings on it. A sharp awl is used for marking. In this case, it is necessary to leave a small gap during its implementation. A gap of only 2 mm is enough. It is not worth being afraid that the cut piece of chipboard will not meet the required parameters. Subsequently, it will be possible to get rid of the remaining stock without problems.

Cutting chipboard

If picked up right tool and the markings are correctly applied, there will be no problems with cutting chipboard. The most important thing is that the movements are made very slowly. Even when using a fine-toothed saw, chipping can occur with sharp actions. It is necessary to cut the chipboard plate through and through, without trying to partially cut through it. To break the material so that no cracks remain on it, then it will be impossible.

Alignment of the chipboard sheet

After cutting, it is necessary to eliminate the stock that was left when marking. It is best to use a router for this. But you can remove the excess part of the material sandpaper. She's leaning on wooden block, which is easier to work with than loose sandpaper. Such processing allows not only to get rid of excess material, but also to clean the edge smoothly.

Such actions allow you to cut chipboard in the best way. But, if the owner wants to increase his chances of getting a good result, he can make a cut on the slab using a guide bar. It is installed along the intended cut line.

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 produce by hand due to the large size of the 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

Sawing by hand chipboard sheet or chipboard is quite real. 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 can be adapted (their height must be the same!);
• in order to prevent the appearance of chips, stick adhesive tape or a good masking tape along the cut line, which will hold the edges of the laminated layer;
• for sawing with a hand saw, select a blade 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 a sharp knife to cut through the tough laminate layer;
• 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 laminated chipboard and chipboard have a high quality of 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 deeply cuts through the chipboard, and the scoring saw 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 of a horizontal machine. It will not be possible to cut a wide sheet of chipboard or chipboard on it, but with small details she'll be fine.

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. It is possible to cut untreated MDF on a conventional machine, but laminated board requires a machine with an additional 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, if necessary, with clamps.

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, it is very difficult to make a high-quality cut of chipboard with a durable melamine coating. Rough tools often leave nicks on cuts. You can no longer assemble a neat door or shelf with such defects. Sawing laminated chipboard at home, as a rule, occurs during repair work or the manufacture of furniture.

How to cut chipboard without nicks and chips?

Special equipment

Of course, the best option is to use a special format machine. With it, you can get any cut. But you cannot buy such a tool for private needs, and at a manufacturing enterprise providing sawing services, such a procedure will cost good money. A cheaper way is a 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 a milling machine that will fix a rough cut with a cutter. If you have experience with such a machine, it will not be difficult to obtain a satisfactory cut appearance.

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 you can achieve a 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 on the back of the 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- using a manual milling cutter 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. It will help keep the 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, sawing 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. A wood disc is used as a cutting element. 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.

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 household tools, the most suitable for cutting chipboard is a hand-held 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 best 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 no more than half a tooth of the disc protrudes beyond the bottom edge of the chipboard or plywood (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 correct depth cutting. 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 rip cuts, 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 is to position it in the right place for an accurate 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 a metal base plate circular saw rested against the edge of the guide, so maximum stability of the saw is achieved 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 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 much fast cutting tears chipboard fibers 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 CD large quantity 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 the 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 adhesive tape on both sides of the cut line. 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 from the front side, cover the saw platform with duct tape so that it does not leave scratches on the surface of the sheet.