Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Plywood is incredibly stable and strong... until you cut it. Because plywood’s tricky, we’ve made blades specifically for it—like fine-tooth crosscut blades that shear the top veneer cleanly.
But here’s the problem: sometimes you just want to clean up the edge. Shave off a quarter inch—same thing you’d do with solid stock, right?
But with plywood?
Cutting a thin strip like that—especially across the grain—can absolutely wreck the edge.And in this case, the blade is brand new. So it’s not dullness—it’s physics.
Because plywood’s built in alternating layers, that outer veneer near the edge has almost no support. It lifts. It tears. And forget a second pass—you're just chasing damage.
Now, you could get fancy and buy an expensive blade just for these moments—but even that’s not bulletproof. Zero-clearance inserts help a lot, but they take time to build. Painter’s tape works too—but do you really want to waste it on one quick trim?
But there's an easy fix.
First, slow your feed rate. Give the blade time to shear each fiber. Then grab a backer board—and if you're using the fence, add a piece of double-sided tape—then lay your plywood on top. Much better.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
Plywood is incredibly stable and strong... until you cut it. Because plywood’s tricky, we’ve made blades specifically for it—like fine-tooth crosscut blades that shear the top veneer cleanly.
But here’s the problem: sometimes you just want to clean up the edge. Shave off a quarter inch—same thing you’d do with solid stock, right?
But with plywood?
Cutting a thin strip like that—especially across the grain—can absolutely wreck the edge.And in this case, the blade is brand new. So it’s not dullness—it’s physics.
Because plywood’s built in alternating layers, that outer veneer near the edge has almost no support. It lifts. It tears. And forget a second pass—you're just chasing damage.
Now, you could get fancy and buy an expensive blade just for these moments—but even that’s not bulletproof. Zero-clearance inserts help a lot, but they take time to build. Painter’s tape works too—but do you really want to waste it on one quick trim?
But there's an easy fix.
First, slow your feed rate. Give the blade time to shear each fiber. Then grab a backer board—and if you're using the fence, add a piece of double-sided tape—then lay your plywood on top. Much better.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
