Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/10/2006

Question
I want to cut some pressboard to make a shelf .

What is the best way to do this so that the edge does not chip?

Thank You

Answer
Hi Chester,

A good blade will do wonders for making quality cuts.  I have seen blades for composite materials, like press board.  You should check at your local tool store.

But - I'm beginning to believe that the make of the blade is as important as the number of teeth.  But as a rule of thumb, the more teeth, the better the cut. A plywood blade might have 80 teeth and every one of them helps in minimizing the chipping in the delicate veneer surfaces. But of the other hand, a well manufactured blade -- even one with less teeth -- can produce a good cut, simply because it's teeth have the proper amount of "set" to them, thereby clearing the path of wood (the kerf) during the cut.

I hope that wasn't too technical!  

Right now, I'm a huge fan of the Forrest sawblades. They're expensive, but I've never seen a better cut in wood in my whole life. And what's even better, my Forrest Woodworker II blade has remained sharp for 3 years with a little care taken. Usually, my sawblades stay sharp for 4 months, so I was absolutely amazed at it's quality.

Keeping all of that in mind, I think it's wise to use a good blade on the proper tool for the job. You didn't mention the type of saw you're using. But I would try to buy a good blade and then use a straight edge guide so that your cuts are perfect. Plywood blades are nice, but sometimes they burn the wood because there are too many teeth, so you don't want to get carried away. So ask for a blade to cut composite material.

And then here's my big tip- whenever you need to totally avoid chipping, back up the piece you're cutting with another piece of wood. You don't need to clamp it, just stack them together. A second board layered next to your good piece will do the splintering of the cut, while protecting your good piece from splintering. Now depending on the saw you use, you'll either have to put the scrap wood on top of your piece, or on the bottom.

If you're using a hand held circular saw, the scrap wood would go on top, since the saw cuts from the bottom and splinters up on top. If you're using a tablesaw or a radial arm saw, those cut from the top, so the scrap piece would go on the bottom, under your good piece. Try to use a little common sense- when backing up a board, arrange the wood so you're just cutting a small bit of wood off the scrap piece, like a half inch or so. Then on the next cut, take another half inch or so. You can use scrap pressboard- really just about anything you have laying around will work fine. Just don't be wasteful and cut the scrap wood in half, or you're going to go through a lot of scrap!

I hope this helps, please feel free to write back if you have any other questions. Good luck!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV