Plywood tearout has gotten treated as an unavoidable side effect of crosscutting, but it’s not. This simple trick fixes it every time and takes about 30 seconds to add to your process.
Apply quality blue painter’s tape along your cut line before sawing. The tape supports the wood fibers on both surfaces and prevents splintering as the blade exits the cut. Press it down firmly with your fingertip so there are no bubbles or lifted edges.
For best results:
- Use quality blue painter’s tape — cheap masking tape tears and doesn’t support fibers as well
- Press firmly along the full length of the tape to ensure good adhesion to the veneer
- Cut directly through the tape, not alongside it
- Remove tape slowly at an angle after the cut, pulling back on itself rather than straight up
I’m apparently someone who skipped this step for years and just sanded out tearout. Probably should have started doing it sooner. Takes 30 seconds and saves 20 minutes of sanding, especially on veneered plywood and melamine where you can’t sand much anyway without cutting through the face veneer.
Works on both sides of the cut. Tape the top face before you start, and if you’re using a circular saw or jigsaw where tearout appears on the bottom, tape that side too.
More tips: Mastering Circular Saw Techniques
