I've been using the wrong kind of saw blade for plywood for years

I was cutting some birch plywood for a built-in shelf project yesterday and the edges were just tearing out like crazy, even with painter's tape on the line. My neighbor, who used to be a cabinetmaker, came over to borrow a ladder and just casually said, 'You know, a blade with more teeth will fix that.' I was using a 24-tooth framing blade because it cuts fast, but I switched to an 80-tooth blade I had in a drawer. The difference was instant, the cut was super clean with no splinters at all. I can't believe I've been fighting tear-out on every single sheet project for the past three years. What other simple tool swaps have saved you a ton of headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy92924d ago

Three years of tear-out on every single sheet, that's honestly kind of heartbreaking. I would have been losing my mind after the first few projects. It's wild how one little thing, like a neighbor's offhand comment, can change everything.

lucas_carr2424d ago

Man, that's like using a chainsaw for fine woodworking lol. At least your neighbor saved you from a lifetime of splintered edges.