# Best saw for cutting plywood?



## Evilfrog

If I'm going to be a few projects using plywood, what attributes should I l look for in a hand saw?


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## cabinetman

Evilfrog said:


> If I'm going to be a few projects using plywood, what attributes should I l look for in a hand saw?



A sharp saw would be my advice. You basically have two choices, a rip saw (less teeth) or a crosscut saw (more teeth). Both will cut plywood. The rip saw would be faster (and more coarse of a cut), and the crosscut would be smoother (and a slower cut). 









 







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## firemedic

What kind of results are you looking for? Do you need a smooth clean cut or does it matter?

What kind of, grade and thickness ply?


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## Evilfrog

firemedic said:


> What kind of results are you looking for? Do you need a smooth clean cut or does it matter?
> 
> What kind of, grade and thickness ply?


Smoothness matters, but not terribly. I just want as little tear-outs as possible. It will be a work board for a guitar build. It's 3/4 birch veneer from a hardware store. So the grade, is um, we'll just say not good. Most of one side will be covered with cork and the other side would be covered in sand paper.


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## firemedic

Evilfrog said:


> Smoothness matters, but not terribly. I just want as little tear-outs as possible. It will be a work board for a guitar build. It's 3/4 birch veneer from a hardware store. So the grade, is um, we'll just say not good. Most of one side will be covered with cork and the other side would be covered in sand paper.


Ok, so not furniture then but it's pretty thick. As C-man pointed out there are cross cut and rip saws out there and no one alone is the appropriate choice for ply. Ply has alternating grain layers so every cut is both a CC & a rip simultaneously. A high pitch panel rip saw would likely be you cleanest cutting while a mid pitch would be a bit of clean and a bit of speed.

In general, I'd suggest a saw with a cutting direction be it on the pull or push simply because you want to cut into the finished side to reduce tear-out. So western/push saw = finished face towards you... Japanese/Pull saw finished face away from you. There are a lot of new cheap saws available that are with a cutting bevel in both directions. 

If this is a first saw for you I think your best bet is to stop into an Ace hardware and look at their saws. I was surprised and impressed to find that the better stocked ace stores actually have a fairly decent selection of hand saws. Shoot for a "Panel Rip" and try to avoid impulse hardened teeth. That should run $10-$20 depending on selection and model. 

My next suggestion would be a pull saw. It's closer to being a cc saw with the design of the teeth but should cut relatively well. I find them a bit more difficult to master a straight cut with however they do cut quickly and others have the opposite opinion and find them easier to operate. I think this depends mainly on what you use when learning, but either can be mastered. For the pull saw, HF actually offers a usable one with a coarse side and fine side and it's in the same price range as the above suggestion.

Good luck! And I look forward to seeing the guitar come together... Build thread?

ps, a ovoid the planes at ace... Looked em over and they are pretty shoddy.


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## Evilfrog

firemedic said:


> If this is a first saw for you I think your best bet is to stop into an Ace hardware and look at their saws. I was surprised and impressed to find that the better stocked ace stores actually have a fairly decent selection of hand saws. Shoot for a "Panel Rip" and try to avoid impulse hardened teeth. That should run $10-$20 depending on selection and model.
> 
> Good luck! And I look forward to seeing the guitar come together... Build thread?


I'll be checking out ACE this weekend. On their website they offer a lot of stanley saws. Many of them are "Induction heat-treated teeth for longer life" Is that the same as impulse hardend teeth?


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## firemedic

Evilfrog said:


> I'll be checking out ACE this weekend. On their website they offer a lot of stanley saws. Many of them are "Induction heat-treated teeth for longer life" Is that the same as impulse hardend teeth?


Yes, the same. The decent saws I saw at a Podunk town Ace I stopped at were all Ace brand. It's pretty easy to tell if the teeth are hardened as they'll be discolored like an iron that was over ground and blued over.


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## Evilfrog

So I lied. I went today. I picked up this guy. There are two I'm thinking about picking up if I like this one. This is set for crosscuts.

Says it's made in USA too.


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## autre

"And I look forward to seeing the guitar come together... Build thread?" -firemedic.

+1. Woot!


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## firemedic

Evilfrog said:


> So I lied. I went today. I picked up this guy. There are two I'm thinking about picking up if I like this one. This is set for crosscuts.
> 
> Says it's made in USA too.


Cool, picture on the link doesn't load but it sounds decent enough. Tried it yet?


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## Evilfrog

autre said:


> "And I look forward to seeing the guitar come together... Build thread?" -firemedic.
> 
> +1. Woot!


I'll work on putting that together. It will be slow going though. This is my "practice guitar". Using scrapes and cheapest sound boards/sides. After I make my mistakes on this one I'll buy some nice wood and make another.



firemedic said:


> Cool, picture on the link doesn't load but it sounds decent enough. Tried it yet?


Nope. Yesterday day was opening day. :yes: It's a holiday here in St. Louis.


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## firemedic

Evilfrog said:


> I'll work on putting that together. It will be slow going though. This is my "practice guitar". Using scrapes and cheapest sound boards/sides. After I make my mistakes on this one I'll buy some nice wood and make another.
> 
> Nope. Yesterday day was opening day. :yes: It's a holiday here in St. Louis.


A build thread would be great! It's always more informative to see the first time through with the problem solving as it goes. Like my Frame saw build.

St Louis, huh? I lived in the city near Lafayette Square for bout 2 yrs. I moved back here almost 5 yrs ago. My in-laws live near North City.

Have you been to Fehlig Bro's Lumber? FIL knows them all very well.

...build n burn - live n learn...


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## Evilfrog

firemedic said:


> A build thread would be great! It's always more informative to see the first time through with the problem solving as it goes. Like my Frame saw build.
> 
> St Louis, huh? I lived in the city near Lafayette Square for bout 2 yrs. I moved back here almost 5 yrs ago. My in-laws live near North City.
> 
> Have you been to Fehlig Bro's Lumber? FIL knows them all very well.
> 
> ...build n burn - live n learn...


Never been to Fehlig Bro's Lumber. I'll try to check them at some point.

Build thread. Is the showcase the proper place for it? Anyway, it will be slow going.


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