# Advice for Cutting Lacquered Hardwood



## Canozzie (Jul 19, 2014)

Hi All,

Well I can see all these topics are about how to finish your wood so I thought I would mix it up and ask how to destroy a finished piece 

Hope I have come to the right place though, I'm after some advice on cutting through already finished hardwood. Its painted in high gloss paint, one of the adds also says it has been lacquered, it looks and feels like it has.

I have taken delivery and it is a very smooth feeling, high grade high gloss looking finish and I need to cut one rectangular and one small round hole out of it. 

I'm guessing any circular saw will be best? Just wondering should i cut from the inside (unpainted) or the outside, to avoid damaging the outside paintwork?


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Tape the cutline on both sides of the board with painter's tape.


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## Canozzie (Jul 19, 2014)

Painters tape, gotcha. thanks for that


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it is only finished on one side I just tape the finished side and if at all possible cut from the back side. Still ocassionally the saw will chip the edges so if it's important, I take a utility knife and score the cut before using a saw. If the cut has to be made from the finish side they I put several rows of tape next to the cut so the base of the saw doesn't scratch the finish.


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## Canozzie (Jul 19, 2014)

Thanks Steve, I can cut from the backside, so i will do that then. Line mark the cutting path and then score it. How to score, do you mean use a ruler and utility knife to cut a pilot line where i intend to saw.

Would i still use painters tape on the inside as well then?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Canozzie said:


> Thanks Steve, I can cut from the backside, so i will do that then. Line mark the cutting path and then score it. How to score, do you mean use a ruler and utility knife to cut a pilot line where i intend to saw.
> 
> Would i still use painters tape on the inside as well then?


Yes, use a straight edge and cut with a utility knife. This is especially useful when cutting plywood where the outer veneer may not be stuck down well. It's a rare event to have chipping cutting from the back side but since I started scoring the wood first it hasn't happened to me since. It's a must to score the wood when cutting from the face side because the saw is cutting in a upward motion. 

Just having tape on the wood helps a bunch so if you want to reduce any chipping on the inside it wouldn't take long to apply a piece. Sometimes it helps to have a place easy to see to mark a line.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I can see starting the cut on the inside if using something like a saber saw because it does cut on the up stroke.

However, how about the hole saw for the round hole? I would think that it would be better used on the finished side with tape.

George


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## Canozzie (Jul 19, 2014)

ok thanks for all the advice. I dont own any power tools, i spoke with my friend yesterday he has circular saw and has suggested drilling enough holes into a section to use as a starting point to get the cut going. The rectangular hole i suppose will need us to do that 4 times, one for each side. Its designed to start cutting from the edge he reckons and can be tricky to start (in the fashion i want to use it, cutting a hole out of the middle of the wood piece.) 

Not the best solution, a reciprocating saw would be ideal i suppose, i cant rent one for $25, i would still need to drill a starting point with this saw too. But this would make cutting the round hole easy as i could carve out the circle in one hit from one starting point. 

The circular hole will be approx 10cm in diameter. The rectangular hole will be 30cm x 15cm approx. The rectangular hole will be covered with a mesh or grilled surface (to act as a vent cover) to allow air into the cabinet. 

I will head down to Bunnings now and see what type of products will suit as the vent cover. Perhaps this will inform me better on how much freedom i have with regards to the shape of the rectangular hole and therefore the best tool for the job.

Haven't heard of a hole saw before, and i'm not sure how hard of an angle a reciprocating saw can cut through 15mm hardwood?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Canozzie said:


> ok thanks for all the advice. I dont own any power tools, i spoke with my friend yesterday he has circular saw and has suggested drilling enough holes into a section to use as a starting point to get the cut going. The rectangular hole i suppose will need us to do that 4 times, one for each side. Its designed to start cutting from the edge he reckons and can be tricky to start (in the fashion i want to use it, cutting a hole out of the middle of the wood piece.)
> 
> Not the best solution, a reciprocating saw would be ideal i suppose, i cant rent one for $25, i would still need to drill a starting point with this saw too. But this would make cutting the round hole easy as i could carve out the circle in one hit from one starting point.
> 
> ...


I would NOT use a reciprocating saw. Go to your "tool store" and buy a key hole saw and do the job by hand.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*use a hoole saw*

Use a 2 1/2" hole saw unless you can find Metric ones.

For the "ventilation" hole, make multiple round holes using the same hole saw..... the air won't care. :blink:


To avoid tear out:
Cut from the "bad" side first, only half way through, then using the same pilot hole, switch around and cut from the good side last. The piece will fall right out OR stick inside your hole saw to be removed after.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Generally speaking for finished surfaces, the blade/teeth should enter from the finished side. For table saws, good side up. For handheld circular saws, good side down. For jig/sabre saws, with blades that cut on the upstroke, good side down...for blades that cut on the downstroke, good side up. Drill bits, hole saws, etc, good side up.


















.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

One added tip after you take in all of the above. Heat strips finish and cutting creates a lot of it so GO SLOWLY!


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## Canozzie (Jul 19, 2014)

Thanks again for all the help guys.

I ended up using a hole saw for the small hole and a large drill bit for the corners of the large hole with a circular saw to cut it out, and painters tape.

The end result was way better than expected, no chipping/paint breaking past 2mm. Fixed that with a file to give it a good edge and seeing as the end result look so professional decided to go with out the vent cover and just painted and resealed with clear coat the cut sections.

Cheers
Steve


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