How to Cut Particle Board
Particle board is sawdust, wood shavings and very small wood scraps that are pressed together with glue. It's good for use as a base for wood projects, generally with veneer, laminate or other surfaces placed over it. It's notoriously difficult to get a clean cut on particle board because the particles that comprise it tend to chip under the saw blade. The effect is worst where the blade comes out of the wood (as opposed to where it goes in), so "double-cutting'' in two passes is a good way to make it cleaner. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Straight-edge
- Particle board
- Table saw, set up with sharp, fine-tooth wood-cutting blade
Instructions
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1
Measure and mark the cut you want to make on the particle board, using your pencil and straight-edge.
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2
Set the board on the table saw. Adjust the fence of the saw (the adjustable metal barrier that sits parallel to the blade) so that it is the same width as the location of the mark. The mark should be lined up with the blade.
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Adjust the blade downward (this is usually done by turning a wheel under the machine), so that it sinks down into the table almost completely. Set it so that the top edge of the blade comes just a little higher than halfway through the thickness of the board. (Example: If the board is 1 inch thick, the blade should be just 1/2 to 3/4 inches up out of the table.)
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4
Turn on the saw and carefully feed the board through it. The blade shouldn't come out the top of the piece. Run it all the way through, so there is just a groove cut into more than half the thickness of the board. Watch your fingers.
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5
Flip the board over. Line up the newly cut groove with the blade, still set at just over half the thickness of the board. Run the piece through. The blade should cut the other side and the cut piece should come off completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Double cutting on a table saw is actually more dangerous than a regular cut, because you can't see the blade while you're doing it (since it's under the wood, instead of coming up through it). Never put your hands anywhere near the blade when running your table saw.
