How to Saw Paneling
To cut paneling, support is necessary to stabilize the sheet and to hold the cut-off piece from falling off. Paneling is usually cut from the back side to protect the face from saw marks. A circular or table saw works for ripping the paneling (that is, cutting parallel to the grain), but cross-cutting is challenging on a table saw, especially if you do not have help. Part of the difficulty is cutting a straight line across the sheet of paneling. Nearly all the cuts you need to make can be accomplished with a circular saw and a simple homemade jig to guide the saw. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Circular saw
- A partial sheet of 1/2-inch plywood, 4-foot by 8-foot
- A partial sheet of 3/4-inch plywood, 4-foot by 8-foot
- Wood glue
- 1-inch drywall screws
- Clamps
Instructions
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1
Cut a strip of 3/4-inch plywood 8 feet long and 12 inches wide. This strip will be used in the jig.
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2
Cut a second strip of 1/2 inch plywood 8 feet long by 5 inches wide. One side of this strip must be a factory edge. This is the other piece to be used in the jig.
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3
Flush the edge of the 3/4-inch plywood with the non-factory cut of the 1/2-inch plywood. Glue and screw the two strips of plywood together with 1 drywall inch screws.
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4
Set your circular saw against factory-cut edge of the 1/2-inch plywood and, using it as a guide, cut the 3/4-inch plywood. Throw away the scrap and your jig is complete.
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5
Clamp the jig on the line you want to cut on the paneling. Using the circular saw guided by the jig, cut the paneling.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a jigsaw to finish cuts that cannot be completely cut with a circular saw.
