Working effectively with plywood

Hugh Foster writes:

Here are several one-liners about how to work effectively with plywood.

• Use masking tape on the lines you're cutting to prevent the plywood from splintering.

• Run screws into dowels planted at cross-angles rather than trying to drive them into endgrain where they have no chance of sticking.

• Use a second sheet of plywood as a rip guide when no long straightedge is available.

• In many applications it's possible to finish a sheet before cutting it; do this to save quite a bit of time.

• Break edges by running sandpaper from inner portion of the plywood sheet outward to the open edge.

• Always use backups to prevent tear-out when drilling.

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C.R.S., Inc. · Spokane, Washington · USA