Cut Out in middle of plywood

[Chris Padilla]

I'm hitting up the collective here on how to best cut out this opening within a plywood panel.

I attached the actual piece and the Sketch-Up rendering of the panel.

panel.jpgpanel-su.jpg

My first thought was to jig-saw out most of the hole staying just off the line and then finish up with a router and then square up the corners.

I do need to apply edging to hide the plies.

Here is what I'm going for if you're wondering about what I'm doing:

full_vanity_su.jpg

[Justin Ludwig]

I wouldn't over think it. Your method sounds like a good solution. If you have a chisel that's good and sharp, those corners will easily clean up. I'm a huge fan of Bosch's T308b jig saw blades for work that needs to be clean.

[Chris Padilla]

Ah, Justin, but over thinking and over engineering is a specialty of mine!

[Jaze Derr]

Jig saw and then a router sounds like a good plan!

[Steve Kohn]

You could also plunge cut on a table saw and then finish the corners with a hand saw.

[johnny means]

I often cut openings like this with my track saw. I cut right to the lines then use a hand saw to finish out the corners. Best part is that after edgebanding the opening and the cutout, I've got a perfectly matched and fitted door or front.

[Tom Ewell]

gotta track saw yet?

[johnny means]

BTW, I would advise against "plunge cutting" on a tablesaw. I've seen too many major injuries from that technique. One poor chap managed to sever both thumbs on two separate occasions.

[Chris Padilla]

Now plunging my F track saw sounds like a VERY interesting idea....

I really like that I'll have a nice 'door' leftover (although I don't need it here but could come in handy later)!

It is also a step less and faster setup than my original jigsaw/router thought pattern.

[Tom Ewell]

Just remember those stops that come in the kit.
I usually put a hack mark on the saw body to indicate where the blade cuts fore and aft when full depth plunge is not used.

[Warren Lake]

Ive done tons of plunge cuts and would not recommend it anytime.

another way put your lines on and raise the blade up and continue close to the line knowing that it is cutting further under the table, the higher the blade the less cut under the table, do not pull the work back to you in any case that will be a kick back for sure very dangerous if your saw has any power. lower the blade under the table again if you are short then move the material back if you are short then raise the blade, Still what ive done over 35 years I would not recommend this no idea what your experience is and its not even safe stuff for experienced guys. I have no issues with it for me but would never be comfortable to recommend that. I was brought up on it.

Another way if you have a quantity I used to do this is a ply jig and a plunge router, drop in buzz around drop in again and do that several times and you are cut out file your corners square if need be. overall the blade raise up will be straighter than a router would be so better for your banding wether solid or veneer. Router you could get sloppy and tilt as well unless very careful.

I dont have a track say but have a straight edge and done the same thing not to the same level I dont think as your Mercedes stuff but that sounds best, plus with the radius business you see your blade from the top where it is cutting more only thing you are cutting up on your veneer where as the evil table saw way the blade will mostly be cutting into or down once you raise it through, Best for me to say I dont recommend that even though ive done it many 100's of times,

recommend your track saw of all the suggestions so far, not sure how you support it on the little outside edge, maybe butt two panels together but then maybe you put in inside and use it reverse have support from the material that is there then those cuts come after. On my jig the cut side is always on the line but it would work reverse as well.

[Martin Wasner]

Saw, cuss, caulk, chill....


I'd use the panel saw and just finish the corners with a hand saw.
Track saw would be my next choice.
Tablesaw and raising the blade through, my third choice.

Jigsaw, then a router is way down the list for me.

[Matt Schroeder]

What about cutting a piece the size of the opening minus a router bit and collar, double stick tape it to the blank in the right place, and rout around it with the collar against the template? It seems a spiral down bit would keep the outside edge clean and the inside edge, if any tear out, would be covered by whatever you use to cover the edges. It still needs some chisel work at the corners to square them up, and would likely require a couple passes around the template at successively greater depth with the router. Rout the long edge near the back of the cabinet first to minimize stress on that thin piece, and if you could do it on top of a piece of foam insulation or other material that can support the whole piece it seems it should come out pretty clean.

[glenn bradley]

One poor chap managed to sever both thumbs on two separate occasions.

Slow learner?

[Ole Anderson]

Helping my son do a sink cutout. He was using my jigsaw, and for whatever reason it didn't want to follow the line, so we pulled out my track saw to do the job right. Used a hole saw to round the corners first. So many uses.