Getting ready to build a panel bed for a granddaughter. My normal practice is to cut plywood oversize with my skill saw and use my table saw to clean up the cuts. However, my son has requested drawers for storage and I'd like to cut the drawers out of the plywood bed sides thereby retaining the grain pattern. In addition, The bed sides are long enough that handling them for cross cuts on my table saw is difficult.

Rip cuts with a skill saw aren't that big a problem. Cross cuts are another case. In the past I've tried pre-cutting the plywood with a utility knife with varying results. Without and sometimes with pre-cutting, my skill saw badly splinters the veneer. I've tried cutting the plywood from the back but still get poor results.

Even though I intend to edge band the exposed birch plywood edges with birch, I'd like to minimize any splintering. I've bought a new plywood blade for the saw and am wondering if anyone has ever attached a piece of hardboard to the bottom of their skill saw to act like a 0 clearance insert? The only drawback to that is, you won't be able to see the cut. I might be able to locate a piece of Plexiglas to substitute for the hardboard.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.