What to Use to Saw Baltic Birch Plywood

About Baltic Birch Plywood

• Baltic birch plywood gets its name from the veneer used for the top layer, made from birch trees that grow in the Baltic area of Europe. Available in several grades, the best contains a single, unpatched piece of wood as the face veneer, making it an excellent choice for furniture. Baltic birch plywood is more stable than ordinary plywood because it contains more plies than domestic plywood. Baltic birch plywood is typically sold in approximately 5-foot square sheets and its thickness is measured in millimeters. An 18-millimeter sheet is equivalent to a 3/4-inch piece of domestic plywood.

Specialty Blades

• For the cleanest Baltic birch plywood cuts, use a saw blade made especially for cutting plywood. Hand-held, manual plywood saws are typically 11 or 12 inches long and have about 14 teeth per inch. Circular and table saw plywood blades have up to 80 teeth, many more than multipurpose blades, and the teeth are arranged in a special pattern that makes a clean cut. Plywood saws and blades should not be used to cut other materials unless otherwise indicated on the packaging.

Multipurpose Saws and Blades

• It is possible to make good cuts on Baltic birch plywood with multipurpose saws and blades, if you follow a few precautions. First, make sure the blade is clean and free of sawdust and other debris. To help keep the blade from binding during the final cut, make a rough cut outside where you want the final cut to be. Mark the finished cut line and use a straightedge or saw guide to keep the saw blade straight.

Tips for Reducing Splintering

• There are a few techniques to try if you get splintering when cutting the plywood. If the top of the plywood splinters when using a power saw, raise the blade slightly; if the bottom splinters, lower the blade. You can also score the plywood along the cut line with a sharp utility knife before cutting. If the bottom of the plywood is splintering, use a backer board — a scrap piece of wood placed underneath. You will have to adjust the depth of the saw blade so it cuts entirely through the plywood and into the backer board. Finally, try running a piece of masking tape over the cutting area, front and back. Mark the cutting line, make the cut, then carefully peel away the tape, pulling it gently toward the cut edge.