How to Rip Plywood

The problem with ripping, or cutting, plywood is in cutting it evenly. With long sheets, such as those found of plywood, it is difficult to cut a straight, even line. Even with a well-measured chalk line, the saw can easily slip off the line and ruin your board. To solve this problem, you can use a guide to help keep your circular saw cutting straight and even for a perfect cut.

Circular saw
Gloves
Protective goggles
Earplugs
Tape measure
Pencil
Straight board 1/2 inch thick x 4 inch wide (same length as plywood to be cut)
Clamps

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the distance from the outside edge of the circular saw's cutting guide to the inside edge of the blade.
- 2
  Subtract the guide width measurement from the size of the cut. As an example, if you needed a 20-inch wide piece of plywood, and the guide width you measured is 1 inch, then your new measurement will be 19 inches.
- 3
  Mark the plywood with a pencil at the beginning and end of the proposed cut, at the width you just calculated.
- 4
  Clamp the long, straight board onto the plywood, aligned with the marks you made and partially covering the side of the plywood you wish to keep.
- 5
  Place the outside edge of the circular saw's cutting guide against the clamped board and run the saw along the entire length of the plywood to cut it square at the required width.

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