I am just about ready to start putting the facia on my benchwork but, last time I cut paneling it splintered baddly. I need one staight edge and one wavy edge ( follows the land scape). I have a cordless trim saw with a paneling blade for the straight edge . A recepitating saw( jigsaw) for the wavy edge but, I don’t know what blade to use that won’t splinter it badly? Or if anybody has other ideas on how to cut this stuff. I am using paneling for a stained wood finish.
Paneling would not be my material of choice, but it sounds like you are committed, so let’s try to make a clean cut. Have you tried scoring or perhaps even cutting it with a utility knife? It may take a number of passes, but if it is a plywood substraight, you will get through eventually.
Even the finest blades in a jigsaw may yield poor results, because of the up and down motion. The blade is only cutting on the down stroke, if you pu***oo hard, it tears and splinters on the up stroke. If you score the face with the knife, then cut a little way away from the score, any splinters should not extend into the good part. Clean up the slight excess with a sander, right to the score line.
Clamp the panelling between pieces of plywood or something elase more rigid than the panelling, and cut through all layers at once. This will keep the panelling from wobbling and splintering. Also don’t use a real coarse blade.
I thought about using hardbord( like what peg board is made out of) but, I wanted a wood grain finish and I can not locate veneer to apply to it. This layout is in the masterbedroom and I have to keep it loking good on the outside or the CEO will cut funding. I do not have staight edges mine rolls kind of like Malcom Furlow’s San Jaun Centrel.
Kurt, cut the paneling from the top, make sure the paneling is secured well so that it does not bounce. I use a flat surface like a work bench top. If you do not have that, then use two saw horses, or something similar that you may have, and place a couple of 2x4’s or whatever you may have that is stiff, under the paneling.
The saw blade you use is very important for your jig saw, which is a much safer and easier way to cut the paneling. Sears, or Home Depot, or Lowe’s all have jig saw blades for every type of cutting, from platerboard to metal. In order not to splinter wood like paneling, use a blade that states " for cutting paneling". It will have more teeth per inch, which gives you a very nice cut without splintering. I have cut many panels, and never had one splinter when I used the proper saw blades.
Good luck Kurt,
Wherever you bought the paneling they will cut it (no charge at Home Depot) They cut minebut I used Hardboard cut into 8 inches, So I got 5 pieces from a sheet, But Paneling should be cut from underneathe so not to splinter,
the more teeth per inch the better and also important is low speed cutting. A jigsaw with variable speed is a must. if using a circular saw use a paneling blade, its not a carbide so it wont bite into the wood as hard. also cut from tha back with a circular saw. if you must cut from top with a circular saw score a line with utility knife and follow knife line as close as possible. I use paneling on my layout( I like the look of it) but dont be concerned with every little splinter( you will drive yourself nuts) besides unless Bob Villa comes over your visitors will be more interestd in trains not splinters, trust me.
Randy and a few others had already given the best advice.
Here’s precisely what I like to do when working with a jigsaw.
Attach a piece of scrap board to the good side of your paneling. (The good side is the side that will be seen the most.) Clamp the two together tightly. (If you are concerned about both sides of the board, put a scrap piece on each side.) As said, scoring the board will help reduce splits and splinters.
Take a very fine tooth jig saw and slowly cut a little outside your line. Once your done, use sandpaper to slightly round the edge. (Slightly rounded corners are less likely to chip in the future.)
Sometimes getting the starting cut on the edge is the hardest. I like to take a cutting disc from my Dremel and cut into the side of the board for a nice start cut. I then insert my blade.
One other method that I have frequently used is to put 2-inch wide masking tape on the ‘good’ side of the panelling (roughly centered over the cutting line) - then draw your cutting line directly on the tape. This accomplishes several things: 1) gives you a nice, easy-to-see line to follow, 2) helps keep the sole of the saw from scratching your panelling, and 3) helps keep the panelling from splintering. Just be sure to remove the tape by pulling up the side AWAY from the cut first and peel it back on itself (just like you would remove masking tape from a paint line).
First off handheld jigsaws cut on the up-stroke as do circular saws. so your best cutting from the back. Try using masking tape on the good side, cut it then before you remove the tape brush some glue on the cut edge to lock-in any fibers that loosened up, let dry, then sand the edges smooth, then carefully remove the tape. also some good jigsaws (Bosh) use a dual reciprocating action where the blade moves forward and up, then down and back which reduces chip-out.
Thanks for all they advice. I found some jigsaw blades marked " engineered for splinter free cuts on both sides of the work peice". They are made by Bosch. I will give them a try this weekend and let you know how they work.