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reciprocating saw for cutting plywood?

B

BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
i plan on cutting some plywood to make some shelving.
i want the cuts to be as straight as possible, but i don't have room for a table saw.
nor do i foresee myself using a table saw enough times to make it worthwhile to purchase.

a sawzall on the otherhand, i could see repeated use.
can i clamp the board down with a c clamp on a table and make nice straight cuts?

also, any recommendations for a good, not too pricey sawzall?
 
Get a circular saw. They're cheap enough. Clamp a board for a straight edge.

Edit: That's 3 of 3. wonder what the op will do?
 
circular saw is definite answer.

if you are missing alot of tools, you could get a 4 piece kit for ~$200. includes drill/flashlight/circular saw/reciprocating saw. i dont know of any deals right now but Ive bought a Ryobi and Dewalt 4 piece kit for $200 each from home depot.
 
6 of 6! circular saw. go to your nearest harbor freight with 20% coupon in hand and you can get one very cheaply
 
Use the following in this order for a clean cut
1. Table saw
2. Circular saw
3. Bite the board in half
4. Karate chop
5. Reciprocating saw
6. ????
 
rock salt


and when you're using the circular saw make sure that you observe the following rules:
a) no loose clothing
b) safety glasses
c) no loose clothing
d) support both sides of what you're cutting because gravity is a bitch
e) no loose clothing.
 
ElFenix said:
rock salt


and when you're using the circular saw make sure that you observe the following rules:
a) no loose clothing
b) safety glasses
c) no loose clothing
d) support both sides of what you're cutting because gravity is a bitch
e) no loose clothing.
Click to expand...
Forgot saw depth and no loose clothing.
 
Where are you buying your plywood? Most home inprovement stores (and some lumber yards) will cut the plywood for you for a nominal charge.
 
Just like everybody else is saying, use a circular saw with clamped piece of metal, It will work great for OSB, Plywood, MDF, or whatever.... (I've cut laminate countertops with circ saws with great results for example)

If you have a jigsaw, you *could* maybe get away with using it with a clamped piece of metal, but it would be slow as hell, and might be pretty rough....

as vi_edit said, miter saw wouldn't really work very well since you'd make it through like 6 inches, maybe 12-15inches with a good compound miter saw, but that's only useful if your plywood is already pre-cut to 2 foot sections... Miter saw is perfect for going through lumber or for cross cuts or for molding, but, it's hopelessly bad for any large sheets of anything...
 
A sawzall would work fine for cutting a straight line with a guide clamped on. Go slow, keep the shoe tight to the guide, and clean it up with a sanding block. A hand saw would also work. A table saw or skilsaw would be faster and easier but would not necessarily lead to better results.
 
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