Hey everyone! I'm a total beginner in DIY projects and I'm trying to straighten all four sides of a 3x3 piece of 1/2" plywood. Each side is a bit off, ranging from 1/8" to 1/4" unevenness. I have a small table saw and a circular saw, but I'm worried about making crooked cuts. If I use a straight edge, how can I ensure that my cuts will be straight and not transfer the unevenness over? I'd really appreciate any advice or strategies you might have! Thanks!
2 Answers
An alternative approach is to do a series of crosscuts on your table saw. Start by lining up and cutting off a small amount from one side to get it straight. Then, use that freshly cut edge as a reference against your straight edge to cut the next side. Rotate the board a quarter turn and repeat this process for all sides until you've made about five total cuts. It might be a bit tricky with a large piece, but it can work if you take your time!
You can definitely tackle this! Start by using your circular saw with a straightedge to get one edge straight (let's call this side 1). Then, place that edge against the fence of your table saw to cut the opposite edge parallel (that's side 2). After that, if you have a crosscut sled, use side 1 to reference it and cut side 3 square. If not, grab the largest square you have to mark a perpendicular line to side 1 and use a straightedge for cutting. Finally, use side 3 against your fence to get side 4 parallel. This method should give you a nice, accurate rectangle or square.
Thanks for the detailed steps! I actually tried using a straight edge with a piece of metal I had, but I think I measured wrong. I marked 1" from the end, and my cut ended up a bit wonky. Any tips on how I could avoid that next time?
That's a clever method! But how do you manage enough room for crosscutting a 3'x3' piece on a table saw? I find my miter gauge only handles about 8" on my saw, and I'm worried about stability.