All about sawing fiberboard

The standard sizes of fiberboard sheets (they are also briefly called hardboard) are from 1.22 to 3.66 m in length and from 1.20 to 2.14 m in width. And their thickness starts from 2.5 mm, and ends with 2.5 cm. Sheets of semi-solid and hard types of this material usually have more overall dimensions than soft ones, but still - within the specified limits. Whole sheets of fiberboard are rarely used, and for the manufacture of furniture at home or industrial conditions, they are cut to the required size into separate blanks.

In order to use hardboard sheets more economically, avoiding large waste, in modern furniture enterprises, the material is first cut using computer programs, including graphics. Then the results are transferred either to programmable sawing machines, or markings are made manually according to the dimensions obtained in the program. Further, the sheets are cut into separate blanks with the available equipment or tools.

At home, it also does not hurt to first draw up a sawing diagram of a fiberboard sheet, using the material as economically as possible. Even if you only need a part of the plate, it is worth considering how to cut it off correctly. A stock of this running material for the farm will always come in handy.

And the implementation of the process of sawing sheets of hardboard has several varieties.

1. Straight cut. Produced in straight lines. The blanks are rectangular.
2. Figured (curved). In this case, parts can have a variety of non-standard shapes - from simple circles to complex winding shapes.
3. Mixed. In such parts, obtained by sawing, there are both rectilinear and curly shapes.

Depending on the thickness of the hardboard sheet, you should also choose a tool for cutting it. Better, of course, to purchase a special machine that can handle material of any thickness. But for a single solution to the issue, for example, if you need to repair a couple of boxes in a cabinetry, no one will buy expensive equipment. Therefore, for such work, performed from time to time with your own hands, the following tool is suitable:

1. electric jigsaw;
2. saw on wood with fine teeth;
3. electric hand-held circular saw;
4. sharp knife.

It turns out very smoothly to cut with a jigsaw, if it has a laser illumination of the direction of movement. Perfect evenness is also observed when working with circulars. I must say that the jigsaw and circular are quite popular tools in the household, so these methods are quite relevant and affordable for home craftsmen.

If the thickness of the fiberboard sheet is no more than 3 mm, then it will not be difficult to cut off several parts with an ordinary sharp knife. Often there is a milling machine in garages, so milling is also useful for making small workpieces from hardboard. For simple straight-line workpieces, you can cut a sheet of fiberboard with a grinder.

Fibreboards must be cut on a horizontal surface such as a table or a special sawing bench. The surface must be stable, otherwise the accuracy or evenness of the cut when working with vibrating power tools and a hand saw will be difficult to achieve. The plate must be firmly in contact with the table surface.

When cutting material with a jigsaw, the workpiece cut from the sheet should be to the right of the tool. In the case of a hand saw, this factor is not necessary - the placement of the sheet depends on the convenience of the master when working with it.

Working with a jigsaw, you need to lightly press the hardboard sheet at the cut to the table surface, which contributes to a clean - without "fringe" on the edges - cutting. When sawing with a hacksaw with fine teeth, you need to make the edge even, keep it at a slight acute angle to the cut line.

In the case of performing work with a circular saw, use the grinder's discs designed for wood. If you cut with a regular circle, which is equipped with circular saws for wood, then you will not be able to avoid chips at the edges of the cut.

A knife with a sharpened blade and tip may be the best tool for cutting small-sized workpieces made of low-thickness fiberboard.... Here it is also necessary for the fiberboard sheet to sit tightly on the surface. In this case, you can even cut on the floor, since the edge of the workpiece overhanging the edge of the table surface is not required. However, something should be placed under the trim line if it is undesirable to damage the lining of the surface on which the work is performed. Further, using a metal ruler along the marking line on the hardboard sheet, cuts are made several times with a sharp knife tip until the workpiece is completely cut off. It should be noted that with a knife it turns out to cut off workpieces that are quite accurate in size with even edges.

If a whole sheet needs to be cut in half, then it is better to find an assistant who would hold its part hanging from the table top of the sawing table during sawing. A it is also possible to use two tables by placing the slab with cutting markers in the gap between them.

The following video shows you how to make an even cut with a jigsaw.