Which blade cuts plywood without tearout?
Which blade cuts plywood without tearout?
A sharp 60-80 tooth blade, a scoring pass, tape on the line, and the good face oriented for the tool you are using.
Tearout happens on the face the teeth exit through, because the blade lifts unsupported surface fibres and breaks them out. That single fact settles the orientation question: a table saw's teeth enter from below and exit through the top, so the good face goes up, while a hand-held circular saw or a jigsaw with standard blades cuts on the up-stroke and exits through the top face, so the good face goes down. Reverse-tooth jigsaw blades exist to invert that for cuts that must be made from the visible side. Beyond orientation, everything is about supporting the fibres before they can lift: score them, tape them, or back them with a sacrificial sheet.
The options, ranked
| Option | Good at | Bad at |
|---|---|---|
| 60-80T ATB blade | Many fine slicing teeth sever the surface veneer before it can lift. | Only as good as its sharpness — a dull fine blade tears worse than a sharp coarse one. |
| Scoring cut | A first pass 2 mm deep cuts the veneer fibres, so the full-depth pass cannot lift them. The single most effective trick. | Doubles the number of passes and requires the cut lines to align exactly. |
| Zero-clearance insert or a track saw with a splinter guard | Supports the veneer right at the blade so there is nothing for it to break into. | Needs the right accessory or a shop-made insert. |
| Masking tape over the line | Cheap, works on any tool, and holds the surface fibres down through the cut. | Can lift the veneer when peeled off a fragile face; pull it back on itself slowly. |
Technique that changes the outcome
- Score the cut line 2 mm deep first, then take the full-depth pass
- Good face up on a table saw, good face down with a circular saw or jigsaw
- Run masking tape along the line and cut through it
- Back the cut with a sacrificial sheet where it matters on both faces
- Use a sharp blade — the biggest single factor
What goes wrong
- A blunt blade, whatever its tooth count
- Cutting plywood freehand; a guide keeps the blade from wandering and tearing
- Peeling tape off quickly across a fragile veneer
Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.
Other blade questions
| For | Use |
|---|---|
| Metal | A bi-metal or carbide-tooth blade with at least three teeth in the cut — that tooth-count rule matters more than the machine. |
| Tile | A continuous-rim diamond blade with water — and cut wet, because dry cutting tile produces respirable silica dust. |
| Wood | 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish. |
| Brick | A segmented-rim diamond blade, cut wet or with on-tool extraction — brick and mortar dust is a serious silica hazard. |
| Laminate | A triple-chip or negative-hook blade for worktops, and a reverse-tooth jigsaw blade for laminate flooring cut face up. |
| Acrylic | A triple-chip negative-hook blade on a table saw, or score-and-snap for thin sheet — and keep the feed steady so it does not melt. |
| Glass | None — a tungsten carbide scoring wheel, one firm pass with oil, then snap it. And toughened glass cannot be cut at all. |
| Plasterboard | A utility knife for straight cuts and a jab saw or multi-tool for cutouts — a circular saw is the wrong tool entirely. |
| Plastic pipe | A fine 24 TPI hacksaw or a proper pipe cutter — and deburr the inside afterwards, which is the step people skip. |
Common questions
- Which blade cuts plywood without tearout?
- A sharp 60-80 tooth blade, a scoring pass, tape on the line, and the good face oriented for the tool you are using.
- What should I avoid?
- A blunt blade, whatever its tooth count Cutting plywood freehand; a guide keeps the blade from wandering and tearing Peeling tape off quickly across a fragile veneer
Related pages
- Which blade cuts metal? A bi-metal or carbide-tooth blade with at least three teeth in the cut — that tooth-count rule matters more than the machine.
- Which blade cuts tile? A continuous-rim diamond blade with water — and cut wet, because dry cutting tile produces respirable silica dust.
- Which circular saw blade for wood? 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish.
- Which blade cuts brick? A segmented-rim diamond blade, cut wet or with on-tool extraction — brick and mortar dust is a serious silica hazard.
- Which blade cuts laminate? A triple-chip or negative-hook blade for worktops, and a reverse-tooth jigsaw blade for laminate flooring cut face up.
- Which blade cuts acrylic? A triple-chip negative-hook blade on a table saw, or score-and-snap for thin sheet — and keep the feed steady so it does not melt.
- Which blade cuts glass? None — a tungsten carbide scoring wheel, one firm pass with oil, then snap it. And toughened glass cannot be cut at all.
- Which blade cuts plasterboard? A utility knife for straight cuts and a jab saw or multi-tool for cutouts — a circular saw is the wrong tool entirely.
- Which blade cuts plastic pipe? A fine 24 TPI hacksaw or a proper pipe cutter — and deburr the inside afterwards, which is the step people skip.
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place