If you have a lot of free time or just want to occupy yourself with something exciting and useful, pay attention to such a type of leisure activity as cutting out crafts with your own hands. The most interesting is working with plywood - funny figures or intricate patterns will find their place in your house or on the site in any case. But first you need to figure out how to cut a figure out of plywood and what you need for this.
Products made of plywood with their own hands will decorate your interior.
Characteristic
Plywood is also called wood-laminated board (chipboard) in another way, which is basically a description of the material. Thanks to the multi-layer structure and the special gluing scheme, the result is an ideal material for work and creativity, strong enough and, at the same time, light and amenable to sawing. Figures made of such material can be of the most intricate shape and of various sizes, be simply decorative elements or have a practical purpose.
Allocate different kinds wood-laminated boards depending on the composition, type of processing and thickness. Accordingly, the different quality of the material will differ in price and service life. In order to cut figures out of plywood, it is worth choosing not too expensive material. But strong enough and, preferably, moisture resistant, about 8 mm thick. Alternatively, plywood can be replaced with an 18 mm spruce board - it is also a fairly soft and pliable material.
It is not so difficult to choose a sheet suitable for work, but in order to cut a really beautiful figure out of it, you will need to work hard. The process of processing plywood with your own hands is quite long and painstaking, but as a result you will get a unique and stylish thing made by you.
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Beginning of work
Before you start cutting out the figures, you should not only familiarize yourself with the process in detail, but also purchase everything you need for work. So, you may need:
- Plywood. When choosing, give your preference to a three-layer plate 8 mm thick, preferably moisture resistant.
- Jigsaw manual or electric.
- Ribbons for jigsaw. Depending on their type, it is possible to obtain edges of varying degrees of smoothness and processing accuracy.
- Paper blank drawing of the future figurine. You can print the selected drawing on a printer, draw it yourself on a piece of paper or plywood, if you are confident in your abilities.
- Tracing paper, scissors, a pencil and a ruler for transferring the pattern onto plywood.
- Drill, if the work involves cutting holes.
- sandpaper, glue, acrylic paints and varnish to give the figure a complete look.
You will also need to prepare workplace. Working with plywood involves the presence of waste in the form of unnecessary pieces and sawdust, so it becomes impossible in a residential area. It is better to put yourself a separate table in the garage or workshop, where you will not disturb anyone.
Another feature is that the desktop should make work easier, so a jigsaw stand should be installed on it. The stand looks like a solid board 20 cm long, 5 cm wide and 2 cm thick. On one side of such a rectangle, you need to retreat 5 cm and drill a hole with a diameter of one and a half centimeters. Further, 4 cm cuts are made to the left and right of the corners to the hole, resulting in a keyhole-shaped cutout. The plank is mounted to the table with a ledge of about 15 cm. Such a stand can hold plywood and provide space for the jigsaw to work.
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Figurines and carving
As soon as the workplace is prepared and all necessary material purchased, you can proceed directly to the process of cutting figures with your own hands. The main thing is to decide what exactly you want to cut out. If you have never worked with a tool and are just getting acquainted with this type of work, it is worth considering the most simple options crafts. And only after you “fill your hand”, you can take on more complex work.
The selected drawing must be transferred to the prepared plywood sheet. To do this, you can simply draw a figure with a pencil. If the artist of you is not very good, then the template can be printed on a printer. Then, either, using tracing paper, outline the contours with a pen, or cut out the pattern and, attaching it to plywood, circle it with a pencil. All work should be done very carefully, avoiding displacement. If the drawing is large enough, it can be pre-glued to the working material with adhesive tape or glued. With lines clearly drawn in pencil, marker or pen, it will be easier to work later. But remember that the glued sheet of paper should be easy to tear off after drawing the lines of the template.
When all the preliminary work is completed, you can start working with a jigsaw. The cutting process is not difficult, but requires accuracy. You need to work slowly, observing the following rules:
- The plate with the prepared template is fixed on the stand. If it moves during sawing, you risk ruining the workpiece.
- The jigsaw blade must be in a strictly vertical position. It should be noted that its correct tension largely affects the quality of the cut. The correct degree of tension of the file guarantees ease of work and smooth edges.
- When working, the jigsaw is moved up and down, slightly pressing on it and leading the file strictly along the lines of the future figure. The template moves if necessary, the file should not go beyond the “keyhole” of the stand.
- If you need to cut out the element inside working area, first a hole is made with a drill, into which a file is later inserted, and work continues. Doing internal holes, you should be careful with the file and not break it.
- Be careful with turns and bends: if you move the wrong way, you can break the tool or ruin the workpiece. So, a 90 degree turn is sawn without turning the jigsaw.
So, step by step, sawing off unnecessary pieces and extra elements, a figure will be obtained from the workpiece. Having finished working with a jigsaw, it is worth taking time to look at the appearance of the cut out template.
If you are working with electric jigsaw, there are subtleties in the method of attaching a plywood plate and the choice of saw blades, so it’s worth making test cuts on a material that you don’t mind spoiling.
Any Construction Materials adjusted to the required dimensions by cutting. And plywood is no exception. Plywood sawing can be done manually or with a special tools. Cutting plywood involves not only its use in construction, but also as an element of decor. Lace lattices, caskets, coasters and other variety of decor items are created using artistic cutting plywood sheet.
Construction cut plywood
How to saw plywood at a construction site and how to do it without chipping? Most often in living conditions To do this, use a knife, electric jigsaw, or circular saw.
Some rules for working with plywood sheet:
- thin sheet, the thickness of which does not exceed 2 mm, can be cut with a mounting knife
- sheets from 3 to 6 mm can be cut with an electric jigsaw
- with a sheet thickness of more than 6 mm, you will need a circular saw
- remember that coniferous timbers have a viscous structure due to the presence of resins, so this material is dull cutting edge tool
- you need to work with plywood along the fibers. If it is necessary to cut across the fibers of the outer layer, you must first make weakening cuts with a knife, and then work with a jigsaw
- if your work involves screwing in self-tapping screws, then before that you need to drill a hole of the appropriate size.
Figure cutting out of plywood
Curly cutting of plywood is a fairly popular activity among decorators and furniture makers. With the help of a plywood sheet and special tools, you can make not just a craft, but a real work of art.
The choice of tool for this procedure depends on the complexity of the pattern, the thickness of the plywood sheet. In the event that the bending radius does not exceed 1 cm, then you can use manual jigsaw. A round hole is made with a drill. When the bending radius exceeds 3 cm, you should use an electric jigsaw. What is the right saw for plywood? Remember what finer teeth files, the smoother and more whole the cut edges will be. For this purpose, for very small and complex figures, it is better to buy a metal sheet.
The sketch is best applied to the back of the sheet. In this case, if the chips rise, it will be imperceptible. In this case, do not rush, because the quality of the future product depends on the drawing. Drawings for sawing out of plywood in huge number are present on the Internet. Here you can find everything from children's crafts to the most complex patterns.
You can create plywood crafts using the following tools:
- manual jigsaw
- laser machine
- electric jigsaw
- CNC - milling machine.
Sawing with a hand jigsaw
For this work, you will need the following tools:
- plywood saw. You may need several files of different sizes
- pencil and ruler.
Start with a simple drawing. If you have 5 in drawing, you can apply a pattern on a sheet with a simple pencil. If the drawing is not very good, use carbon paper to transfer the pattern. For the first time, animal figurines, flowers and other light drawings are perfect.
Before cutting, it is necessary to fix plywood sheet with a special machine to prevent the occurrence of defects, for example, in the event of a shift of the sheet. However, if such a machine is not available, try to hold the sheet as tightly as possible. During sawing, only the jigsaw moves.
If you need to create through elements, you should use an awl. The file must be held strictly perpendicular to the sheet. At the end of cutting, it is necessary to wipe the edges of the product sandpaper.
Cutting plywood with a laser
A laser machine burns a pattern on the surface of a plywood sheet with a beam.
The main advantages include:
- the cut quality is the highest, the thickness is the smallest. Such indicators are quite difficult to achieve on other types of equipment.
- saving time and effort. No need to handle defects that occur when working with a manual or electric jigsaw
- high accuracy. All parts will be the same size, and the drawing may be the most complex.
From negative qualities select:
- in case of excessive power, charring of the material may occur, as well as fire. Experienced craftsmen should work with such machines.
- for each grade of timber and type adhesive composition need a custom processing mode
- in the absence of experience from the machine operator, the beam can fall on a knot, which is very likely to fall out, and, therefore, there will be a marriage in the work.
If we do not take into account the human factor, then we can say that laser equipment provides tremendous opportunities for implementing design ideas.
Using the milling machine
The main advantages of this method:
- high speed
- there are no charred elements, as is the case with laser machine. This machine is best for beginners.
- high precision, as in the operation of a laser machine
- no need for processing and polishing the edges.
Using a jigsaw
It is worth noting that jigsaw files are fragile, they can only be moved in a strictly vertical plane. Any distortion will cause the fabric to break. The saw functions when moving down, the saws are positioned in the same way, teeth down. While working with difficult areas it is the workpiece that scrolls, and the canvas should remain in one place. In the case where the outer perimeter does not contain difficult patterns that can be damaged during work on internal circuit, then you can start working from the outer perimeter. Thus, you will lighten the weight of the workpiece.
Be sure to control the temperature of the canvas. The nail file tends to heat up quickly, and overheating causes damage. For this reason, it is worth letting the nail file cool down from time to time or changing it to another one.
In this article, we tried to answer the question: how to saw plywood? Cutting plywood is more labor intensive than cutting wood. This is mainly due to the multidirectionality of the fibers and viscous adhesive mixtures. However, if there is the right equipment, you can easily deal with these problems.
Many skills in people begin to be honed in childhood. For girls it is sewing and knitting for boys carpentry. Ordinary children's interests eventually grow into something more. In this regard, the cutting out of crafts from plywood by the children with a jigsaw, as a result, over the years, acquires the features of design art.
Plywood jigsaw and fantasy - elements of personality development
Indeed, the plywood sheet skillful hands can become a beautiful piece of furniture. And even for beginners who first encountered and were carried away by the implementation of the original wooden crafts, it will certainly become interesting and an exciting activity. And at the same time useful, honing skills decorative processing tree.
Such an activity is a great opportunity to have a great time with interest, with benefit. Relax and at the same time enthusiastically do what you love, which gives pleasure, both by the process itself and its result. In addition, the created things, which will surely decorate the house later, will serve to form a common home comfort and comfort.
The main benefit of cutting beautiful decorative elements plywood is in process spiritual development man, his ennoblement. Skill, skill, labor development, all this is incorporated in these classes.
Labor shapes personality. And working on what you love is doubly interesting. Time here no longer has power over employment. He is not noticed. And this is one of the signs of true passion.
"Exhibition" of skill
Furnishing a house or apartment involves making a personal contribution to feeling the aura of inner beauty. And sometimes outdoor, since the placement of items made of plywood can be located, for example, on the territory of a summer cottage.
Of course, the result of fruitful work will always find its rightful place. Whether it's a carved lampshade for table lamp or light crafts made of plywood in the form of figures located on bookshelves and acting as dividers for books.
More complex elements are already performed with a solid consolidation of knowledge on working with wood material. To hurry up and immediately start cutting out such objects, it means wasting time and ruining the material.
First steps towards excellence
It's worth starting with the simplest. And for the initial comprehension of the science of carving, choose to help yourself with certain educational literature, presented as a manual for the manufacture of decorative wooden elements from plywood sheets. Use the advice of masters on thematic Internet sites. Be sure to look at the photo of plywood crafts. This in itself will attract interest in such work.
Nothing awakens the zeal for any business as its seen result. And products made of plywood sheets, sanded, treated with paints or varnishes leave an indelible impression.
Separately, it is necessary to mention such a necessary element as drawings. They are necessary in any case. When complicated figures are performed and when cutting out the most simple details. It is much easier to work with a material when its future appearance is predetermined.
Returning to the question of initial steps, it is worth mentioning such important things as a careful study of the rules for using tools and materials. And of course about the development of technology. It is quite simple and it will take a little time to master it.
But in order to achieve the level of a master class, in addition to fixing in memory technological stages the process of manufacturing wooden plywood crafts, additional knowledge is also needed.
Signs of a true master
A real master will immediately determine:
- what kind of plywood sheet is best for cutting and processing. Wood varies in quality and properties. It is easier to work with some, and with some types it is more difficult, due to delamination, the sudden appearance of cracks and other negative points.
- what thickness of material to choose with a certain plan for future crafts;
- which jigsaw blades to buy to use them for quite a long time.
This experience has been building up over a longer period. But the more interesting it becomes to advance along the path of self-improvement.
Handmade plywood crafts, at first simple, plain, but over time, acquiring real features, confirming high class home master, can become a substantive reflection of the formation and development of artistic wooden decoration skills. Sometimes it is expressed in a very original way.
For a certain period of time, plywood crafts are placed in a row one after another, and then a picture of the gradual passage of the entire path from a student to a real specialist begins to clearly emerge.
Photo of plywood crafts
Plywood - versatile material, which is commonly used in furniture production and private construction.
With a little skill and creative imagination, with the help of this building material, children's toys can be made, decorative crafts for personal plot, small household items. It is noteworthy that this does not require special skills, knowledge.
Let's see what interesting plywood products you can make with your own hands, with some free time and patience left.
Why plywood
The choice in favor of plywood was not made by chance. Unlike ordinary wood, this material has the following advantages:
- strength . The structure of the sheet is multilayer, which provides a certain rigidity and resistance to deformation;
- availability . Available in any range hardware store and is sold in an affordable price segment;
- ease of processing. For cutting crafts, a power tool is not always required, it is quite possible to get by with an ordinary jigsaw;
- security . The material is environmentally friendly, so even toys can be made from it without fear that the child will develop an allergy.
Plywood initially has a smooth surface, so it does not need additional.
Products are divided into varieties, which differ not only in cost, but also in quality. For crafts, sheets of the 1st and 2nd grade are usually used, which do not have veneer delamination, chips and other defects. If the decorative decoration is supposed to be used in the garden, it makes sense to give preference to moisture-resistant plywood.
Figurines for the garden
DIY plywood crafts for the garden are the most practical and inexpensive way to decorate your backyard. Here you can fully realize your creative potential by making the garden or flower bed more original and interesting.
Template selection
A key feature of plywood is its versatility. From a flat sheet, you can cut out almost any figure according to the template. A cat climbing over a fence in a country house, clutching a piece of sausage in its teeth; a curious person watching neighbors through binoculars; a herd of reindeer grazing in a flower bed. There are a lot of options, while crafts can be flat or voluminous.
It is better for inexperienced craftsmen to start with simple flat figures, which are made in 1.5-2 hours, maximum - in a day.
As a sketch, you can use the ideas of other masters by looking at the design options for a personal plot on the Internet or create your own funny drawing. It is better to make a template drawing on tracing paper or graph paper, and then carefully transfer it to the plane of the plywood sheet. A good option is to create an image in Microsoft program power point.
You can make a high-quality sketch for plywood crafts using this application according to the following scheme:
- move to working window programs like drawing;
- go to the scaling section and set the aspect ratio based on the dimensions of the existing plywood sheet;
- break the finished drawing into fragments;
- print them one by one on the printer.
Thereafter separate fragments pictures are glued into one sheet, the template is carefully cut out along the contour, applied to plywood and outlined with a simple pencil. This operation takes no more than half an hour, but this technique allows you to create spectacular patterns, even without having artistic abilities.
Manufacturing technology
After drawing a sketch on a plywood sheet, the figure must be cut out.
Suitable for thin sheets of plywood ordinary jigsaw, thicker material can be cut faster with an electric tool.
The saw cut should not be carried out strictly along the contour, but leaving a margin of about 1 millimeter. This is a common precaution so that the canvas doesn't accidentally slip to the side and ruin the pattern. If the decorative decoration involves through cuts, the starting groove is drilled with a drill, after which a jigsaw file is passed through the resulting hole.
After completion of the work, the remaining irregularities are removed with a fine file or sandpaper.
fine finish
Of course, even the most original figure requires at least coloring to become brighter and more interesting.
Before applying the pattern, the entire surface that is supposed to be painted must be treated with fine-grained sandpaper, making the plywood a little rough. This will provide better adhesion of the wood to paintwork materials. Then you need to remove the wood dust remaining after processing, degrease the surface with a solvent.
If the template is multi-colored, it is recommended to mark the dividing lines masking tape. Fragments of such crafts are best painted separately to avoid accidental mixing of colors.
The paint is applied in many layers, with each subsequent layer being applied only after the previous one has completely dried. Such a coloring scheme will make the drawing more durable: the paint will not fade in the sun, peel off after rain.
At the final stage, the finished surface can be varnished to make the figure more resistant to impact. environment. Lacquer is applied in a similar way: a multilayer texture with the obligatory drying of each layer.
Note! If the figurines are removed from the garden in winter period, you will have to update the paint about once every 3-4 years.
To increase the moisture resistance of the picture, it is recommended to choose acrylic paints for outdoor use. Materials for facade works more resistant to ultraviolet and moisture, reliably protect the tree.
Volumetric figures from plywood
beautiful, voluminous crafts in 3D format, you can easily make your own hands. In general, such products are manufactured in a similar way to the scheme given above. The only caveat: the figure will consist of several elements.
For example, if we are talking about a rooster, which will serve as a good decorative ornament lawn, then the three-dimensional figure will consist of the following parts:
- torso, including head and tail;
- two wings: one on each side;
- a pair of paws.
Each element is cut out separately according to the drawn up sketch. After that, the figure is assembled into a single whole with glue or decorative nails. According to a similar scheme, you can make any animal (cat, dog, bear cub), mushroom, gnome, lantern and much more. Souvenir products are also cut out small sizes that are placed on the shelf.
Children's toys made of plywood
You can make almost any children's toy out of plywood. For the smallest, pyramids or mobiles that are hung over the baby's bed are suitable. For example, you can make a pendant from multi-colored stars that are attached to a fishing line and rotate slowly, evoking pleasant dreams.
For older children, various cars, tanks, airplanes, puzzles are suitable. It is noteworthy that a child can be involved in the creation of each toy, which will allow not only to have fun, but also to teach the boy how to handle the tool.
The girls won't be left out either. Can be cut out of plywood Dollhouse and make all the interior furnishings: beds, chairs, dishes. Appearance crafts for children from plywood are much more interesting than those of factory toys, because they are made with soul. They can be presented for a birthday, and it will be a very unusual and pleasant gift.
Such compositions do not contain toxic substances, therefore, they will not create health problems, even if the child pulls the toy he likes into his mouth.
We equip the kitchen
Given the specifics of the application, crafts for the kitchen are made of dense, waterproof plywood.
This material is not afraid of moisture and steam, so it can last for several years. Carved shelves, boxes for storing spices and other necessary trifles are usually made from plywood, cutting boards, hooks for oven mitts, souvenir fridge magnets.
If you have some experience, you can assemble a whole kitchen set, which will not differ from the products of furniture factories. To do this, use thick sheets of plywood, a jigsaw or a hacksaw. And of course, you need to have some free time and desire.
Figured cutting of plywood(cutting out figures from a sheet of plywoodusing a machine) is popular among decorators and furniture makers. With the help of a sheet of plywood and special equipment, you can create not just a craft decorating a house, but a whole work of art.
Cutting methods (basic techniques)
- machine for curly cutting plywood - laser equipment;
- ordinary jigsaw (it will also need a set of nail files);
- CNC - milling equipment.
Before you start sawing, using one technology or another, you should know some nuances to consider when working with glued veneer:
- You should be aware that cutting a figure from plywood made from pine / spruce will be much more difficult than from others. tree species. This is due to the fact that coniferous varieties due to resins have a viscous structure.
- It is necessary to cut the glued veneer in the direction of the fiber. If you need to make cross cut, then in this case, first, small cuts are made with a knife, and then they proceed to sawing with the main tool.
- Before hammering a nail, it is necessary to make holes for it.
Sawing with a jigsaw
Rules:
- It is necessary to saw only in one vertical plane. The movement of the saw must be carried out "up and down".
- If you need to make a turn according to the drawing, then turn the workpiece, and not the base.
- Sawing begins in the inner contour. Then they move on to the outer contour.
- Periodically, you should cool the nail file (suspend work for 10-15 minutes). Otherwise, it will fall into disrepair.
Note!!! From ancient times to the present, sawing with a jigsaw has been considered an interesting and creative activity.
Laser cutting of plywood sheet
Principle of operation: beam burning along the contour. The main advantages of this technique include:
- it is not necessary to process / file the edges of the figure after cutting;
- high-quality cut;
- the size of all parts that have undergone laser processing is the same;
- You can burn a pattern of any complexity.
The disadvantages and possible risks when working with laser equipment include:
- with excess power, plywood can char (despite the fact that the technology provides for a special air supply, there is a risk of fire / charring, albeit a small one);
- the master at the sight of plywood should be able to determine what species the veneer consists of and what glue it is glued with (the type of wood and the type of glue depends on the mode of burning);
- if a beginner works with such equipment, and in the process of burning out the beam “randomly” (due to the inexperience of the operator) hits a knot, then the product will deteriorate.
Before you start cutting plywood with a laser, you need to learn how to work with this type of equipment. How the figure will look depends on experience.
Cutting with a milling machine
To the main benefits this method sawing can be attributed to:
- fast sawing;
- in the process of cutting out a figure from plywood, charring and other unpleasant consequences will not arise (this technique is best for beginners);
- cutting accuracy is the same as when using laser equipment;
- no need to sand the edges.
Price
Listed below are prices for popular brands of domestic plywood cutting machines.
Firm "MULTICUT"