Many reasons may trigger you to make a circle on a wood. Probably you want a pipe to pass across a piece of plywood, or you want a wood circle to construct a piece of art that you are envisioning. You can simply cut a circle in wood with the right type of tools.
The Following are simple steps
Step 1: Place the Wood on a Good Place Then Clean the Space below It
If you’ll be using a hole saw to construct the circle, there will be too much torque production from the saw, and you’ll end up cutting along to the wood. To avoid this, be sure to hold the wood as you drill it or have someone to help you hold the wood during the drilling process.
Make sure that the space beneath the wood is enough to prevent the hole saw from cutting into anything accidentally.
Step 2: Position the Pilot Bit at the Mid of the Circle
When the circle you intend to cut must be located in a specific location on the wood, draw a circle, then locate the center point. This should be the exact point where you’ll position the pilot’s center as you get ready to drill.
Step 3: Carefully Start Drilling Across the Wood
As you begin drilling, the pilot bit will move first, followed by the hole saw that would drop down to the surface of the wood. You must be ready for this, and ensure you are holding your drill tightly. Additionally, you should be ready to stop the drill if the saw gets trapped on the wood.
Step 4: Get Rid of Blowouts through Flipping the Board Midway Across the Cut
In case you cut straight across the wood without stopping, the backside can become rough and jagged immediately the hole pops through. To stop this, cut partway across the hole then turn the wood over. Then stick the pilot on the current pilot hole then start sawing.
The next cut will meet the first cut at the center of the hole, giving you a perfectly smooth cut on the two sides of the board.
Step 5: Remove the Circle from the Hole Saw
After you’re done with cutting the circle, there will be a wood circle inside the center of your hole saw. In most cases, you’ll hold its edge using your fingers then pull it. When the circle of the wood gets buried on the hole saw, you’ll be forced to work harder to remove it. Attach the flat-blade screwdriver on the holes of the hole saw then push the wood using the tip of the screwdriver.
How to Cut a Circle in Wood with a Jigsaw
A jigsaw is one of the best and seriously nice DIY tools. It’s armed with the best blade to cut all types of materials into any two-dimensional size and shape. And most significantly, perform the task safely. Here’s how to cut a circle in wood using a jigsaw:
Requirements
- A piece of plywood
- Jigsaw
- Compass
- Strong wire nail
- Sandpapers
- Start by looking through the scalp pile to get a thin piece of luan, MDF, or plywood. This should be as long as the circle’s radius plus another 2 inches. With that accomplished, snag a strong but thinnish nail. You can also use a “wire nail”, a rivet, a thin bolt, or anything that has a head on it.
- Now begin drawing the circle on the wood using a circle guide or compass.
- Then choose your nail thickness. Most people prefer using 1/16th inch. After determining, drill a hole with that size at the center of the circle. If you find it hard to do this, you can use the divot left on your compass to act as a guide.
- Then set your construction aside then take your thin plywood. Construct an extended crosshair mark on the upper left side then drill the center using the thin drill bit. Please ensure the marks remain once you’ve drilled the hole.
- With that done, build a second crosshair mark on the jig. Make sure you set the distance equal to the radius of the circle. Don’t forget that the radius of the circle is half the total diameter of the readily made shape, from one side to the center.
- Then construct a hole here where you’ll insert the jigsaw blade. About 7/16 inch to ½ inch will work correctly.
- Its time to drill the starter hole on the project board to place in the circle. You can attempt to line up the exterior side of the drill’s circumference to the same arc of the circle to lower the chances of irregularity. Also, you can drill quite nearer, then chop away a bit using the jigsaw blade to help you meet the line.
- After that, assemble the entire thing. Carefully clamp your project on a strong surface, then position the jig on the upper side. Place the nail across both tiny holes, then line up the starter holes. Once you finish doing this, you must see across the jig to the circle framework on the lower side.
- Now you must link the saw and the jig to make it act as a guide on the cut. Then position the tape on your jig as you fix the blade on the starter hole. Immediately it’s aligned with the circle; press it down tightly for some time to secure it.
- Its time to cut. Make sure you set the blade at its full speed while making the circle, then pull outwards as you push it down with a little pressure to add some tension on the jig.
- Immediately you finish, sand any tool marks. Wrap sandpaper on a dowel or any cylindrical item to sand the marks then use mineral spirits to get rid of adhesive from the base of the jigsaw.
And that’s how you can simply cut a circle in wood. The procedure is simple but requires accuracy.