How to Cut Thin Wood
- 1). Cut the thin board or veneer to length using a carpenters square and a razor knife. Lay the square across the board with the shorter right-angled side resting against the boards length. This will allow for a square cut to the board.
- 2). Position the razor knife against the long side of the square that is running perpendicular to the surface. Press the knife-edge into the wood. Draw the knife back, scoring the surface. Repeat this until you cut all the way through the board. This process will result in a fine line cut to the thin material.
- 3). Cut curves and shapes into the board, using a hand coping saw. Lay out the design on the board with a template and pencil. Use scrap two-by-fours to support the work piece off of a tabletop or workbench surface. This will allow the lower half of the saw to freely move while you hold the thin board with a free hand during sawing.
- 4). Use short methodical strokes when using the coping saw. This concentrated effort will pay off in not "breaking out" the wood surface on either side of the cut line. The wood material will have a tendency to chip or crack on either side of the blade if too much of a "robust" action is used in manipulating the saw.