Avoiding Tearing When Cutting Plywood With Masking Tape
When you cut plywood, sometimes the blade clings to the veneer and tears unevenly, causing a “rip”. Tear marks will ruin the look of your project, but they can be prevented with a simple trick.
First, always cut the plywood with the best side down so that the blade does not leave marks in the wood. A tearout occurs when the blade comes out of the top of the tree and grips the veneer.
To prevent this from happening, stick masking tape to the top of the tree to be cut. Then remove the tape to expose the clean cut edge. The video above demonstrates this tip with masking tape. It is more expensive than masking tape, but both will work.
Plywood Cross-Cut Prevention | Do Something (YouTube)