How to cut an even circle with only a circular saw. How to cut a circle in metal: best methods and valuable tips How to cut a semicircle from wood with a jigsaw

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Usually to cut from a piece of plywood or board smooth circle, masters resort to various kinds routers, use hand or electric jigsaws, and, at worst, take up a hacksaw. Meanwhile, with the help simple device You can also cut an absolutely even circle with a circular saw. How to do this in practice, read and see the detailed step-by-step instructions.

Materials

Before cutting an even circle with a circular saw, make sure you have necessary materials. You will need very little of the latter:

a piece of plywood;
meter;
the circular saw itself;
nails or screws.

Step 1. Take a meter and measure the depth, length and width of the groove on the working part of the table saw. Based on the obtained parameters, cut a block from a piece of plywood of suitable thickness.

Step 2. Insert the timber into the gutter and adjust the edges if necessary. The timber should slide easily along the gutter without catching it.

Step 3. Leaving the block in the gutter, place a square piece of plywood on top of it. Install it so that it does not interfere with the operation of the saw itself.

Step 4. Using self-tapping screws, firmly screw the plywood to the block. When choosing fastening materials, pay attention to their length. Self-tapping screws should not damage the surface of the desktop when screwing in.

Step 5. Take a piece of plywood or board from which you need to cut an even circle. Adjust it to the shape of a square. Place the plywood on top of the prepared structure and drive a nail exactly in the middle. Do not drive the nail all the way in. The plywood from which the circle is to be cut should rotate freely, and the nail itself will need to be carefully removed upon completion of the work.

Step 6. Rotate the square in a circle, cutting off its corners to create an octagon.

Step 7. Continuing to rotate the square further, cut off its sharp corners. At the end of the work, carefully sand the slightest irregularities. So, without any extra effort you will get an even circle cut from a board with a regular circular saw.

When working with various types wood you always need to know the detailed variations in its processing. Before you cut a circle in plywood, you need to know all the options, because you often have to adapt to the situation.

In order to cut a circle from plywood, you can use both professional tools and improvised means.

Power tools or hand tools?

Tools and materials:

drill;
jigsaw;
hand jigsaw;
milling machine;
nails;
rope;
chisel;
hammer;
stationery knife;
sandpaper;
compass.

When determining the diameter of the future circle, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the working cutter.

The most popular option among all is a jigsaw. This tool allows you to cut not only circles, but also any other geometric shapes. Its only disadvantage is the need to form additional grooves at turning points (corners), but this is not noticeable when creating a circle. It is very important to choose the right nail file, because... they come in 3 types: vomiting on the left, vomiting on the right, vomiting on both sides. After the canvas is selected, cut out a circle of any size.

An ordinary hand jigsaw. Before cutting a circle from plywood using this tool, you need to make sure that the workflow is accessible. The main difficulty is the limitation (usually up to 30 cm) due to the physical structure, i.e. It won't work in deep places. At the start work activity not from the edge, but directly from the center, the nail file is threaded last.

Milling machine. A very convenient option, but it requires rigid adhesion to the surface, for which a self-tapping screw is screwed into the center of the circle. A circle can be made of any diameter, and very quickly. Sometimes there is not enough working handle, which is why you have to make all sorts of improvised brackets, which can be a channel, a profile, a block, a board or even a rope, but with a rigid hitch it is much more convenient. This tool makes a fairly wide hole, so before starting work you need to carefully measure the future structure.

It is necessary to select only sharp nails, and sand the edges of the resulting workpiece with coarse sandpaper.

Nails. A very popular method in cases where the work must be done “yesterday”, but the tools will not be available soon. It is worth noting right away that the work ends up being quite rough, so it is used as a last resort. All you need is a hammer, 2 nails and a rope. One nail is driven into the center of the hole, and the other is pulled on a rope to the required length (radius), after which a circle is drawn with a firm movement. Such circles with pressure continue until the circle is finally cut out. At the very end, the nail is removed from the hole, turned over and carefully beaten with a hammer to achieve a more accurate seam.

Chisel and stationery knife. Here everything is much simpler, because first you need to draw a circle with a compass (pencil), after which this circle is circled several times with a stationery knife under pressure. The peculiarity of the stroke is the movement not of a knife, but of a sheet of plywood, so as not to break the metal, and this action is repeated on 2 sides. Then a chisel is applied to the prepared seam and with gentle blows it is brought to the opposite seam (2-3 blows are usually enough). At the very end, a circle is knocked out with a hammer, as in the version with nails.

Often, when repairing or installing various wooden products needs to be drilled perfectly round hole. In this article we will try to highlight all the ways in which such a hole can be cut. Options with the use of special tools, as well as without them, will be considered.

How to cut plywood

A hacksaw with a very narrow blade, a jigsaw, a drill saw and a round file are the ones hand tools, which can be used to cut along a curve.

It is the narrow blade that provides maneuverability to the hacksaw, but for the same reason it is extremely difficult to operate. Must have a firm hand and an attentive eye to prevent deviations from the markings. However, do not try to work quickly. On the contrary, it is better to advance in small spurts. This will help you hold the saw handle more confidently and guide it exactly along the given line.

It is better to cut out small round or oval holes and “narrow” curves using special tools - a drill saw and a round file, which can also be used to clean out curves.

However, the most suitable tool for cutting rounded parts and holes is an electric hacksaw. Its advantage is not only that it saves energy and time. The included set of interchangeable blades with different teeth allows you to choose a blade for sawing almost any type of workpiece, be it wood, plywood or chipboard. In other words, an electric hacksaw can rightfully be called a universal tool.

Round corners of furniture

By hitting sharp corner table, you can even get hurt. Therefore, we recommend cutting corners where possible. For homemade furniture, they need to be rounded from the very beginning.

Cutting circles and curved lines is no more difficult than making an absolutely straight cut on a workpiece, but under one condition: in your hands the right tool and you are good at it.

Mark missing parts

It may happen that the holes that you drilled to insert a narrow blade of a hand or electric hacksaw will end up on useful areas To avoid such errors, you should mark all missing parts of the workpiece with shading.

What is suitable for the template

You can make a circle on a workpiece not only with a compass. Any object of a similar shape is suitable for this purpose. This could be a pan, plate, cup or bowl. However, when starting work related to the repair of furniture or some piece of furniture, calculate in advance the need for parts with rounded contours or with round holes. It may be enough to make only minor changes to the design.

Instead of a compass

A school compass can also be useful in a home workshop, but its range of action is small. What if you need to draw a circle of large diameter?

An easy way is to do this with string, a nail and a pencil. The nail is carefully driven into the workpiece, the rope is secured to it at one end, and a pin is secured to the other end. The length of the rope determines the radius of the circle being drawn. The only condition is that the rope must be taut along the entire path of the pencil. Then the distance from the center (nail) to the circle in all sections of the marking will be the same.

Strip of cardboard or slats

An equally simple, but more reliable way is to use a strip of cardboard or, even better, a wooden plank instead of a rope. Drill two holes in this bar (strip) - one, smaller, for a nail, the other, larger, for a pencil. The distance between their tips should correspond to the radius of the desired circle. All that remains is to install the nail in the right place and rotate the bar around its axis.

Two sharpened nails and a wooden strip or a strip of thick cardboard can replace a compass.

How to draw ellipses

An ellipse is a rather complex shape, but to draw it on paper, you only need two thumbtacks, a piece of string and a sharpened pencil.

Attach two buttons to the surface of the workpiece at some distance from each other. Take a piece of rope, tie both ends into a knot and hook the rope onto the button heads. Now, with a pencil, draw a line that the stretched rope allows you to describe. You can change the shape of the ellipse at your discretion.

The distance between the two focal points of the ellipse is indicated by buttons. If you guide a pencil within the boundaries assigned to it by a rope, then the outline of an ellipse will appear on the paper.

The ellipse shape can be larger or smaller, thicker or narrower, depending on the distance between the buttons and the length of the rope.

Templates

Shot glasses, cups, plates, pots or baking dishes - there are many items in any household round shape, which can be used to mark a circle. If you are making something and decide to give your product a rounded shape, then first look to see if there is a suitable template among the household utensils. To be sure, select a few items and take them to the workshop. There you can immediately try them on the workpiece and determine what is most suitable. With some practice, you will be able to make rounded lines from several round objects with different radii. Arcs of a circle can be drawn sequentially, or bridges-transitions can be made between individual arcs.

Preliminary drawing

Before attempting to trace a curve on a piece of paper, design it on a large piece of paper or piece of corrugated cardboard. Only after the result is satisfactory in all respects can you cut out a template from paper and make markings on it on the workpiece.

You can draw circles and fragments of a circle using a cup or plate by simply tracing them with a pencil.

Inserting a sink according to a template

The sink is one of the most important elements of kitchen equipment. If you decide to cut your sink into your kitchen worktop yourself, the first thing you need to do is prepare an exact template.

First, transfer the outer outline of the shell onto a thick sheet of paper. Next, measure the width of its sides, which will rest on the tabletop. Usually this is 2-3 cm. Now step back from the outline drawn on the paper, inward by the width of the side and draw a parallel line. This will be the cutting line.

When applying markings, make sure that the position of the template itself on the plate is correct. Of course, if all the corners of the sink are symmetrical, then nothing bad will happen if, according to the markings, it appears to be in a mirror image. But if the sink has the shape of a trapezoid and the roundings at the front corners differ from the roundings at the back, then under no circumstances confuse the front and back parts.

Use a similar pattern to make templates and cut holes for wall lights or loudspeakers mounted on wood panels.

The line drawn around the sink is auxiliary. The second, drawn parallel closer to the center, is the sawing line.

Electric hacksaw

If you need to cut a round-shaped part and saw a round hole in the workpiece, then an electric hacksaw is the most suitable tool. With its help, you will save effort and time, since such a saw has great advantages over a manual one. Thus, the blade of the electric hacksaw is narrower, which provides increased maneuverability. Further, it has replaceable blades with different teeth, which allows you to process workpieces of any type, that is, wood, plywood, chipboard (it is no coincidence that the tool is also called a jigsaw).

To cut a section inside the workpiece, a hole is first drilled for a hand saw. But if you have an electric hacksaw, then this is not necessary. The tool is brought to the workpiece with a slight tilt forward and turned on in this position. The saw will cut the hole itself. Just don’t put too much pressure on the body - this can lead to breakage of the saw blade.

Lead in a circle

This device, simple in design, makes cutting out round holes or arcs much easier. It is enough to mark the center of the circle on the workpiece, fasten the device along the mark and connect the rod coming from it with an electric hacksaw. The divisions on the rod help set the saw blade at the required distance from the center of the circle. As a result, without preliminary marking, you can cut a circle or saw an arc with a radius of 5 to 20 cm.

The device (more precisely, its “sole”) is attached to the surface of the workpiece with screws. They should be well tightened. If the fastening is not rigid and starts to wobble, then an even circle will not work.

Suitable for lefties too

Left-handers can also use the device, since the guide rod is attached to the movable unit both on the left and on the right. So cut at your own discretion - clockwise or counterclockwise.

Using such a device, you can cut a round hole with a diameter of 10 to 40 cm in the workpiece without preliminary marking.

Jigsaw

When cutting holes or curves in small workpieces, sometimes you can’t do without a jigsaw. Replaceable blades with teeth of different shapes and locations allow you to work with wood of different densities. However, it should be taken into account that the depth of the cut is limited by the arc of the jigsaw, that is, the saw blade will not be able to move further than 30 cm from the edge of the workpiece.

Very thin, narrow saw blades can be easily damaged if the jigsaw is used incorrectly. The saw must be operated with careful, methodical movements. The main thing is to prevent the canvas from skewing. Otherwise, small and light workpieces will begin to move with the saw, which may ultimately lead to the blade bursting.

The thinnest jigsaw blade will “master” the narrowest curve, but only in small workpieces, since the advancement of the blade is limited by the arc of the jigsaw.

Drill saw

Neither a hand saw nor an electric hacksaw will help if you need to cut a small hole in the workpiece - less than 10 cm in diameter. A jigsaw may also be useless if the workpiece is large. In this case, the most suitable tool is a drill saw. With its tip, it bites into the wood like a drill and thus makes a “starting” hole for further cutting. Externally, the saw is similar to a round file with the difference that its shaft is surrounded by a spiral around the cutting edge.

Drill saws are available with replaceable nozzles of various diameters, designed for processing both soft and hard wood, as well as a variety of materials made from it.

The working body of a drill saw is a metal rod with a cutting tip, like a gimlet, and a cutting edge that goes around the rod in a spiral.

This is what the narrowest of hand saws looks like. Thanks to the fastening unit, the blades in the hacksaw can be changed depending on the nature of the material being processed.

Drill attachment

One of the most popular and convenient options The hole is cut using a special attachment on the drill. It is made in the form of a crown comb and has a rounded shape. With this attachment, cutting holes occurs quickly, and they turn out quite smooth.

drill bit for holes

Nozzles come in different diameters, which allows you to cut a hole of the required diameter. If you have already prepared a hole, we can advise you to try your hand at options trading.

Drill

Cut big hole You can also use a drill. To do this, it is necessary to pre-mark the outline of the hole to be drilled. Next, use a small drill to drill along the contour prepared in advance, through holes. Next, using a jigsaw or a very sharp knife, we cut off the holes, thereby connecting the holes. Then you can smooth the circle using sandpaper of various grain sizes.

Chisel

You can also cut the required hole using a chisel. It is enough to remove the wood layer by layer along the contour. This option is the least suitable for interior decoration. The hole must be smooth, which cannot be achieved by using improvised and unsuitable materials for the job. The best option will be using a bit on a drill. The hole is even and has smooth edges.

Thus, to summarize, it becomes clear that you need to choose a tool for cutting a hole based on your goals. If necessary high-quality cut, then you can’t do without a special tool.

Any design, whether in your home or in production, involves working with metal.

Often, during the operation of this material, the question may arise: how to cut a circle in?

It deserves attention, since the labor intensity of the work process and the quality of its result directly depend on the choice of the right tool and technology.

Metal can be thin or thick and durable, so a variety of tools are used to cut it.

The choice of materials and cutting technology also depends on what diameter the circle is needed and how even it should be.

Using a jigsaw

If you need a perfectly even circle, you can use an electric one to cut it out.

The work is carried out in several stages:

First, the thickness of the metal is determined and the appropriate saw blade for the electric jigsaw is selected.
Before cutting a circle in metal with a jigsaw, the outline of the circle that will be cut is drawn on the working plane.
Using a drill and a drill (with a diameter of eight to ten millimeters), a hole is cut out from which work will begin.
A jigsaw saw blade is placed in the resulting gap and cutting continues as planned.

Cutting using this tool does not take much time and effort. Moreover, using a jigsaw you can get a circle with perfect edges. But this tool is used only for working with metal of minimal or medium thickness (for example, 2 - 3 mm).

Using an angle grinder

The grinder is used when working with thin metal. You can create a round hole with this tool by following these step-by-step tips:

Before cutting a circle in metal with a grinder, markings are made so that its contours are clearly visible.
Along the entire length of the intended drawing, short sections are cut with a grinder disc, which will eventually be connected.
The figure will look more like a polyhedron than a circle. Therefore, after cutting is completed, the product is processed and cleaned until the edges become sufficiently even and smooth. You can also use a grinder for processing. If the circle is wide, you can sharpen the contours with a large disk.

When processing a cut circle using a grinder, you should be careful that the disk is inside the hole and, at the same time, is located in the same plane with the work sheet.

Cutting a circle in thick metal

In order to outline the exact contours of the figure that will be cut out of metal, you should use a ruler, a marking compass and a marker.

First, using , the required width of the compass connector is set so that it matches the required diameter of the circle.

Then the center point of the circle is determined on the metal plane.

Contours are drawn from it using a compass.

To make them clearly visible during the work, they should be drawn with a marker.

Application of cutting torch

A circle in medium-thick metal can be cut using a gas cutter. The work takes place in several stages:

The outline of the circle is outlined.
The instrument burner lights up.
The combustion torch is adjustable.
The torch is carefully and slowly drawn according to the drawn drawing.

Using this method, you can cut a hole in metal that is about four or five millimeters.

Application of welding machine

If you don’t have a gas cutter at home, you can use a welding machine.

It needs to be adjusted to the most high level current

Then the burning arc is placed against the contour and held there until a hole is formed.

Then you just need to slowly move it along the drawing until you get an even circle.

But the most important thing is to correctly adjust the power of the tool.

For example, if metal about four millimeters thick is used, a device operating at about 150 amperes is required. If the metal is thicker, the power of the tool will be greater.

To speed up the process, it is better to use thin electrodes. However, they burn out quickly and need to be replaced. Because of this, there will be a need for frequent heating of the metal, since during the replacement of the electrode it will have time to cool down.

How to cut an even circle from metal with a cutter is shown in the video:

Often the question of how to cut even circles from plywood with a jigsaw confuses novice craftsmen. After all, doing this is much more difficult than a simple straight cut; no saw will help here.

Most often with a task figured sawing A jigsaw helps. Jigsaws can be manual or electric. A manual jigsaw consists of a frame with blade clamps and a handle. Main disadvantages hand jigsaw: low mechanical strength of the canvas and small frame size. As a result of this, the blade often breaks and it is impossible to cut at a large distance from the edges of the part. These jigsaws are usually used for processing wooden products. There are regular jigsaws, in which the saw is positioned vertically, and for artistic cutting, where the cutting element is a steel blade. Electric jigsaws usually used when working with thick material.

Key rules

To make the sawing process simple and fast, you must follow the basic key operating rules:

To ensure that the edges of the plywood are even, it is better to cut along the blade.

You can only work with dry material, since humidity increases the resistance of the material, as a result of which the veneer may begin to delaminate;
it is necessary to change the cutting blade immediately after the first signs of dullness of the teeth appear;
It is better to work with a jigsaw along the fibers of the material, so the edges will be smoother;
Use a hand jigsaw to cut across the grain of the veneer.

To ensure safe work, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

securely fasten the sawing table and the file in the frame;
the jigsaw must have serviceable and well-fitted handles;
You should not press the jigsaw too hard, trying to “help” it, this will only lead to an acceleration of dulling of the working blade;
Straight and long cuts are best made wide canvas, so the cutting process will go faster;
You must always see the markings, so sawdust must be removed from the material being cut by hand, and under no circumstances should you blow it away, as it can get into your eyes.

Compliance with these simple rules will help a beginner learn how to cut circles with a jigsaw and make his work easier.

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Cutting instructions

Before starting work, you need to drill a hole in the plywood for the jigsaw blade.

To cut even circles with a jigsaw quickly and beautifully, you don’t have to be an expert in this field, but for a beginner it can be a very difficult task. In this matter, the main thing is patience and, of course, the presence of the necessary accompanying tools, such as the jigsaw itself, a file, a compass, a simple pencil and devices for polishing the surface.

The first thing to do is draw a circle on the surface of the material you will be working with. It would be best to use a compass or select a suitable circle and trace it. You need to trace with a pencil so that traces of it can be erased in the future.

If you need to cut a circle inside the surface, you should make a through starting hole. Next, you need to insert a jigsaw blade or file into this hole and secure the free end of the file with a clamp. It is recommended to cut while sitting. First of all, you need to secure the file in the jigsaw using a key, keeping in mind that the teeth of the file should be directed downward. You need to cut from top to bottom. The tool should be held straight to avoid nicks and bevels.

The main thing in this process is not to rush and cut smoothly without sudden movements.

It is necessary to take short breaks during the sawing process, as the file may overheat and break. Now the circle is ready. Now it is recommended to use a file to straighten the edges, erase the markings left by the pencil and polish the part. If necessary, it can be varnished.

Of course, it requires certain dexterity and skills, but everything comes with experience. Therefore, following the recommendations described above should help the novice master in mastering this interesting and exciting activity.