The Wood-Cutting Hack That Could Make Splintered Edges A Thing Of The Past

If you've struggled with splintered ends during your DIY woodworking projects, you may have heard that all you need is a little masking or painter's tape to help you get a clean cut. Is it too good to be true? Not necessarily. "It can be a good trick on some plywood, laminates, composites, and veneered boards ...," said Bob Beacham, House Digest's expert carpenter and remodeler, in an exclusive interview. "It has little impact on solid wood, so it isn't worth the time or effort."

Every DIYer loves a good wood-cutting hack, especially when they seem as easy as this one. Beacham puts it in simple terms: "Very straightforward. Get some painter's tape and wrap it all around the board to be cut. So it covers the cut line front and back. Saw. Remove tape." While this easy method may seem like it's good enough for you, there are a few things to know to get the best results even when using the tape hack — and other ways to reduce splintering.

Straightforward though it may be, Beacham has some tips that will help you get a cleaner cut when using this tape hack. "As mentioned, no point [trying it] on solid wood," he said. "You can try it on pretty much anything else, but things like OSB that have very coarse fibers are more inclined to splinter, and it's almost impossible to avoid."

It's about more than just the type of wood you're using — you should also pay attention to your saw. There are many types of saws that can cut through any wood, but it's wise to take care when deciding which one to use with this hack. "The best types of saws to use are a table saw, or a band saw. With a hand-held circular saw, the base plate (sole) might lift the tape as you push it along," Beacham advised House Digest readers exclusively. "It can be done, but you need to go slow and careful. With jigsaws, both the sole and the up-and-down action can lift the tape. The action of a jigsaw isn't great for laminates anyway, though again, it can be done with care."

Beacham also has more words to the wise regarding the tape you should use. He prefers painter's tape for this hack: "It is low tack and leaves virtually no residue. Plastic tapes with a lot of glue should be avoided because you could do as much damage pulling up fibers when trying to peel it off."

While this painter's tape hack will work in a pinch, the truth is that if you want a clean cut, you can't rely on tape alone. "Using a sharp saw blade will always minimize splintering," Beacham told House Digest exclusively. "Fine-toothed blades produce a cleaner cut in any wood at the expense of speed. Feed the board into the blade slowly."

There are other tips and hacks you might want to give a try as well. For instance, "You can try scoring the cut line first. Use a box cutter or utility knife. Use a fresh blade so it's sharp and a steel straight edge so you can't cut into it," he advised. A light touch will help you get the best results with this method. "If you press hard, you might slip and either damage the surface or cut yourself. Use several light strokes instead. ... [It's] good for laminates and veneers, but if I just want to minimize splintering on plywood, I won't usually make the extra effort," Beacham told us. If you're eager to try out these new tricks, check out these 45 woodworking projects for beginners to put Beacham's tips to the test.