Woodworking Tip: How to Cut Wood Without it Binding Up

Cutting wood can be dangerous if you do not use proper techniques. Several years ago I got a job as framer building homes. I began working with no training on how to properly cut wood. There were several times I nearly hurt myself because I was not familiar with the proper technique. There are a few very fundamental principles when cutting wood that I will review.

To prevent wood from binding, make sure the piece of wood you are cutting is allowed to fall. By this I mean there is not an upward pressure from either side. For instance: do not cut a piece of lumber between two saw horses. This will cause your wood to bind up a kick.

When cutting plywood with a circular saw, place a 2x4 near the cut (not directly under the cut) underneath the larger piece of lumber to allow the small piece to fall. I cannot tell you how many times I have had the saw bind up and stop or kick when I have been cutting sheets of plywood. The saw will bind up and stop if there is any pressure “pinching” the blade.

Also, on a table saw, if you have a fence and it is not completely parallel to the blade, it will cause the blade to bind up and pinch. If you are not perfectly parallel to the blade, you will notice it will be much hard to push the wood through the table saw. You may smell burning or the engine may bind up all together. Double check your fence with a builder’s square before you run your lumber through it. High quality table saws will have fences that lock perfectly parallel to the blade.