Cutting Plywood....good side up?
 

When ripping plywood are you supposed to have the good side up or down?

What saw are you using?

On a table saw, the good side always faces up. You want the cutting action to always push the wood fiber back into the stock, to reduced splinter. Masking tape should be used as well.

With most or all portable circular saws, the good side should face down. Masking tape on the good side should also be used.

The Porter-Cable left handed circular saw could be different, I don't know. But one can always judge by the cutting front of the saw blade pushing the wood fiber back into the stock.

A sharp carbide tipped ATB blade should be used.

if cutting with a table saw where the blade is under then good side up..... if you are using a regular circular saw.. then it's good side down... as stated above.. you want the saw teeth to 'bite/chip' into the good side...

YzGyz

Thanks for the info guys. I forgot to mention that I will be using a table saw.

You could do a very shallow scoring cut through the veneer only face down and then flip it over for the final cut. Eigher way use masking tape to minimize tearout.

It should not matter. With a good blade, a smooth draw at the right speed, and no binding, you can get a clean edge on both sides with the top edge being slightly cleaner if any difference at all. Tape will do nothing. A bad edge will still be bad, unless you can keep the tape on forever.:bum:

Just get a Forest WWII and your days of tearout and frustration will be over :)

That would work also. Also a properly setup tool is necessary. You can have the best blade but if the fence is out of wack you will get lots of tearout if not kickback.

Agreed, a good blade will make all the difference, it wont matter which side is up. The proper throat plate for the thickness being cut is also something to concider.
If your stuck using a skill saw you can still add a ZC throat plate to your saw. You can also place the cut on a sacrafical 2X. Either way the right blade makes the job much easier.


Don

Yet another good point using a zero clearance throat plate. We can get Nanoguy cutting wood very soon.

I routed a few out and can flop them in place and raise the blade up through them. Not that I have yet to be so inclinded... but I also agree a zero clearance plate is a good (and safe) part of the tool.