Breaking Down Large Sheets of Plywood

If you’re working with sheet goods like plywood I have a few tips that can make the job much easier.

Tip #1: Cut your plywood sheets on top of rigid foam insulation.

Google search foam board insulation sheets. I usually go with 2-inch thick, 4 foot by 8 foot, Owens Corning Foamular from Lowes. Cutting down plywood on top of rigid foam board insulation is one of the simplest, safest, and most accurate methods for breaking down full 4×8 sheets, especially if you’re using a track saw or a circular saw.

The foam board raises the plywood slightly off the floor, so you can slide sheets into position. Manhandling a 3/4” sheet of 4×8 plywood is no easy task. A sheet like that typically weights between 60 to 80 pounds.

Rigid foam board insulation is typically 1"–2" thick and makes an ideal sacrificial surface because it supports the entire sheet you’re cutting. Unlike sawhorses, where the plywood can sag, pinch the blade, or fall when cut, foam board supports the sheet everywhere. There’s lots of benefits to using this method; less risk of kickback, less splintering from unsupported edges, and no sheet movement.

Using rigid foam lets you safely cut through the plywood and into the surface of the rigid foam. You can safely set your blade depth to just barely penetrate the foam. Voilà! There’s no risk cutting into sawhorses or your workbench and you’re able to make full-depth cuts in one pass.

A 4×8 sheet of rigid foam insulation typically runs $30–$50 and lasts a long time. Even when it gets chewed up from saw kerfs, you can still use it for dozens of projects. When I’m not cutting down panels I’ll use a foam board for certain router cuts or even as a backer when spraying finishes on workpieces.

Simply lay the foam on a flat surface. A garage floor, driveway, or patio is perfect. Contractors, cabinet shops, and DIYers use the foam-board method because it eliminates the most annoying part of sheet-goods work: wrestling 4×8 plywood on sawhorses or a table saw. It’s faster, safer, and gives cleaner results.

Tip #2: When you need to move 4x8 sheets of plywood use a panel carrier.

A plywood panel carrier is a simple tool designed to make lifting and moving large sheet goods (like plywood, MDF, OSB, or foam board) much easier and safer. It gives you a secure grip on big panels that are otherwise awkward to hold, improves leverage so you can carry a sheet with one hand, and reduces strain on your fingers, arms, and back. I recommend the clamp-style carrier, like the Kreg Panel Carrier or Gator Lift, that attaches to the top edge of a panel and automatically tightens as you lift, allowing you to carry the sheet at your side with excellent control. The other type, the hook-style carrier slips under the bottom edge and acts like a built-in handle, offering a slightly cheaper option. See the Multus Max Mover Panel Lift. Both types are especially useful when moving full 4×8 sheets alone, transporting material from a truck into the shop, or handling slick and heavy panels like melamine. For anyone who regularly breaks down sheet goods, whether with a track saw or on foam insulation, a panel carrier is one of those small tools that dramatically improves comfort, safety, and efficiency in the shop. I even bring my panel carrier with me when I go shopping for sheet goods.

Tip #3: Invest in a track saw.

I’ll admit track saws aren’t cheap, especially when compared to their circular saw cousins. However, track saws are one of the best tools for cleanly and safely breaking down sheets of plywood, especially when you’re working with full 4×8 panels. Instead of wrestling a heavy sheet across a table saw, a track saw lets you keep the plywood stationary while the saw rides along a guide rail, giving you long, straight, splinter-free cuts with far greater control. This makes it ideal for cabinetry panels or any project where clean edges matter. A good track saw system includes a rail with an anti-splinter edge, a plunge-cutting saw with precise depth adjustment, reliable dust collection, and the ability to either use a single long rail or join multiple rails together. The quality of the cut is always better than what you can get from a standard circular saw, and on many veneered plywoods the cut rivals a cabinet saw.

When choosing a track saw, the most important things to consider are rail length, cut accuracy, the accessory ecosystem, and dust control. For full-length plywood rips, you’ll want either a long rail (around 96") or two shorter rails that connect perfectly. A strong accessory ecosystem, like parallel guides and angle guides, makes repeatable cuts faster and more accurate. A clean edge with minimal tear-out depends on the anti-splinter strip and a blade suited for plywood, while good dust collection helps keep your workspace clean during long sessions of panel cutting. Portability is another factor: corded saws are great for a dedicated shop, while cordless systems shine if you ever break down plywood away from your shop.

There are several excellent track saw options. Festool stands at the top for precision and cut quality, with an extremely refined system that serious woodworkers love. Makita offers an excellent mid-range corded saws with a smooth plunge action and great value. DeWalt provides a durable, jobsite-ready track saw that integrates well with both its rail system or Festool’s tracks (that’s the setup I use). Milwaukee’s cordless M18 model is a powerhouse for mobile work, and Kreg’s Adaptive Cutting System combines a saw and track setup that’s beginner-friendly yet highly capable. Budget options like Grizzly or WEN can handle occasional plywood breakdowns without a big investment.

Hope this helps. Now, stop reading and go make something.