The Best Ways to Cut Fiberglass Panels

Cutting fiberglass panels isn’t difficult, though keeping them from splintering, chipping, or throwing harmful fibers is. Depending on your project and your tools at hand, some fiberglass-cutting methods may provide better, safer results. Check out the guide below to see which cutting tool will work best for you.

Warning: Before using any of the following cutting methods, protect your skin, eyes, and clothing from the slivers and sharp particles of fiberglass that will fly off the blades. Wear tough leather gloves, old clothes you don’t mind discarding, a filter mask, and a plastic face mask. Complete this project in a workshop, garage, or other place where others will not walk in, and where you can clean off the fiberglass residue and dust.

Router

If you choose to use a router to cut your panels, use a blade with a fine edge that will make clean and smooth edge cuts. One downfall to using a router is that it leaves sharp edges and creates fiberglass dust that’s dangerous to inhale.

Fiberglass Power Trimmer

A trimmer is lightweight and powerful, and it easily cuts through hard fiberglass, such as that used in paneling. Plus, you can choose between 3-, 4-, and 5-inch trimmers.

Jigsaw

You can use a jigsaw to cut the fiberglass paneling if you use a blade made for cutting metal. Fiberglass is hard and will quickly dull any wood-cutting blade. The jigsaw will work better than some other saws if you need to saw curves in the panel.

Circular Saw

Sometimes referred to as a "skill saw," the circular saw works well if you're cutting a straight line, and if you're using a blade with fine teeth. For a better cut, use a clamp to hold the panel in place.

Hacksaw

A hacksaw, because it has a fine blade, will also work. However, it will require more work and will take longer to cut through the panel. If you have a long cut to make, you will probably want to use other types of saws.