best way to cut 4x8 panels?
jamesw
there to make a portable panel saw ? thanks Jim
Frank, Melinda or Sarah Mabry
for cutting the material. I suggest that you get a panel of foil backed,
semi-rigid foam
insulation. This goes under the wood while you are cutting. (Note: the foil
backing goes
against the floor.)
Use a circular saw with an appropriate blade (at least plywood style and
carbide tipped).
If the particle board is thin (0.5") and you have one you might wish to by one
of the
5.5" circular saws. I have two for such work at the site.
Finally, you will need a straight edge to guide the circular saw. There are
edge guides
that come in "joinable" 4' lengths. They usually cost between $22 and $27.
The edge guides are clamped at each end of the wood. I suggest that you cut a
piece of wood
that exactly matches the offset of your circular saw from the edge guide and
keep it with
the edge guides (marked with the make and model of the circular and blade in
use).
I have in my files several much more elaborate set-ups for sawing whole sheets
of
plywood. This is a cheap, accurate and easily stored approach that will (when
preceded
by careful measurement) give you good results for years.
Dr. Frank Mabry
fmsm...@ix.netcom.com
or
df6...@exmail.usma.edu
arjay
height as an 8 foot long bench. The stands are 3 feet long and have a
2X8 top. I arrange them parallel to the bench and lay the panel on top
so the cut is between the bench and the stands, and then use a clamped
guide for my circular saw. I leave about 1/16 for cleanup (in addition
to the kerf loss) I used to do the same thing on the floor with 8 foot
2X4s, but now don't like to get up and down that much.
arjay
Kim Whitmyre
> there to make a portable panel saw ? thanks Jim
>
My current solution is to use a piece of 1x48x96 styrofoam insulation:
put it on the floor, concrete. Lay the sheet good on top of it, set your
circular saw an 1/8th deeper than the thickness of the sheet good, and
saw away. This gives you complete support all the way through the cut.
As far as panel saw jigs go, I think the current issue of Shop Notes has
one. Go to www.augusthome.com and look at the Shop Notes or WoodSmith
areas.
Kim
Ray
back isn't what it used to be, I get the stuff only when I absolutly have no
other choice and have Home Depot at least Rip it in half of if they can rip
in their panel saw to a specific dimension I have them do it. I do the same
thing with veneer plywood at my wood supply house and it costs a buck. Boy
it's alot easier to handle and the back appreciates not having to lug around
those 4 X 8 sheets especially paticle board which weigh's a ton. Then I take
it home and rip on TS or cross cut with clamp guide on saw horses for cross
cuts until I can get it into my cutoff box.
Ray
jamesw wrote in message ...
Marc Hache
with a picture of a homemade panel saw on the front and plans inside. Sorry,
can't remember the name of the mag.
I typically rough cut the pieces oversize with a circular saw and then to
final size with the tablesaw.
Marc
jamesw <jam...@tstonramp.com> wrote in message
news:s7fk1n...@corp.supernews.com...
C.E. "Chuck" Ring
If the above URL is too long to show up as a complete hyperlink, just
copy and paste it into your browser "location" window.
Or go to the web site:
http://woodworkersjournal.com and work your way to their try Rockler's
site:
Don't know how portable it is but I guess you could put wheels and one
of those 24 volt tool batteries and an electric motor on it! :>)
Here's some other options to view:
Good luck,
Chuck
C.E. "Chuck" Ring
Edgewood, N.M. USA
http://www.abq-sfe.com/enchant
http://www.woodworking.org
http://209.122.88.33/index.htm
jamesw wrote:
>
> What is the best way to cut down 4x8 partical board. Is there any plans out
> there to make a portable panel saw ? thanks Jim
--
C.E. "Chuck" Ring
Edgewood, N.M. USA
http://www.abq-sfe.com/enchant
http://www.woodworking.org
http://209.122.88.33/index.htm
Dave Carnell
straightedge to the panel allowing for the blade offset of your "skilsaw".
Then make a quick accurate cut quickly and easily.
"Poor man's panel saw" that I have been using for 40 years.
Barry Criner
rip 4 x 8 sheets of plywood. It is a clamping saw guide system with an infinite
clamping capacity from 0 to 99". For ripping large quantities of a certain
width, like making kitchen kabinets, I make two T guages out of scraps of wood
that are exactly the same length that are the width of the rip minus the offset
of the circular saw base. The T guages slip over the edge of the plywood and
are clamped to the plywood. The saw guide is moved up to the guages and clamped
using the cam action handle on one end of the guide. Remember if you have more
than one saw, always use the same one. I use a Porter Cable 6" Saw Boss for its
light weight with a fine tooth thin kerf carbide blade. I set the sheet goods
that I want to cut, good side down, on a piece of 1/2" MDF. This 1/2" MDF is
sturdy enough so it does not sag between sawhorses even when it has quite a few
saw marks in it, and its also cheap. The sawhorses that I use are the plastic
kind that fold up so they don't take up too much room in then shop. Use saw
horses, its a lot easier than cutting on the floor. The saw guide system can be
used with your router to make long dados. I have used this saw guide a bunch
and it works great. These are finished cuts that you can achieve, no need to
run them through the table saw, much more precise than the ripping them on the
table saw and much easier than wrestling a 4x8 sheet through the table saw. I
bought this saw guide from William Alden for $99.99 and worth every bit. Hope
this helps!!!!!
Frank Campbell wrote:
> There are plans for a skillsaw straight edge at:
> <http://member.newsguy.com/~mendoc/Skillsaw%20Guide/skillsaw_cutting_guide_b
> oa.htm>, use 2 x 4's on top of two sawhorses at 90° to the cut to lay the
> panel on.
> Frank C.
>
> In article <s7fk1n...@corp.supernews.com>, "jamesw"
> <jam...@tstonramp.com> wrote:
>
> > What is the best way to cut down 4x8 partical board. Is there any plans out
> > there to make a portable panel saw ? thanks Jim
>
> --
> Remove "your.hat." to reply
> Bench Notes a Woodworking Page
> http://member.newsguy.com/~mendoc/
Michael Edelman
of my home remodel we had to rip 5 4x8 sheets of 3/4" birch ply to built
closet shelves. That's $250 worth of ply. My solution would be to either
use a straightedge and a plywood blade and cut very carefully, or have
it ripped at the yard. I got home and found that Gary, my builder, had
done the job on his 8" Makita contractor's table saw with a site-built
outfeed table made of site scrap- pieces of PVC pipe, short lengths of
2x4, etc. And he did it perfectly.
NoSpam
thingamajigger for ~$90.00. It's an "L"-shaped piece of aluminum (I think)
along with a soleplate that your circular saw fits into. You clamp the jig
at a right angle (or what ever angle you're after) and the soleplate
attaches to the jig with five bearings. It looked pretty impressive.
I found their web site...here's what I'm talking about.
http://www.pennstateind.com/panelsaw.html
Frank Campbell <men...@your.hat.home.com> wrote in message
news:mendoc-ya02408000...@enews.newsguy.com...
NOSPAMBOB
onto supports and clamp the alum angle and go for it.
In article <1qog4.9072$la6.3...@ndnws01.ne.mediaone.net>, "NoSpam"
<nos...@nospam.net> writes:
>I just got a Penn State Industries catalog that has a panel cutting fence
>thingamajigger for ~$90.00.
Name works for E-mail
Joseph H. Sievers
Personally, I like a jigsaw and a well-clamped straightedge. Not always a
perfect cut, but I'm shy of table saws, and working alone. It's satisfactory
for me.
Joe
Hyde Park, NY
rnckr
panel coming off the blade. A little tough for one person but it works.
Rob
Joseph H. Sievers <joseph...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:388B907B...@netscape.net...
Guy or Lesley Hilliard
Air table - just like a big air hockey table powered by a
shopvac, once you get the sheet on the table a 10 YO could do the
cutting for you. Uses the rip fence for all operations.
Panel Sled - a little more armstrong but easy to use and the
cuts can be stopped, clamped, etc. And your hands stay well clear of
the blade (on a properly designed sled).
Guy Hilliard
Marty Phee
from home depot of the like in 4'x8' sheets. Put your panel on it, and
adjust your circular saw to just through your panel by a 1/4". Basically it
would allow you to lay everything on the ground to cut. Should be very
safe, and cheap to do.
Joseph H. Sievers <joseph...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:388B907B...@netscape.net...
Charles Self
>One way I heard of is to use 1" think foam insulation. You can get this
>from home depot of the like in 4'x8' sheets. Put your panel on it, and
>adjust your circular saw to just through your panel by a 1/4". Basically it
>would allow you to lay everything on the ground to cut. Should be very
>safe, and cheap to do.
>
This works decently, but yesterday I was cutting sheets of 25" x 12' particle
board, with no foamin sight and not in the mood for an almsot 80 mile round
trip to the nearest HD or Lowes. Used chopped off pieces of 2x2, a straight
edge of scrap melamine covered PB, and my Porter-Cable (535? The old model
with the heavy plate aluminum drop foot baseplate) and a 40 tooth Piranha
blade. Then the smaller pieces were finish sized with the table saw, though
the large stuff (94-1/2" long bottom, 96" long top) had fine enough cuts to use
as is.
Charlie Self
Word Worker