Shopsmith Forums

If there is a moral or lesson to this story (Thread), it is; If we attempt to saw off too large/heavy pieces of wood on our table saws using a rip fence, we are likely to have a "non-straight cut.

To avoid this issue - it is a better practice to first break down sheet goods to more manageable pieces. Then, if we want to use the table saw, use a sled. Sheet goods can be broken down quite well with a straight edge/circle saw guide.
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Gotta use the best tool we have for the proper job. In my way of looking at the issue, the SS can be used for sawing large sheet goods only if there are two people and adequate rear support.

reible wrote:Hi,

When I got to this part of the post I got a little mixed up about how you are doing this. It seems that no matter what way you cut it you will end up with problems if the cut is not true. What turns out to be an extra amount on one piece is then a problem on the next piece... well you could joint between each cut but you didn't mention that.

So take a look below and tell me where my error in thinking is coming from. I made the error very large for the purpose of making this easy to see. I think by looking at the images it should be clear what I think is happening, but if you want I can add some more words later....

Ed

I somehow got the attachments in the wrong order so please look at them in the numbered order rip1, rip2, and then rip3... don't see a way to fix this with out deleting and uploading again???

Ed Your absolutely right if there is no consideration for the error, the error can and will get carried to the next piece. The point I was making is when cutting full sheets of sheet stock I have found that no matter what I do somewhere in the cut the panel comes off the fence. When this happens and I have the good piece between the fence and blade which is a very common way to cut this error will render the cutoff slightly (depending of the size of the error) too narrow. However if the good piece in not between the blade and fence an error can only translate to a wider piece not a narrower piece thus it is fixable. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me.

As far as the error repeating I usually make my next cut over size and then recut the more managable piece. Or I try to straighten the cut edge then make another cut for work piece. Hopefully after the first cut or two the sheet will be small enough that feather boards and/or better techniques can be used to insure the factory edge stays against the fence.

Personally I have gone to Charlese's method and I now break down sheet goods before moving to the SS. The only difference here is I use a manufactured guide that gives me the effect of a zero clearance insert on my circular saw. The cut that is produced is so near perfect I can cut for exact size and don't have to recut them.
Ed

Ed in Tampa wrote:...Personally I have gone to Charlese's method and I now break down sheet goods before moving to the SS. The only difference here is I use a manufactured guide that gives me the effect of a zero clearance insert on my circular saw. The cut that is produced is so near perfect I can cut for exact size and don't have to recut them.
Ed

Thata boy Ed! Zero clearance is good! My homemade guide gives me a "zero clearance" effect in one side, while the cutoff side has to cope on it's own. The results are pretty darn good as you can see in the above pix. (cutting melamine) Does your manufactured guide have a "cover" on the outside of the blade?

Mine was made using a 3/4" aluminum angle screwed to a piece of hardboard, from below. The upright face of the angle had to be sawn off to allow clearance for the saw. This leaves an aluminum fence about 1/2" high to guide the saw, while the hardboard gets sawn off at the exact width of the saw base edge to the blade. I can lay the edge of the hardboard dead on the cut line, clamp the aluminum and zip - the line disappears and a straight cut appears. The only hard part is to reach across the width of the sheet. Sometimes this takes two operations - one pushing the saw as far as I can reach - the other , from the other side of the sheet , pulling the saw to finish the cut.

charlese wrote:Thata boy Ed! Zero clearance is good! My homemade guide gives me a "zero clearance" effect in one side, while the cutoff side has to cope on it's own. The results are pretty darn good as you can see in the above pix. (cutting melamine) Does your manufactured guide have a "cover" on the outside of the blade?

My system is an older one that I don't think is made anymore. My guide has seen better days and edge is ragged. Therefore I have been considering going to either Festool which is fairly pricey but has excellent dust collection and excellent safety since the blade plunges and is totally enclosed when not cutting wood. Or the Eurekazone EZ guide system which allows you to use your own circular saw. The reports are that the Porter Cable Mag and or Hilti saws can have shields added to them to make them almost as dust free as the Festool.

In both these systems the saw acutally runs in a groove so there is no way for it wander. I have seen sample cuts made by both systems using fairly cheap blades and frankly I couldn't find a flaw, even in Melamine.

The older Festool design only produced a excellent cut on one side of the wood but a design change in the last two or so years how has zero clearance on both sides of the blade.

The ezguide actually has an insert that fits into the guide base and the first time you use the saw you cut this insert much like a normal zero clearance insert.

I think the biggest thing is the fact you don't have to carry or struggle manevering a 4x8 sheet of ply around. Basically drive home set up you cut table either in the garage or out in the drive. Slide you sheet out of your truck/suv/car onto the table and make your cut. Now you have managable pieces to carry into your work shop.

Having the foam on the table gives you total support for the whole piece (you don't have to worry where the cut off is going to fall) and eliminates the worry of cutting up your saw horses of what ever. Setting the blade a 1/4 of inch deeper than the material you cutting does little or no damage to the foam. Plus your blade is never exposed underneath so won't cut you electric cord or have a brain freeze and reach under to see if everything is okay only to saw up you hand.

To me this is smartest way to deal with the sheet goods. In fact many people are actually adapting the system to board stock and are raving about how much time, energy and worry it is saving. Cabinet shops which are under fire by insurance companies are reporting their insurance costs are coming down using this system. I know a solid counter supplier here in Tampa shifted to the system to get OSHA and EPA of their back over dust and safety concerns. The now have a very expensive panel saw, 12 inch industrial radial arm and unisaw sitting unused since the brought in the system.

I see the systems as the perfect complement to the SS both take up little storage room both are versatile (since the guided system works very well with routers to cut dados, mortise and tendon joints and with hand planes to insure a perfectly jointed edge.) And one does the jobs the other can do but not as efficiently as the other. Like I said a complement not a replacement.
Ed