Shopsmith Forums

My main question is this: How do most people use their Shopsmith to cut large pieces of plywood?

For example, with 60" x 60" or 48" x 96" plywood, is it possible to cut these large pieces on your Shopsmith? If so, what additional accessories do I need to do so? For example, I'm thinking I have to get a zero clearance insert, a miter extension, probably a plywood blade, roller stands, etc. I'd really appreciate hearing about specific accessories that you use in cutting plywood with your Shopsmith.

At this time, I'm making rough cuts with my circular saw (to break up the plywood into manageable pieces for the Shopsmith), but this seems very inefficient. Shouldn't I be able to make one cut on my Shopsmith and be done with it?

Thank you in advance!

Best accessory for cutting full size plywood on the Shopsmith.....an assistant. Without an assistant, infeed and outfeed support are highly desirable. Without infeed/outfeed support, I have had my Shopsmith teetering trying to cut larger sheets of thicker plywood.

Now unless I am dealing with 1/4" ply, I cut the sheets down with a guide and then work with them on the Shopsmth or table saw.

What is there about a table saw that makes it OKAY for cutting plywood while a Shopsmith is declared inadequate or unsafe?

Best way to cut large sheets of plywood with a Shopsmith is to NOT cut the sheet with the Shopsmith.

I use a hunk of 1/2" thick foam insulation board (the blue stuff in our neck of the woods). Plop it down on the floor (or driveway, if the weather permits), put the sheet of plywood on the top, then get out my cutting guide and set it up, set my 7-1/2" power saw so it cuts a 1/4" or so below the plywood and then cut the large sheet(s) of plywood down to either final size or something closer to final size.

Yeah, the foam insulation gets chewed up but it can be used lots of times before you need to replace it.

If I need a finish cut. I use the Shopsmith. I do have the extension tables and use them on the outfeed and, if possible, on the infeed side also.

I think trying to cut full sheets of plywood is kind of asking for problems.

Without help i do not attempt cutting full sheets of plywood on the Shopsmith. I prefer my cutting table and guide system. To day Shopsmith began a special on their new true trac system for cutting sheet goods. Check it out. fjimp

dusty wrote:What is there about a table saw that makes it OKAY for cutting plywood while a Shopsmith is declared inadequate or unsafe?

Again, with a table saw you need adequate support (infeed and outfeed) for thicker plywood. That being said, my Shopsmith weighs in just under 200 pounds and is a little top heavy. My cabinet saw probably weighs two and one half times the Shopsmith. It can handle a whole lot more side loading before toppling over than my Shopsmith (both without infeed/outfeed support).

Without assistance or infeed/outfeed support on a Shopsmith or regular table saw, use a saw guide and a circular saw. Safely, accurately and efficiently handling a lot of large sheet goods is why I spoiled myself and jumped into guided tools (track saw and accessories).

I understand that a lot, a whole lot of users do not cut sheet goods on their Shopsmith.

The question is why? What is there about the Shopsmith that makes it inappropriate for that purpose?

I've cut hundreds of 4x8 sheets of plywood, from 1/8" to 3/4". I agree, a helper is very important. Actually, most of these sheets were probably cut when my Shopsmith was still a 500. To help compensate for the small table, I made a 5 foot fence extension that secured to the fence with two 1/4" carriage bolts. Feet on the bottom of the extension, both fore and aft of the table provided additional support.

Back then I used my Shopsmith 60T crosscut blade with good results. Now that the quality of plywood has slipped, the veneer is very thin and prone to chipping. Therefore, for better results, I use an 80T Freud blade with a low hook angle, designed especially for plywood and laminates.

Cabinet shops used to use a large cabinet saw fixed in position with infeed and outfeed tables. Even then I suspect that helpers were often present. In today's competitive market, cabinet saws are not used. Instead, a specialized CNC router cutting machine is necessary for those who are serious about staying in business. I saw such a machine in Gainesville. It was about forty feet long. The plywood sheet was fed into one end flat down and was automatically fed thru. The cutter then comes down and makes all the necessary cuts, some quite complex, including holes. They make cabinets by the hundreds for the University of Florida and the Shands Hospital complex.

Dusty brought up a good point. In my opinion, very few table saws are good at cutting large sheets of plywood. Certainly, no cabinet saw can be used competively in today's mass cabinet market.

Shopsmith is presently offering the "TrueTrac" guides for $50 off. See item nos. 556226 and 556227. The $50 is attached to their e-mail special and is only good until the 15th of November.

This is a guide that can be used with any hand held saw. Even left hand ones.

http://seawolfproductions.com/SeaWolf%2 ... 20TIPS.htm

When its up, he has a really neat infeed table. the design seems to be an adaptation of the http://ezee-feed.com/ design.