Table Saw - Cutting Sheet Goods Safely

[Arguseyed]

Question #2:

What is the max. size of a piece of plywood or other sheet good most of you feel comfortable cutting on a table saw? I know most of you can probably handle full sheets with no problem. But for someone who does not yet own a table saw and has limited experience using one, I'm just trying to gauge what you can handle and how long it took you to get comfortable with it. I know a lot will depend upon size/type of saw, rip capacity, outfeed support, etc.

I am currently using a circular saw and guide to both break down sheet goods and cut to finish dimensions (not consistently as you might expect) and am looking to purchase a contractor or hybrid saw. My first projects will involve building some shop cabinets & tool stands to practice before I tackle the 14' long wall unit / entertainment center for our bonus room. I'll be working with a lot of ply as you can imagine and sure would like to waste as little as possible. I can fully envision messing up a lot of cuts on the table saw due to the piece being too large and my lack of experience. And we won't even mention safety issues......

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!

JT

 

[DavidF]

Question #2:

What is the max. size of a piece of plywood or other sheet good most of you feel comfortable cutting on a table saw? I know most of you can probably handle full sheets with no problem. But for someone who does not yet own a table saw and has limited experience using one, I'm just trying to gauge what you can handle and how long it took you to get comfortable with it. I know a lot will depend upon size/type of saw, rip capacity, outfeed support, etc.

I am currently using a circular saw and guide to both break down sheet goods and cut to finish dimensions (not consistently as you might expect) and am looking to purchase a contractor or hybrid saw. My first projects will involve building some shop cabinets & tool stands to practice before I tackle the 14' long wall unit / entertainment center for our bonus room. I'll be working with a lot of ply as you can imagine and sure would like to waste as little as possible. I can fully envision messing up a lot of cuts on the table saw due to the piece being too large and my lack of experience. And we won't even mention safety issues......

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!

JT

For me, even with a large outfeed table; cutting down a half sheet 4' x 4' is big enough. If it was narrower, say 2' then a 5' length is ok. I can move my assembly table round to the front of the saw to become an infeed table, but even then I wouldn't tackle a full sheet without "board buddies" or similar to keep the sheet under control. The 8' length just gives too much leverage at the trailing edge to stop a possible bind on the blade.

 

[DaveO]

I'll rip a full 4 x 8 sheet, if I have to, but for most of my projects I will cross cut the sheet into to 4 x 4 pieces. I rarely make anything taller than 4'. I use a clamp/guide straight edge and circ. saw with the stock sitting on a piece of foam board insulation on the floor to make my cross cuts.
Dave

 

[Travis Porter]

I will rip and cut full sheets on my tablesaw, but even then, I make the pieces slightly larger and then recut them. A 3/4x4x8 is a heavy beast and difficult to manage on to a table saw by yourself. Although a big tablesaw is nice, a full size slider would be the way to go to really cut up full sheets on a saw accurately IMO, and I only know a couple of people that have one.

 

[McRabbet]

JT -- Although I have a table saw with a 52" fence capacity (Grizzly G123SLX) and a big outfeed table, I generally try to avoid cutting full sheets of 3/4" plywood on it alone (I can handle full 1/4" sheets or 5'x5' Baltic Birch sheets okay). I have a good Freud blade in my Skilsaw and use a Clamp 'N Grip as a straight edge for cutting carcase components right on my elevated sheet goods storage rack. If I need to rip a piece along the 8' edge of the sheet, I have an 8' straight edge that I can clamp in place. Generally, I put painters masking tape on the cut lines to avoid chip out, especially when cutting expensive hardwood plywoods.

Rob

 

[christopheralan]

With the right saw, I will cut full sheets. I have a unisaw at work and a benchtop at home. I can handle the bug stuff no problem on the unisaw, but my benchtop is more difficult. I had to mount it, stand and all, onto an oak 5'x5' pallet to give it a large, heavy base. It works better now, but if I can use my circ saw to get it smaller, I always will.

 

[jglord]

After several misadventures cutting 4 x 8 sheets, including having my Ryobi table saw start to tip over, I now use an edge system and clamps.
I hot glued a piece of Masonite to the bottom to avoid the measuring the offset and found I can get finished cuts. I also built 3 saw horses to support cuts across the 4 foot length and use 3 8' 2 x 4's for long cuts. All to avoid having the piece fall away and split as I complete a cut.
I have cut 4 x 8 sheets on the unisaw at work but it is near impossible to avoid a small bit of waggle as I try to steer an 8' piece against the fence.

 

[pslamp32]

I use a clamp/guide straight edge and circ. saw with the stock sitting on a piece of foam board insulation on the floor to make my cross cuts.
Dave

I like this idea! Where do you get this foam board you speak of 'o wise one'!

 

[DaveO]

Peter, I just use the blue 1/2" foam board from Lowe's. I have taped 2 pieces together to make it more rigid as I store it on top of the rails for the garage door. I just set the circ. saw blade a little deeper than the thickness of the ply and it cuts into the foam board giving me zero clearance on the underside (the show face), plus it's easy on the knees when crawling over the sheet of ply making your cut. Not my idea, I read it in a magazine a while back, but the best $5 I've spent in a long time, well than and a good clamp-n-guide straight edge.
Dave

 

[pslamp32]

Sounds great. I'm having a problem finding this 'foam board' online. Is there another name for it? Thanks!

 

[Joe Scharle]

I used to use a long straight edge and skilsaw to rough size 4X8 sheets and recently bought this as a more permanent tool.

http://www.hawkwoodworkingtools.com/jointability.html

 

[McRabbet]

Peter,

What you want is Dow 1/2" Styrofoam Residential Sheathing, in 4' x 8' sheets. It is $10.61/sheet at Lowes.

Rob

 

[DaveO]

Bingo Rob, that's it. You must have special powers to be able to find anything using the Lowe's website search function...it's the worst I've ever seen.

Dave

 

[rhett]

I thought that was one of the perks to being married, you need to rip 4x8's and they help catch. I usually go straight from the truck to ripping down the middle of a sheet. Then it's justcrosscutting to length. I think a good rule of thumb is if your uncomfortable with something, try another way.

 

[zimman20]

I will rip and cut full sheets on my tablesaw, but even then, I make the pieces slightly larger and then recut them. A 3/4x4x8 is a heavy beast and difficult to manage on to a table saw by yourself. Although a big tablesaw is nice, a full size slider would be the way to go to really cut up full sheets on a saw accurately IMO, and I only know a couple of people that have one.

I do this at times. Took me several years to get comfortable cutting larger sheets on the tablesaw and even now it's probably less often I cut on the TS than I break down with a cordless circ saw. It's just a lot less hassle!

 

[wilkesland]

I use my circular saw with fine tooth blade and edge guide to break down plywood. 4' by 4' is as big as I would tackle with my contractor saw, and even then would probably use and edge guide. I don't like handling bulky pieces on my contractor saw at all.

Barry

 

[Arguseyed]

Thanks again everyone! Hopefully, I'll get to post my first major gloat soon :-D

JT

 

[jmauldin]

Even though I can handle a full 4x8 sheet of plywood, I too, will cut it down to approximate size with my circular saw. I have two saw horses with 5' tops, so I just lay the plywood on them and cut. That way I am able to work at a comfortable height. I will overcut about 1/4" and finish up on the table saw so as to get a more accurate,and smooth cut. I don't worry about cutting into the 2x4 top of the saw horses, which is minimal since I only cut about 1/8" deeper than the plywood. When the 2x4's get too cut up I simply replace them. I have found this much easier (on the knees especially) than trying to cut them on foam board (blue board). I guess when you get older (almost 70) it isn't much of a problem getting down, but getting up isn't easy. I, too, have an 8' and a 4' piece of 1/2" plywood with a 1/4" plywood strip down the middle that I use for a straight edge. I fixed mine with a 1/4" strip down the middle to serve as a guide, but with one addition - one side is for my circular saw, the other side is for my router. When you make one pass with either you know exactly where to position the guide on the piece you are cutting.
Jim in Mayberry

 

[adowden]

I also use the circular saw to cut the plywood into managable pieces. I use a setup similar to Jim's sawhorses. I have two sawhorses with flat 2x4's on top attached with a couple of large dowels. Then these pieces are half lapped to receive two 8' long half lapped 2x4's to make a big rectangular support that is easily broken down to be stored.

I want to make a jig in Jim Tolpin's "Guide to Being a Professional Cabinetmaker" where he buts it up and clamps it to his cut piece and flush trims any inconsistencies with a flush trim bit on the router. I used the router to get an exactly square top for my arts and craft entertainment center and was very pleased with the results.

Amy

 

[junquecol]

I break down my sheet goods on a special table that I built, using a guide and circular saw. Table is a skeleton frame with folding banquet table legs on it. About 3' wide and slightly less than seven feet long (fits into my trailer.) It is designed to be "cut up." I use the forty tooth Diablo blade from HD that costs about $14. Beware of the cheaply made birch plywood from Lowes. It is junk! For the same money, go to HD and get the Columbia Forest Products 3/4" birch plywood. About $43.00 a sheet, and made in North Carolina.