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I covering off the side of a barn next weekend and need to run about 20 or so 3/4in. plywood. Much to my dismay, my partner bailed on me and I will be doing it myself. Because the side is so short in height (and wide) each piece needs to be cut down to about 23in. I just started up my new Proshop and would like to devise a jig to cut my plywood quickly and safely by myself. Any suggestions? Ready made jigs you know of?
....ready made, not sure.
I saw in an old magazine a frame made from 2 x 4 criss crossed where you could then kneel on top of the plywood (which was on top of the 2 x 4 frame) and cut with a circular saw. It was a more permanent substitute for the old foam backer solution....
Simply described, it is four 8' long 2 x 4's running lengthwise one direction, framed on the underside by six 4' long 2 x 4's going the other. You would just need to snap a line or clamp a straightedge, then kneel on the plywood and cut away. There are likely easier ways to do this, but given the number of sheets needing to be cut, it may be the safest and most efficient. Cutting on a foam backer would work too though.
Tim- We cut all all our plywood, MDF, etc. with a Festool Saw and a Festool guide Rail. Safe, accurate and fast.
So easy my Granddaughter can do it:D
By her self, while doing her nails.
Bob
If yr just doing one or 2 sheets, I'd use a circular saw and a guide, but on the tsaw, can't yr fence handle 23"?
With proper infeed and outfeed support (that can be easily rigged up) it shouldn't be hard
This is not a job I would normally do on a table saw due to very limited material support....I suggest you make (or buy) a guide for your circular saw so you can cut the sheets safely.
I am sorry I meant 63in with 30in rails and that is my problem...I just lost my circular saw to a brother in law just outside of Atlanta (350miles away). My only saw is my ts. What to do?
Tim, if it were a rip cut, it would be easier to handle. But being a cross cut, the support issue becomes very difficult to manage, even on a large cabinet saw that doesn't have a slider. Rent a circular saw if you must to do it safely. And you can use inexpensive foam insulation board to support the stock on the ground so you can make the cut without dealing with sawhorses, too. Honestly, you almost don't even need the guide for this kind of work since you're going to caulk the joints, anyway, to weatherproof...
Thanks for the advice...I am hot on the trail of an ole milwakee worm drive...
Shoot, for the effort involved in making huge outfeed/side/infeed support/aux fence/etc, you might even just BUY a cheap circ saw!
Tim,
The lumber yards where I live are pretty good about cutting stuff, so what I would do were I in your shoes is take those sheets to the nearest lumber yard and have them cut them to your specified sizes on their panel saw.
Bruce
That's a good point. If you can scavenge through BORG's or LWS pwood, they'll even do 2 cuts/sheet for free.
I thought Bob was going to say it's so easy his son can do it....LOLOLQuote:
Originally Posted by Bob Swenson
Seriously, straight edge and circ saw. I'll rip sheet goods solo on a TS but cross cut on TS... nope and I have 96" rails on my TS.
Cheers.
Greg
I attached (using shims) a straight edge board to the outer edge of my table saw stamped metal top be parallel to the saw blade. By clamping (or otherwise attaching) a longer guide board to the underside of the plywood, I was able to crosscut a sheet with proper outfeed support for the material. You have to check the distance from the blade to the edge when setting the guide board, but it is slick. The new clamp guides work well for that.
Even with the 50" extension, it is still handier (and probably safer with long guide board) to cross cut some material.
The safest and fastest way is to make a plywood jig to use with a circular saw. Screw a 1" wide or so cleat to the bottom of a piece of plywood. The plywood needs to be the length of the cut plus the width of the cleat on the bottom. Next on top of the plywood install another cleat for the saw to rest against as a guide. This will be placed back the width of the saw foot and width of the blade. Now once you do this you can quickly clamp it to the sheet you need cut, or 2-3 and clamp it down. Will be square and no measuring and fumbling with a guide for every sheet.
Not sure what saw you have but some will allow you to move the rails. Most go left for a foot or so. If you moved them over 1' you should have over a 36" rip. I don't like cutting across 4x8 sheets like that. Good chance for kickback.