You dont know what you dont know....

[Dustin Crawford]

Ok, totally new to all of this. So I am not sure if I can even ask an intelligent question on this subject. So please bear with me!

I have a 10" Delta contractor saw/router table setup with the beizmeyer fence. What I have ran into lately is that I dont have (or barely have) enough table before the saw blade. So I rough out a square sheet of mdf say. Then I put rip it on one then the other side with my fence. Now I have 2 parallel sides. Then I turn 90* and use my incra miter gauge. But lately the sheet is just big enough to have the miter out of the slot just enough to make it not true. I just picked up a 12" ridgid compound miter saw so maybe that will have more reach. Is that what guys use a radial arm saw is for (larger crosscuts)? I keep picturing an 'infeed' table and a looong miter gauge slide lol.

If you are wondering the panel was around 14" by 20 or so.

So what is the 'right' way to handle situations like these?

[Bobby O'Neal]

There are several options but I'd say the quickest and one of the best is a good crosscut sled. Made well, it can be very accurate and fast for repeatable cuts. The Wood Whisperer did a good video on his sled build.

Also track saws or a good edge guide clamp with a circular saw will do well. If you've got the money, many people like sliding tables for their table saws.


If you're not able to plan your TS cuts so that you are always able to use the fence (long vs. wide), and obviously this happens, I'd go with a crosscut sled first.

[johnny means]

What you have run into here are the natural limitations of a tablesaw. They just weren't really designed around sheet goods the way a panelsaw is. The most common work around is probably a good sled, which can be built to any size you could possibly need.

[Joe Scharle]

Some ideas for your consideration.

Large sled...



Front table extension...



And tracksaw pics can be found everywhere...