Crosscuting 24" wide Oak plywood

[Jim Gunter]

I have been making all sorts of one of a kind furniture pieces in my home work shop. Each time I run into something new that I don't have the proper tool for I research the best fit and buy a quality new or used tool. Not the very best industrial 3 phase machine available, but a good quality machine. I now have a reasonably good tool selection that still includes a 10" Craftsman Radial Arm Saw I bought new in the early 1970's. It was my first piece of equipment and I made all cuts on it. Made sort of okay furniture on it. It takes a lot of "tuning" to get good results from it though.
Over time my quality requirements got more refined and so did my equipment needs. I have always used my RAS to crosscut boards and plywood and take the time setting the saw to be sure it cuts exactly 90* so my fit is as perfect as possible. It drives me crazy to fight through any plywood over 16" wide though as I must flip it over to finish cutting through the overall width. Miss-alignment and splinters on the good side are just not acceptable any more. I do use a Freud 80 tooth crosscut blade for good cuts on the first 16" pass but on a 24" table top the last 8" is not so good.
Sorry for the long lead in to my request but thought it may help explain what I am looking for.

What type of saw is available that will cut a clean, accurate 90* crosscut on hardwood boards and plywood tops at least 24" wide.

Thanks for some ideas, it's time for a change!

[Mike Henderson]

Festool track saw. You have to accurately measure where to cut but the cut is good.

Mike

[Art Mann]

Makita, Dewalt and possibly Grizzly track saws will also do the job if you get sticker shock with the Festool.

[Jeffrey Martel]

I have the Grizzly track saw. With modifications and a new blade, it's a great tool for the money. Festool is still nicer, but way more expensive.

[Jim Gunter]

Interesting, I didn't think a hand held circular saw could make splinter free cross cuts.
So do you mark length, use a square to indicate 90* and clamp the track to the wood?
Any way to make repetitive length cuts ?

[Marty Tippin]

I use a shop-built cross-cut sled on my table saw. I made it 25" wide for exactly this purpose.

But if you don't have a table saw, a track saw is probably your next best solution.

[Cody Colston]

I use a panel cutting sled with my tablesaw, ala Norm.

[Erik Christensen]

my festool track saw has a better x-cut quality than any other tool I have including a sliding table TS with RidgeCarbide finish blade & new ZCI. I have a large format MFT that can quickly & safely x-cut to a perfect 90 things up to 40" wide and with the flip stop do so to a repeatable, precise length . I am not suggesting it is reasonably priced but that is not what was asked

[Jim Gunter]

Marty - Cody, I do have a good table saw, but no sled. I have about 48" clear from the TS blade to the RAS table. Have any info on making a good sled?

Erik, What is a large format MFT ?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Another happy Festool user here .

[glenn bradley]

Large crosscut sled. Built for a specific project but, years later is still in use for those occasional larger panels.

Ad a little support:

TS-Outfeed (5).jpg

Banzai!

TS-Outfeed (6).jpg

[Art Mann]

I am not suggesting it is reasonably priced but that is not what was asked

If price is not a consideration, then I recommend a new beam saw. It is made for the purpose. In that case, the Festool would sound like just a cheap little hobbiest tool. I just want people to know that there are viable alternatives to what Mike Henderson suggested, more and less expensive.

[Prashun Patel]

I love that infeed dickie, Glen. Thanks. I'm making one today.

[John TenEyck]

If you already own a TS then the answer is pretty easy, build a cross cut sled to whatever size you need, tune it once to cut dead accurate 90 deg cuts, and it will stay that way forever. I built mine when I made my kitchen cabinets over 20 years ago, but it still cuts perfectly square and I use it for any crosscut that my RAS can't handle. It can handle crosscuts about 36" wide.

IMG_4442.JPG

The design is by the late Jere Cary in his book about building kitchen cabinets.

John

[Wes Ramsey]

I don't have any new saw recommendations, but have you considered backing the cut with a sacrificial piece to minimize tearout? If you're in the middle of a project it might minimize tearout to get you by.