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Thread: How do you cross cut wide panels to precise length?

  1. #1

    How do you cross cut wide panels to precise length?

    This might be obvious to all neanders, but since I ditched the table saw this will be my first time attempting this. I have a set of 4 glued up panels ready for cross cutting to a specific length. They are a bit over 24" wide. That's too much form my shooting board.

    What is your preferred approach? My first inclination would be to use a hand saw as close to the line as possible and then finish up to a marked line with a low angle plane. But I am afraid my sawing skills for that particular task are not that great and I will end up with a lot of end grain waste to remove with the plane, something I am not looking forward to. Is there another, more forgiving approach for a rookie that you would suggest?

    Thanks in advance !

  2. #2
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    I cut with a handsaw, then I turn my bench into a long shooting board and plane to the exact length. Plane in from both ends and don't shoot past the edge
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  3. #3
    Not totally hand tools but I use a Festool track saw (if you have a local Woodcraft they will usually let you use a "demo" unit) for the rough cut then use the bench top as a big shooting board for the finish which shouldn't be much as the Festool is very accurate. I think Derek has posted photos of using his bench as a large shooting board.
    Last edited by ken hatch; 05-17-2016 at 11:27 PM.

  4. #4
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    I suggest you view Ron Herman's video, Handsaws Tune-Up Setup and More DVD.
    He will show how to set your saw up to saw on a line. I would make some practice cuts before attempting the cuts.
    The video can be downloaded from Popular Woodworking or bought from Highland Hardware.
    His other video about sharpening a saw is good to view also.

    After your saws are set properly, you should be able to saw crosscut to a line.

  5. #5
    I would mark the board with a marking knife on all 4 edges, cut as close as possible, then plane to the lines.
    However, if you are not confident in your sawing skills, you can take a nice straight & square 2 x 2 (or whatever) and clamp it to the line and use it as a guide for the saw. It also helps to grab a straight piece of scrap about 10 inches long (could be an offcut from your 2 x 2), hold it in your offhand, and press it against the other side of the saw. I used this approach to cut the ends of my workbenches. One of them is 24" wide and 4" thick, and there was very little cleanup to do with the plane.

  6. #6
    Forget the crutches, just do it! I know you can!

    And if you inadvertently drifted a bit too far from the line: use a jack plane. It's very effective in removing endgrain with a cambered blade. Make it sharp first.

  7. #7
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    Sawing to a line is something everyone has to learn if they want to be serious about woodworking.

    It is easy to make a shooting board for one time use and then disassemble it and use the wood for something else.

    Otherwise the quickest way to remove end grain is to make a knife line all around. Next use a block plane or a chisel to chamfer the top all around to the knife line. Take the chamfer to the middle of the end grain, then take it down with a chisel or block plane. Come in from both ends to help prevent any spelching, aka blow out.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Augusto Orosco View Post
    This might be obvious to all neanders, but since I ditched the table saw this will be my first time attempting this. I have a set of 4 glued up panels ready for cross cutting to a specific length. They are a bit over 24" wide. That's too much form my shooting board.

    What is your preferred approach? My first inclination would be to use a hand saw as close to the line as possible and then finish up to a marked line with a low angle plane. But I am afraid my sawing skills for that particular task are not that great and I will end up with a lot of end grain waste to remove with the plane, something I am not looking forward to. Is there another, more forgiving approach for a rookie that you would suggest?

    Thanks in advance !
    Augusto, I am assuming that you mean to ask how to crosscut to the line (rather than to a length).

    If you doubt your skills in sawing to a line, then make another line a 1/16" away from the intended line, knife this deeply and chisel a knife wall, and then use that to saw against. Finish by shooting the edge on your bench ...




    More on this page: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/OneStepBack.html

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  9. #9
    Thanks to all. Those are all helpful suggestions. I will attempt this over the weekend, and see how it goes and what works best for me!

  10. #10
    Two more questions:

    1) Can you gang the panels and cross cut them all at once?
    2) What's the application? Why do they need to be precise beyond what you can manage off the saw?

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    Two more questions:

    1) Can you gang the panels and cross cut them all at once?
    2) What's the application? Why do they need to be precise beyond what you can manage off the saw?
    Hi Prashun,

    1) Yes, I can. The final length is not as important as is that each pair be of the same length.
    2) I am making a dovetailed chest shell (very much just like Ken's http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...475-Tool-Chest). Because of it, I don't think I can stop with just the saw cut, even if I was that good. They must be square and straight.

  12. #12
    If you are dovetailing then just reference from the side like for tenons not from the endgrain and then things do not need to be perfect. Square is overrated anyways, one can always make up for it I just made four drawers last weekend where I did not feel like truing sides and it still worked out ok and I planed sides to fit afterwards. Just keep track of reference sides, leave a little extra so that dovetails are can be made flush at the end.

    Quote Originally Posted by Augusto Orosco View Post
    Hi Prashun,

    1) Yes, I can. The final length is not as important as is that each pair be of the same length.
    2) I am making a dovetailed chest shell (very much just like Ken's http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...475-Tool-Chest). Because of it, I don't think I can stop with just the saw cut, even if I was that good. They must be square and straight.

  13. #13
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    My method when trying to track a long straight line is to cut at a much lower angle so that more of the blade is actually engaged with the material. Then nature will take effect and tend to keep you on line. When you saw more vertically the previous portion of the cut seems to have more influence such that if you are off line the saw will tend to stay off line and be more difficult to correct. Sawing more vertically is much easier of course because there is so much less engagement. I think this is the natural tradeoff. The problem with cutting at a lower angle might be the saw gullets getting clogged and this will greatly reduce cutting efficiency of course which the user might then tend to compensate for with higher downforce and that can lead to other issues. Sometimes when the bite is too much I will cut the kerf at a low angle to establish the path (much more effective than just trying to dynamically track to the pencil or scratch line, then raise the saw to a less horizontal position to cut some length, then lower the saw to extend the kerf and so on.

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