Crosscutting a ROLL OF PAPER (on cardboard tube) on the table saw

[George Yetka]

I would try with your 48.5" roll to cut 1/8" off the end.

[Richard Coers]

Anything other than a knife will leave a very fuzzy edge. I guess if a table saw was the only option, I'd wrap a bunch of masking tape around the roll at the cut line.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Anything other than a knife will leave a very fuzzy edge. I guess if a table saw was the only option, I'd wrap a bunch of masking tape around the roll at the cut line.

Before removing the outer plastic sleeve, I would add a turn of duct tape where I wanted the cut to be.

[roger wiegand]

I don't think it's possible to get a clean edge with any kind of saw. Perhaps a local printer will do it for you on their slitter?

[Tom Burgess]

I would try with your 48.5" roll to cut 1/8" off the end.

I think cutting a narrow slice at the end would be very different (a lot less stable) than cutting at the center of the roll.

[Tom Burgess]

Use a finetooth blade. The cut will be a little fuzzy. Looks like classy handmade paper.
BilL D

Turning lemons into lemonade. That hand-torn effect is called a deckled edge. I don't think saw-cut fuzz is gonna "cut it" (pun!) as a deckled edge, but I'm a big fan of looking for ways to take advantage of limitations. Thanks, Bill.

[Tom Burgess]

I don't think it's possible to get a clean edge with any kind of saw. Perhaps a local printer will do it for you on their slitter?

Thank you, Roger. Per your suggestion, I just found what appears to be the only real Printer here. Just left voice mail asking if they might have a slitter or other means. If not, I think I can get an edge that's "clean enough" for my needs

I wonder if a fine grit sandpaper on a flat block applied to the cut end while the paper is still tightly wrapped would minimize any roughness. I'll test it.

[Tom Burgess]

Anything other than a knife will leave a very fuzzy edge. I guess if a table saw was the only option, I'd wrap a bunch of masking tape around the roll at the cut line.

Thanks, Richard. I intend to tightly wrap the outer cellophane wrapper with painter's tape at the cut line.

[Tom Burgess]

Before removing the outer plastic sleeve, I would add a turn of duct tape where I wanted the cut to be.

Thanks, Bruce. I thinking duct tape adhesive might be "gooey". Painter's Tape is dryer and seems like the better choice. But per your suggestion, I will wrap the tape outside the plastic wrapper.

[Tom Burgess]

I cut a 4" thick roll of kraft paper that I use on my workbench to not overhang as much. A standard crosscut blade worked fine.

Thanks for sharing your real-world experience. Good to know, and I'll bet the basic Combination Blade currently mounted on my table saw would do just fine. Still, I will sharpen my "80-tooth, thin-kerf, smooth-cut, laser-tuned Freud Diablo blade" and try that. I'll post a picture of whatever happens.

[George Yetka]

I think cutting a narrow slice at the end would be very different (a lot less stable) than cutting at the center of the roll.

I agree but I figured if he aimed at cutting an 1/8 and burning an 1/8 and got decent results he can expect better on a center cut.

[Tom Burgess]

ere.

I was able to accomplish sawing the roll of paper in half, converting a 48-1/4" roll into two rolls, each slightly longer than 24 inches.

I tightly wrapped the rolled paper at its centerline with clear plastic. Around that I ran painter's tape and marked the cut point on the tape.

Concocted a make-shift, temporary jig based on a white, straight 48" length of steel box tubing. I made four simple wood blocks and hot-melt glued a magnet to each so they'd adhere to the steel tubing. The wood blocks support the paper roll, pushing it out in front of the steel tubing, far enough out so the spinning blade does not contact the steel tubing.

Used two miter gauges, each clamped to the steel straight edge. Then clamped the two ends of the cardboard paper tube to the steel straight edge. Everthing locked up solidly and the cut went smoothly...for a while...

First half of the cut was good, then it slowed down and smoke came out of both ends of the cardboard tube (yikes). The second half of the cut became progressively more bogged down, but did complete without mishap. The rearmost portion of the cut is a bit rough—sort of like blowing out the grain at the back edge of a wood workpiece. This quality of cut will do for my application, but I'd like to avoid the roughness and bogging down next time. If you have a theory or suggestion, let fly.

Images below depict the jig, the right-side cut and the left side cut:

I removed the images.
If I'm not allowed to view them, I'm certainly not inclined to post them.

[Ron Selzer]

I have had better luck when cutting pvc schd. 40 by rotating the pipe once I cut thru the sidewall. always wants to pinch if I try to cut all the way through by pushing straight thru
Also might want to clamp the roll to your steel box tubing to try to keep the kerf open.
Ron

[Jerry Bruette]

I'm curious why you didn't have a block of wood in line with the cut. Would it have helped with the "blowout" on the backside of the cut and prevent any pinching on the blade?

[Lee Schierer]

Used two miter gauges, each clamped to the steel straight edge. Then clamped the two ends of the cardboard paper tube to the steel straight edge. Everthing locked up solidly and the cut went smoothly...for a while...

First half of the cut was good, then it slowed down and smoke came out of both ends of the cardboard tube (yikes). The second half of the cut became progressively more bogged down, but did complete without mishap. The rearmost portion of the cut is a bit rough—sort of like blowing out the grain at the back edge of a wood workpiece. This quality of cut will do for my application, but I'd like to avoid the roughness and bogging down next time. If you have a theory or suggestion, let fly.

It's difficult to give a firm answer without the photos, but I suspect your blade was dull and the paper fibers accumulated on the teeth, causing the smoke and ragged cut. Perhaps a higher blade setting so fewer teeth were in the cut at any one time would help.