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

[Tom Burgess]

What type saw blade do you guys suggest? I'm seeking the cleanest cut possible, and will have to choose from several 10" table saw blades on hand. None are exotic, so hopefully something "basic" will work

I use artist paper that comes on a roll, 48" wide by 30 feet long. The hard cardboard tube is about 1-1/2" in diameter, and the overall diameter of a fresh new roll is between 2-1/2 and 3 inches. If I recall correctly, the paper arrives tightly rolled on its tube, and there's a cellophane outer wrapper.

I need to turn that 48" roll into two rolls of 24" length.

If I had a large chopsaw, I'd use that, but I don't, so I'll have to come up with a table saw jig/fixture. Something along the lines of a crosscut sled, but half baked...

I intend to leave the cellophane wrapper in place.
I intend to tightly wrap the cut-point circumference with painter's tape, on the outside of the cellophane.
I intend to crosscut the roll by pushing it into the spinning 10" table saw blade.
Please warn me if you see potential problems.

I have an INCRA 1000SE miter guage, with a cross beam that extends to at least 24". I'll run that in the left table slot, and extend the cross beam to the right so the saw blade is centered relative to the beam. I'll simultaneously run the basic original miter gauge in the right table slot, using it to support/push the other end of the INCRA's extended cross beam.

I'll concoct a sacrificial wooden "straight edge" to be pushed along in front of the INCRA's cross beam. It will keep the paper roll perpendicular to the saw blade, and will be deep enough (front to back) to accept the short sacrificial saw cut necessary to complete the crosscut of the paper roll.

I found THIS OLD YOUTUBE VIDEO, which accomplishes the cut (different kind of paper) using a chop saw; one with a blade that's too small for the job. The video is seven years old. I count all ten fingers in the video. I hope that's still the case.

[andrew whicker]

I would have already slapped it on my crosscut and did it. Or used my bandsaw or used my miter saw.

if you're really nervous, find a way to clamp it w/ tools and just push the crosscut sled.

[Jim Becker]

Not difficult...the sled idea is good to insure a straight cut. The biggest issue/risk with cutting round things is keeping them from moving/rotating.

[Tom Burgess]

Thanks for quick reply, Andrew.
It would take a bandsaw with a monstrous 24" throat.
No crosscut sled and no miter saw here.
Ergo, my thoughts and questions as expressed.

[Jim Becker]

You can make a quick and dirty cross cut sled to use on your table saw. Because of the depth of cut you need, you'll want to make the base as thin as practical....25" MDF or ply...and make the fence(s) and rails for the miter slot(s) out of scrap wood that you have available. It doesn't have to be pretty. But it does need to support the roll so you can safely cut it.

[Tom Burgess]

Amen, Jim! I've cut a lot of PVC pipe on the table saw, and the rotation you warn of can be a bugger.

If I make my "sacrificial straight edge" the full 48" width, I could put clamps into the tube a both ends, and clamp the roll directly to the wooden fixture.

I think the straight edge need only be 30", but the rotation aspect might justify the longer 48" length. The paper costs about $60 per roll. Would be a shame to mess up the cut for lack of clamping the roll securely in place. Yep, thanks to your comment, I think the 48" length is the wise choice.

Any thoughts on what type of blade will provide the cleanest cut?
There's a freshly sharpened combination blade on the saw now.
Maybe that's as good as any...?

[Tom Burgess]

You can make a quick and dirty cross cut sled to use on your table saw. Because of the depth of cut you need, you'll want to make the base as thin as practical....25" MDF or ply...and make the fence(s) and rails for the miter slot(s) out of scrap wood that you have available. It doesn't have to be pretty. But it does need to support the roll so you can safely cut it.

Good, good, good suggestions, Jim. Thanks. Our posts are leapfrogging one another. Your latest reply arrived while I was replying to your initial comment. And thanks for pointing out the need for the thinnest possible sled base material. A 10" blade stands about 3-3/8" above the table surface, so yeah, that thin base will be a factor.

I have ALWAYS(!) needed a cross cut sled, and one day (if material prices ever come back to earth) I'll follow your wise suggestion here. But for now I hope to put together the minimal fixture for this particular job. Cutting paper rolls is something I won't do often—maybe 2 or 3 times a year—but I will do it in the future, so a purpose-built jig makes sense.

[George Yetka]

Will it matter that your pieces will be a hair under 24"?

[Stan Powers]

With the tools you have (and don't have) I would take a fine toothed hand saw, or hacksaw, mark and cut. It would be done before you can figure out the jig.

[Lee Schierer]

I would use a cross cut sled with a v shaped channel to support or back up the cylinder. Then I would clamp the cylinder so that it cannot rotate when it touches the teeth of the blade. Make sure your saw blade is high enough to cut the roll in one cut, making a second cut could be messy. I would use a 60-80 ATB tooth blade.

[Tom Burgess]

Will it matter that your pieces will be a hair under 24"?

Good question, George.

In reference to my current half-used roll of paper, it's actually wider than 48" by about a quarter inch. I'm hoping to that'll be the case for every roll I purchase. If not, and to answer your question: Assuming I can hit the absolute centerline of the paper roll width (yeah, maybe) I could live with losing half a 1/8" saw kerf per side. I'm hoping the blade will cut the same kerf through multiple layers of paper as it does through solid wood (hopefully no wider).

I have a Diablo blade that makes a slightly more narrow kerf. Per you remarks, and having received no suggestions yet regarding choice of blade, I think that red blade with its laser-cut tuning features is what I'll use for cutting paper rolls. I bought an inexpensive blade sharpener recently that seems to do a serviceable job. Will make sure the Diablo is particularly "edgy" for this application. Thank you, George.

[Tom Burgess]

With the tools you have (and don't have) I would take a fine toothed hand saw, or hacksaw, mark and cut. It would be done before you can figure out the jig.

Thanks, Stan, but I'm not the most accurate guy with a hand saw. ANY variance in terms of perpendicularity with the saw blade will result in a mildly wavey paper edge. The alternating angles will correspond to the diameter of the roll, so a 3" diameter roll will exhibit a 3" alternating wavey edge.

A good man knows his limitations.
~ Dirty Harry Callihan

[Tom Burgess]

I would use a cross cut sled with a v shaped channel to support or back up the cylinder. Then I would clamp the cylinder so that it cannot rotate when it touches the teeth of the blade. Make sure your saw blade is high enough to cut the roll in one cut, making a second cut could be messy. I would use a 60-80 ATB tooth blade.

Lee, that outstanding Naval Academy training wasn't wasted on you. Great suggestions, and you answered the circular-saw-blade question, to boot! I've made good use of V-channels under workpieces on drill press, and appreciate your suggestion in this case. As a result of helpful contributions to this thread, I think I should make the jig 48" wide to match the length of the paper roll. That way I can insert bar clamps into the paper roll tube ends (thereby avoiding damage to the paper) and exhert clamping pressure toward the back side of the roll by clamping against the rear of the fixture. That said, I think I can acheive the benefit of your V-channel by simply gluing two strips of wood to the front face of the fixture. IF IF IF I size them correctly and position them correctly relative to the roll, they will exhert pressure on the roll similar to the 'V' you suggest.

It's blasted cold where I am (about what you have in PA) but I just dug out the aforementioned red Diablo blade. It turns out to be a DIABLO 1080X, which appears to match your blade suggestion well. I will use that one. It's thin-kerf and claims to make ultra-smooth cuts for both ripping and crosscut. All those teeth will take a while to sharpen, but I've been meaning to do that for a while, and as is always the case, I'll embark upon it only now that the garage has once again turned into a giant FREEZER.

Go Navy (and that includes USMC)!

[George Yetka]

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.

[Bill Dufour]

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