Handling Big Sheets of MDF and Plywood

[Dick Brown]

Sound to me like I am all alone in this but I cut my sheet goods down on the table saw. I built a 9' long support with ball transfers and adjusable legs to take the most of the weight and with it I can rip or cross cut anywhere I wish on a 4x8 sheet. As I am 71 years old, I also cheated and mounted one of Harbor Frieght's 880 lb. hoists in the cieling to do the heavy lifting out of the pickup or onto the saw. At $74.00, it is the best $ I have ever spent.

[Jerry Olexa]

I go with sawhorses and a circular saw for the rough cut. Then I final cut/trim on the TS with crosscut sled or rip guide. Works for me...

[Kevin Jenness]

This may not apply to many small home shops, but at work we use a cart from Hafele that tilts from vertical to horizontal and has a jack to set the platform at saw height. It will carry 7 sheets of 3/4" material and is a great back saver. I think we paid about $400. It's not in the hardware catalog, but the reps will know if you inquire.

[Frank Pellow]

This may not apply to many small home shops, but at work we use a cart from Hafele that tilts from vertical to horizontal and has a jack to set the platform at saw height. It will carry 7 sheets of 3/4" material and is a great back saver. I think we paid about $400. It's not in the hardware catalog, but the reps will know if you inquire.

Kevin, I see that this is your first post here, so let me the first to welcome you to Saw Mill Creek.

Thanks for the tip about the cart. I think that I will look into it. Can you give us a part number for the cart?

[Frank Pellow]

Just because you ask them to cut it at the store doesn't mean you're a shissy. Most places that sell sheet goods individually will do one or two cuts for free. I bought a sheet at 5'x5' russian birch yesterday and had them rip a 1' section off one side, because dealing with a 4' wide piece is sooo much easier (fits in the back of the truck, easier to pick up).

One problem with getting sheets goods cut at the store, is that you are relying on the accuracy of both their equipment and thier operators. Back in the bad old days before I got a good set-up at home, I used to get material cut at various dealers and the results were seldom what I would have liked.

[Michael Fross]

I just did a shelving project where I had the exact same concerns. I used a straight edge and a circular saw. It came out crappy and I hated it.

My buddy then brought over a Circular Saw Trolley which is essentially an angle iron base and a saw attachment that rides it. It did a wonderful job. I'm going to pick one up next time I need it.

You can read more about it at this link.

The disclaimer is that I don't have this tool (yet) and only have experience with one project. But it seemed to do the job very well.

Michael

BTW, the router trolley did not seem as useful.

[Ben Roman]

Thanks for the Tips Fellas !! I think I am going to go the Circular Saw and Saw Horses Route.

Ben

[Jerry Costa]

Hello All,

I have a question for the old salties out there. When I handle 4x8 sheet goods i get nervious and even delay starting projects because of the initial task of ripping the sheet down to manageable pieces. Not to mention they are heavy and awkward to manuver around. One it is ripped down I am fine. Any suggestions and or ideas about removing this fear or Ideas on how I should handle this, so I can get more projects finished. Or will this feeling pass and this is just my imagination?

Ben

Ben
I understand the problem. When I have a project that requires sheet goods I usually know how I want the panel cut. I have the lumber yard make one cut on there panel saw at the demension that will work for my project. They normally do not charge you for the cut and you have two smaller pieces to take home.
Jerry

[Chris Padilla]

Jerry,

I see this is your first post to SMC so I welcome you!

Next, note the date on the thread you posted to. Just an FYI...nothing wrong with it but something to be kept in mind.

[Jerry Costa]

Hello All,

I have a question for the old salties out there. When I handle 4x8 sheet goods i get nervious and even delay starting projects because of the initial task of ripping the sheet down to manageable pieces. Not to mention they are heavy and awkward to manuver around. One it is ripped down I am fine. Any suggestions and or ideas about removing this fear or Ideas on how I should handle this, so I can get more projects finished. Or will this feeling pass and this is just my imagination?

Ben

Ben
Sorry for the duplication. This is my first intro to the page and I wasn't paying attention.
Jerry

[David DeCristoforo]

Instead of reiterating all of the ways to hack up sheets of MDF, may I offer a slightly different idea? Don't use MDF! Plywood weighs a lot less! Or if you simply must use it, look at all of the money you will save on weight lifting equipment. Of course, this might be offset by what you end up paying out to chiropractors....

[Peter Quinn]

Yup. MDF is heavy. My shop is in a basement, top step is a 14" rise on the old bilco. It takes all i have to drag a full sheet of 3/4" MDF down those steps with any semblance of a factory edge left. Of course gravity is in my favor. I have to have a real good reason to use MDF or melamine to get me to touch the stuff. Thank god my local lumber supplier stocks Tuppan ultra light in 1/2" and 3/4"!

[Bruce Gray]

The days are long gone when I could pick up and carry a sheet of plywood. My strategy now: I have dolly made from from a roller skate with a small board mounted atop. I balance the sheet on the skate and wheel it around. When that doesn't work (a step or something), I use a Gorrilla Gripper ...that's a great tool.

[Christof Grohs]

Hello All,

I have a question for the old salties out there. When I handle 4x8 sheet goods i get nervious and even delay starting projects because of the initial task of ripping the sheet down to manageable pieces. Not to mention they are heavy and awkward to manuver around. One it is ripped down I am fine. Any suggestions and or ideas about removing this fear or Ideas on how I should handle this, so I can get more projects finished. Or will this feeling pass and this is just my imagination?

Ben

I'm not an old salty but here is a suggestion. To make moving sheet goods a bit easier I keep one of my old skateboards around the shop. Moving sheets is a breeze once you get them on the skateboard. I can get a sheet of 1.5" mdf from my vac bag to my saw, through a maze, with one hand. Lean the sheet left and the skateboard takes it left......

[Per Swenson]

We use all of the above, love that gripper. A gcss is precise,

the time and money saved offsets the cost.

Saw horses. I forgot to mention, we do this for a living,
this way is fast easy and profitable.

It also helps to have one of these.
Room, board and education