Anyone know of a safe reliable method for crosscutting long 12/4 boards to final length on a 10" table saw?
I am working on a rugged table top made of 12/4 x 9" x 6' boards. They are quite heavy--about 50 lbs.--and awkward. I find I can carefully rip the stock to width, but haven't found an effective method for crosscutting them to length.
My guess is the best solutions are either a Raidal Arm Saw or a Sliding Compound Miter Saw. Assuming I am not ready to drop that kind of money right now, what other options do I have?
- Crosscut sled won't work because, with its 1/2" thick base, the blade comes up about 1/2" shy of clearing the board. There is always flipping the board, but I find it very difficult achieve a clean end using this method.
- The miter guage didn't work either, because, given the board's weight and length, the resulting leverage kept the cut from being square.
- Circular saw and jigsaw don't have the necessary cutting depth.
I considered building a crosscut sled with a very thin base (e.g., formica), but then thought about flipping the sled as follows. Front and back fences with the span connected on the top, rather than the bottom. The miter slot guide rails would be tied to the front and back fences and the stock would ride directly on the table against the back fence.
Have you seen this done? Thoughts? Any other suggestions.
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