user22161
Established Member
Just seen this Matt Cremona video, breaking down rough sawn wouldn't like to see that large circular saw go walkabout but the smaller Triton one seems to cope well. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rLC5pBE1r4
Advise on breaking down rough sawn timber
- Thread starter Bsco85
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screwpainting
Established Member
Wouldn't saw blade choice be another useful consideration, whats the best ripping blade for stuff this thick?
johnnyb
Established Member
I reckon the reason bigger blade ripsaws rule is because having few teeth on a small saw results in quick blunting.
LancsRick
Established Member
Your options probably boil down to the list below - I realise you've said some of them aren't ideal for you, but in some instances you might want to save further to increase budget if that's the restricting factor.
1) Bandsaw with a fence. Extremely easy to use, will handle 3" happily, and can be used for lots of other woodworking tasks. Minimal workshop footprint, and if you put it on a trolley with some collapsing infeed/outfeed tables then it can handle long boards happily.
2) Table saw or contractor saw. Assuming your footprint space is limited, either of these can be set up with collapsing infeed/outfeed tables to achieve what you want. If you're doing 3" of hardwood then steer clear of underpowered contractor saws, stick to something with a degree of grunt. Be aware that contractor saws in particular can have poor fences (whilst some are excellent).
3) Get a handfeld circular saw. Extremely versatile for ripping large items as you can bring the saw to the board. 3" is a fair old thickness and whilst I'm sure it's possible I'm not sure I'd want to do it on a regular basis. Riving knife would be essential as mentioned above. Assuming you run against a guide then you could always take two passes.
4) Use a RAS. If you don't have a compound mitre saw already then this might be an excellent use of workshop space. Old english is the one to aim for but they command a reasonable price second hand. Consider some of the 80s Dewalt gear (green/black/orange colour scheme) but it may need some replacement parts if it is worn. Ripping is perfectly safe if you use the riving knife and kickback pawls, otherwise it can be quite dangerous. Again, 3" of hardwood is a fair depth so I'd suggest a 12" model (less so for the depth of cut and more for the ease of cutting).
5) A quality track saw will work well, however they cost a fair amount of money and you can make your own with a guide rail and circular saw. I would suggest it's not the best tool for this job.
Hope that gives you some food for thought.
1) Bandsaw with a fence. Extremely easy to use, will handle 3" happily, and can be used for lots of other woodworking tasks. Minimal workshop footprint, and if you put it on a trolley with some collapsing infeed/outfeed tables then it can handle long boards happily.
2) Table saw or contractor saw. Assuming your footprint space is limited, either of these can be set up with collapsing infeed/outfeed tables to achieve what you want. If you're doing 3" of hardwood then steer clear of underpowered contractor saws, stick to something with a degree of grunt. Be aware that contractor saws in particular can have poor fences (whilst some are excellent).
3) Get a handfeld circular saw. Extremely versatile for ripping large items as you can bring the saw to the board. 3" is a fair old thickness and whilst I'm sure it's possible I'm not sure I'd want to do it on a regular basis. Riving knife would be essential as mentioned above. Assuming you run against a guide then you could always take two passes.
4) Use a RAS. If you don't have a compound mitre saw already then this might be an excellent use of workshop space. Old english is the one to aim for but they command a reasonable price second hand. Consider some of the 80s Dewalt gear (green/black/orange colour scheme) but it may need some replacement parts if it is worn. Ripping is perfectly safe if you use the riving knife and kickback pawls, otherwise it can be quite dangerous. Again, 3" of hardwood is a fair depth so I'd suggest a 12" model (less so for the depth of cut and more for the ease of cutting).
5) A quality track saw will work well, however they cost a fair amount of money and you can make your own with a guide rail and circular saw. I would suggest it's not the best tool for this job.
Hope that gives you some food for thought.
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