how best to set up for cutting sheet timber ?

[Steve Maskery]

The best solution I know of is a track (or saw-board equivalent, as discussed above - both work well, the tracks are more stable, but the home-made equivalent delivers results which are just as good, you just need to take a bit more care), The Tiddles' knock-down cutting table, all made from a single sheet, it is excellent, and my track setting gauge from Workshop Essentials 1. With the right blade in the saw you will get professional results time and again, all exactly right, as accurate as, if a little slower than, using an Altendorf.

Here is a picture from my build thread, it is just perfect for home use.

I have another , similar jig for use when the piece I want is narrower than the track itself.

If you made your own track, the whole kit, apart from the saw itself, would set you back less than £30, I reckon.

S

 

[johnny]

I've ripped over 20x boards so far into smaller panels so far so i think the mess would be phenomenal ! :shock:

You want to see the mess my cat can make with a piece of polystyrene in a few minutes lol. :lol: :lol:

I think I'd need to set my blade a bit deeper than a few mm or it would rip the bottom of the board surely ?

All you need really is one full tooth to protrude through the board you are cutting.

I have probably got my blade set far too low then What cutting depths should I aim for with Ply Chipboard and MDF ?

 

[johnny]

The best solution I know of is a track (or saw-board equivalent, as discussed above - both work well, the tracks are more stable, but the home-made equivalent delivers results which are just as good, you just need to take a bit more care), The Tiddles' knock-down cutting table, all made from a single sheet, it is excellent, and my track setting gauge from Workshop Essentials 1. With the right blade in the saw you will get professional results time and again, all exactly right, as accurate as, if a little slower than, using an Altendorf.

Here is a picture from my build thread, it is just perfect for home use.

I have another , similar jig for use when the piece I want is narrower than the track itself.

If you made your own track, the whole kit, apart from the saw itself, would set you back less than £30, I reckon.

S

thanks Steve thats a really excellent idea... I like it.
The picture explains the method clearly. I like the use of the sliding depth guage too :wink: I guess you could fix a 1000mm steel rule to it !

How exactly is the slide constructed ? is it just a channel made out of three pieces of wood ?

 

[johnny]

following on from your tracj suggestion Steve
How about this from EurekaZone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJOUw-tZEDQ&list=UUw8aewAvwsEVVXvAISbvdGQ

 

[petermillard]

I've ripped over 20x boards so far into smaller panels so far so i think the mess would be phenomenal ! :shock:

You want to see the mess my cat can make with a piece of polystyrene in a few minutes lol. :lol: :lol:

I think I'd need to set my blade a bit deeper than a few mm or it would rip the bottom of the board surely ?

One of the (many) benefits of having a 'proper' track saw is designed-in dust collection; also something like Kingspan/Celotex/Recticel is a better, though more expensive option to polystyrene.

Re. blade depth; someone older and wiser than me told me that you shouldn't be exposing a full tooth of the blade i.e. the tooth shouldn't come out of the workpiece and back in again - makes sense when you think about it. Anyway, I changed my depth of cut to just a couple of mm more then the workpiece and have had noticeably better results for it since then.

HTH Pete

 

[carlb40]

I've ripped over 20x boards so far into smaller panels so far so i think the mess would be phenomenal ! :shock:

You want to see the mess my cat can make with a piece of polystyrene in a few minutes lol. :lol: :lol:

I think I'd need to set my blade a bit deeper than a few mm or it would rip the bottom of the board surely ?

All you need really is one full tooth to protrude through the board you are cutting.

I have probably got my blade set far too low then What cutting depths should I aim for with Ply Chipboard and MDF ?

It depends on the board thickness being cut. As said i have a Festool TS55 and if i'm cutting 18mm board or there abouts i set the saw to 20mm.

 

[johnny]

thanks for the blade depth advice.
I confess I didn't read the instruction booklet and its set about 50mm at present for 22mm Chipboard :roll:

 

[carlb40]

thanks for the blade depth advice.
I confess I didn't read the instruction booklet and its set about 50mm at present for 22mm Chipboard :roll:

Doesn't really matter, i often cut boards at full blade depth if nothing below. I normally only set the depth properly on the festool or when the underneath is fully supported.

 

[johnny]

thanks for the reassurance. I must admit it seemed to cut perfectly even though it has a cheap blade fitted .
Hopefully I'm nearly finished , another 3x sheets of mdf lining left to rip and a couple of chipboard sheets .
I hate using the saws. I don't much like using the Compound mitre saw but I'd never have built the shed without them.

 

[Andy RV]

I've spent this afternoon cutting various boards out of two sheets of ply. It was a pleasure with my festool ts55! :lol:

 

[Benchwayze]

A track-saw doesn't have to be a Festool.
There are plenty of less expensive alternatives which are quite accurate enough for breaking down sheets.

If you really can't afford a track saw, use your circular saw to make its own track, with two pieces of MDF. Such guides last a surprisingly long time.

If you are young/ish and fit, lay the sheet down on some 2x2, and kneel on the sheet to use the saw. That's how I did it 40 years ago; using a tenon saw!

And yes I am serious. The circular saw is easier to control IMHO, as you can get over the top of it. Also the sheet won't be sliding all over the place, atop a rickety pair of saw-horses or workmates.

Cheers
John