So I saw a thread with the same topic title and read through the answers, but I figured I would ask again since a.) I want your humble opinions regarding which would be best for my specific needs and b.) that topic was posted in 2005, so I’m sure it’s not such a bother to ask again.
Basically, I’ve been using a circular saw with a guide to cut 4’ x 8’ ply boards into 12" x 12" pieces of wood, with which I use to construct cubes. I know it’s probably not something most anybody has the intention of doing, but the reason I’m creating perfect cubes is for a photography set. I made one so far with this new circular saw and guide, but after clamping the board to sawhorses, drawing a second guide line on which to place the guide, clamping down the guide to the board, making sure the board is balanced won’t buckle in and pinch my circular saw blade, making the cut, then unclamping the guide and unclamping the now two pieces of wood to start over, and over, and over… I’m starting to think a table saw would be much more efficient.
Would a table saw be okay for cutting numerous 4’ x 8’ boards down to 12" squared pieces? Or should I stick with the circular?
If you’ve got the room for it, a good table saw is a vastly better tool for ripping down sheet goods. Easier setup, more consistent cuts, safer, faster, and repeatable.
Table saws are generally small, light duty or for rough construction cutting. You can do relatively delicate precision cutting of smaller pieces on them, or rip 2x4s, but not much else.
A real cabinet saw will do precision work up to whatever limits of table support you can arrange, but they are VERY expensive - $2k and up.
What you might want is what’s called a hybrid - a ‘table saw’ with a large iron table and sturdy rolling base, but not nearly as massive as a Delta woodworker’s saw. Home Depot has Ridgid models in a very moderate range, especially if you can lay hands on a coupon. (I sold my light-duty table saw in CA, then drove up to NH with a “you’ve just moved!” 15% coupon and got a Ridgid hybrid for $420.)
I personally would probably use a table saw to rip 12" sections off of the 4x8 and then use a chop saw to cut the strips into 12"x12" cube sides, but then I already own both the table saw and the chop saw. Set up the fence on the table saw once and it will consistently give you 12" strips and set up a block stopper on the chop saw and you don’t have to measure each cut there either, just set the strip up against the stop and cut, and repeat until the entire strip is chopped into cube sides. Once it is set up you could make a lot of cube sides fairly quickly since there wouldn’t be any measuring at all involved while you are cutting.
If I was forced to choose between a table saw and a circular saw for this job, I’d choose the table saw.
Whatever table saw you end up with, the key for this application is to buy or build an outfeed table, and buy or build a rip fence extension. The outfeed table supports the far end of the wood while you’re feeding it into the saw, and the long rip fence assures you don’t ever feed your plywood sheet in crooked, giving you a good straight cut for the entire rip.
If you’re budget-conscious, then just get a rip fence extension (you can build a pretty good one by constructing a plywood tube), and use a work partner to hold up the outfeed while you feed the plywood into the saw.
Although you’re not supposed to use the rip fence as a length stop for crosscuts (the cut-off piece can get cocked between the blade and the rip fence and kick back), you can do so if you clamp a block of wood to the fence, and then use that block as a length stop. The front edge of the block of wood should be positioned a little ways back from the leading edge of the blade; when the cut-off piece of wood is freed from your stock, it’s got all kinds of room to prevent it from getting cocked between the blade and the rip fence.
This way you can do the rips and the crosscuts with a single tool.
You can also do all your rips first, and then use a crosscut sled to do all the crosscuts. There are vids of how to make your own sled, or you can purchase one from a company like Incra.
How close to 12" X 12" are you doing?
What about the loss of the cut width?
How are you doing it so that there is not a narrow direction across the cube?
If you have allowed for these things and are happy with the outcome, how many do you want to make how quick?
How many total this week, month, year, infinity?
What is your time worth? Need to be faster because ??
Just because you can afford it does not mean you should spend it. IMO
How much room you got? Big table saw with some arranging will make stuff the same time after time.
Then is will sit for how long in a set up condition?
More involved to set it up so that you get perfect repetition if you are constantly taking it apart because you need the room for other things.
By the time you get this much good advice as above in the thread it is time to do what you were going to do anyway.
Tell us how it works out and what you did and how you did it. Please.
Trying to use a table saw alone to cut up plywood is a very risky venture. You’re much better off using the system you have now from a safety standpoint.
If you want to use a table saw I would strongly recommend setting up an exit table to carry the plywood as it’s coming off the saw. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just large enough that pieces going onto it won’t fall off.
No, a table saw is not a good choice for a beginner cutting down sheets of plywood. It will be too unwieldy to manage unless you have additional tables built off to the side and back. The standard bed of a table saw is much smaller than a sheet of plywood and you’ll struggle to hold the wood steady. I have a table saw and I usually use a circular saw to cut down the plywood first to a manageable size.
An experienced woodworker can cut full sheets of plywood on a table saw, but it’s not something a beginner should try.
I am a very experienced woodworker (the entire 3 car garage is my shop - bit of contention there with Ms Hook) and am reluctant to cut full sheets of plywood. Generally wherever you buy plywood (Lowe’s and Home Depot are real good about this) they will make some cuts for you at no charge. Going home with two 4x4 or 2x8 sheets makes life some easier. Roughly speaking a half size piece of plywood is four times easier to work with.
Also most lumber yards sell pre cut plywood though this is generally a bit more expensive and you should only do it if you only need a small piece.
They typically give you one cut for free, and you pay a dollar or so for each additional cut. I imagine that at a slow time they would happily cut your squares all to size.
Imagine paying a buck a cut for ten or twenty precise cuts that give you the perfect size wood for your cubes…no need to endanger yourself trying to cut sheet materials on a rickety setup, and no need to spend the $$$ on tools.
> An experienced woodworker can cut full sheets of plywood on a table saw, but it’s not something a beginner should try.
This is where the wife comes in! I bring her in to be the out-feed table, after my single roller stand.
I’m not sure what you are using for a circular saw, but I bet it’s a direct drive. I’ll never use a direct drive circular saw again. Worm drive is the way to go. They are heavy, but have lots of torque and rip plywood very well. Ya gotta watch your ass though, just like any power tool.
GaryM - Very good point. Some 12"x1/2" or 1" should work well. Might be a bit expensive, and in some places hard to find good lumber.
You can, each corner overlaps. They wouldn’t be 12x12 though.
I have all the woodworking tools for a normal home shop. I still have Home Depot rip strips of plywood for me. it’s so much faster than doing it myself. With a panel saw they can turn the sheets into 12" strips in a few minutes, then you can cut those into squares with your skill saw.
Yes, panel saws are the way to go if you use a lot of sheet goods. My gun club ran into a good deal on the required hardware and we built the rest. Also handy for stacking dimensional lumber for cross cuts.
