HI,
Tablesaw Crosscut Setup
I need some advice on how-to setup my tablesaw in order to crosscut pieces to the same length. I want to make sure all the shelves (4) for the bookcase I’m building are the exact length. I could do this using a straightedge and jigsaw but I’d rather use my table saw. Have to make certain those shelves fit nicely into the dadoes on the side of the bookshelf.
Wendy
Replies
Wendy,
It'll be easier to provide recommendations suited to your circumstances if you can provide a little additional information.
What size is the stock you'll be cutting, and how long will the finished shelves be?
How is your table saw set up? What size are the tables? Do you already have a crosscut sled? What kind of blade are you using?
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
My 2 cents:
1) Build yourself a crosscut sled. It costs less than a store-bought zero clearance insert, and gives the same results (no tearout on the bottom or back edge of the board). Make sure it cuts square! This will be one of the best investments of your time...because, hey, square is square!
2) Suqre off one end of your first shelf and then measure the length 47 times and make a cut just outside the mark(s). Turn off the saw. Measure to see how close you are to the desired length, and then nibble away until you've got the length you want. This seems a little silly as I write it, but somehow there's a tendency to believe that even when you're cutting to the line, you're not cutting to the line, if you know what I mean.
3) When board #1 is the right length, use it as a template to mark the other three. Do not use a pencil (the mark is too fat)...use a utility knife to mark the length. Then make your cuts to the mark. Do not close your eyes as you begin to make the cut...make sure your sharp, clean blade is cutting to the mark. Most refer to this as "spltting the line", and if the line is tin enough, your shelf lengths will be close enough! After you make each cut, test the length against the first board (always use the first board as your reference, otherwise you get "drift" from the original measurement) and trim as needed. If your saw is set up properly, and the blade sharp, you should be able to remove extremely small amounts of material per cut.
Use your fingers to test the length against the first shelf. They will tell you if you're off by as little as 0.001 of an inch. This is close enough, given the fact that the thickness of the vertical boards you're attaching the shelves to will probably vary more than that over their length.
Cutting four boards to length does not justify a lot of hoohah (read: stop blocks) to achieve good results. Spend the time making a good cross-cut sled and make sure it cuts square.
It's like coloring inside the lines...first time seems impossible, but it comes with patience (lots of patience!) and time. Mostly patience.
Good luck!
PS If one board gets cut short:
a) install a board streacher on your table saw and pull the board out to the desired length, or b) make te short board your new reference board and trim the others to the shorter length (be careful with this strategy...I think I once made a 6" wide bookcase when the plan was for 36"...or c) follow the advice offered on this site by someone else!
TO: Lofton
Do you have any plans or pics of that board stretcher you mention in your P.S.?
I'd spend some serious $$ to get one of those.
..You may want to check the current issue of Wood magazine, they have a pictorial rendition of just such stretcher!!! HE HE
"Do you have any plans or pics of that board stretcher you mention in your P.S.? "
I think they're in one of my catalogs - from the same outfit that carries the metric crescent wrenches, and the left-handed hammers.
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
You can make your own board stretcher with a little patience, or follow the manual method:
1. Rip the excessively diminished board in half.
substep 1.a.: Redraw plans to accommodate narrowed design.
substep 1.b.: Build fire in fireplace to destroy evidence
2. Square up one end of each board.
3. Rout a finger joint at each squared end.
4. Glue ends of boards together.
I certainly welcome others' thoughts on the matter...
board cut a little too short.
Rip board in half diagonally — you have two tall right triangles. Slide the pieces past each other till the board is the right length, mark an alignment line. Glue the two triangular boards together making sure they align on the alignment mark. Your board is now a little bit narrower but the right length.
Great idea! I hope I never need to use it...
Wendy,
I know!
Iknow!
Pick me!
ooo ooh!
It helps if you think of welcome back Kotter.. ;-)
First you buy yourself a compound mitre saw, Then you stack up all four boards and set the saw to cut at 90 degrees. cutall four at once..
Turn the whole pile around, carefully realign and trim off the other ends!
Sleds are a dumb way to use a table saw as a cross cut device! If the boards are long enough you'll have to worry if the drag of the boards has changed the sawn wood in relationship to the blades..
Face it! The only thing a table saw does without any adaptors is to rip wood! While some people have been very clever building jigs and adaptors, it makes just as much sense to use the table saw for all the things that some people do as to use a vacumm cleaner to give yourself a haircut.
Yoo-hoo, over here.........! I disagree.
A table saw will crosscut very well with the addition of a simple sled or maybe one of those new miter things that I don't own. A sled not only prevents tearout but it securely supports and controls the cut. True, long boards can be problematic, but still, can be managed. A sled isn't a difficult thing to make and probably can be looked on as a good practice project for any skill level. Think of it as no more of an accessory than the fence, without which a table saw becomes useless for ripping.
OK you say a sled will work, Let's see I need these boards cut at 10 feet 9 3/4 inches. show me how you do that?
On the compound mitre saw I slap them on the stand and measure, zip the jobs done!
Ok a radial armsaw will do the same thing, but!!!! try to bring that radial arm saw out to the field!
Yea, I said that cutting long stock is problematic. But it can be done, use a roller stand or even a side table covered with plastic laminate or whatever.
Now you explain to me how you crosscut a 2' by 8' sheet of plywood on your compound miter saw.
The difficulty with cross cutting a long board is the leverage it's length causes. too easy for one end to drag a little throwing the cut off
On plywood, I clamp a straight edge (actually a 2x2 piece of angle iron) across it and use my Skil saw. Straight as an arrow!
I've got a 12 inch Grizzley table saw but it's the least used tool in my shop. Too easy to rip a piece of wood on a snapped caulk line and then run it over the jointer to straighten it out..
The trouble with table saws is they are relatively big pieces of equipment that really are set up to work on small pieces of wood..
Evan in a ripping mode they really only work well on short pieces of wood.. What I do because I use mine to build my house is I have a 20 foot long piece of angle aluminum that is temporary screwed into the fence.
that allows me to saw 10 foot long boards and still get a straight edge. without that fence extension I'd be basically free handing it!
Wendy,
You can do this with the jig saw, especially if your comfortable with that power tool.
Just cut on the outside of the line, then you can plane to the line with a low angle plane. This is the way I learned when I started out in High School wood shop class. The method will work - take your time and when using the plane - cut in from the outside edge from either side or chipping will occur,
Regards,
SA
Edited 5/15/2004 12:53 pm ET by SA
Wendy1,
Not to disagree with what others have said, but when possible, I use the Incra Miter guage to crosscut boards up to about 10" on the TS....and use the crosscut sled for larger pieces. I'm not suggesting you run out and get the Incra or any other model miter guage for this project, but it does make a big difference in the accuracy of cuts and the pressure on you to achieve repetitive same length cuts.
Hi Sarge, BJ, Lofton,
I LOVE my table saw. It's a fantastic tool for ripping small boards and even large sheets of plywood. I know I could just as easily use a skill saw and edge guide to cut through a sheet of plywood. It's the most used tool in my workshop. It's amazing what you can do with only a T/S, router, jigsaw, sander and corded drill. A sliding cross cut sled works well for cutting wide boards on a T/S. The Biggest disadvantage I can see is the room a T/S takes up. I went ahead and built myself one of those sleds but I haven't gotten around to building an outfeed table yet. That's my next project after I finish my bookcase. I could use one of those after market fences and a good incra miter gauge. Then I'd be all set.
Cross cut sleds are inexpensive and not difficult to build. Much better than going out and buying a $499.00 sliding mitre saw.
How does one get an accurate cut by cutting 4 boards on a mitre saw and then turning them around to finish the cut.... there's no way they'd be properly aligned. Isn't that dangerous???????
Wendy
Wendy1,
I have a $99 compound miter saw ...no sliding capability. Cutting four wide boards to an accurate length on it by cutting and flipping would not be a problem. The key is to use a set up with a 'stop' that feeds the boards to the blade. On a temporary basis, take some lumber and puild a platform the same height as the base of the miter saw. Clamp a stop (piece of wood) to the platform the distance from the blade you reqire. Slide a board in against the stop, pull down blade and cut, flip board and cut again...next board. I made a cabinet with flip up supports which allows me to do this easily ...I use it for the miter saw and the planer. good luck
hello BG,
So you're saying it's perfectly safe to cut a 10 inch wide board using a 10 inch mitre saw( maximum cutting width 6 inches.) I'll be 3 1/4 inches short... So it's ok to pull the saw blade all the way down till it can't go any further.. then all I have to do is flip the board over and repeat. Sounds like it's worth a try. I take it that will give me a pretty square cut. Then All I have to do is touch it up using the router and trim bit. I'll have to set up a stop block like you said. I'll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for the tips.
Wendy
Wendy,
I have a compound mitre saw and it cuts dead accurite corners, if you want 90 degree corners you set it for 90 degrees and they are perfect..
It also cuts across a 12 inch board and if I need to I can squeeze a 13 inch board in and still cut it fully (ask me how if you're interested)
The reason I'd flip the boards over is to square up the other end. Factory cuts are often off a bit.. If I really wanted to be dead nuts accurite I'd clamp the boards before flipping them to cut the other end..
Hi,
Think I better start checking my messages more often. Please tell me how you can cut a 12" board in one downward cut. I usually trim off the end of my boards and then measure from the freshly cut end. What kind of a miter saw do you own? I have yet to find one that can cut a 12" board in one cut.
Wendy
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