Panel cutting

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  • MilDoc

    Panel cutting

    I've been looking at products for cutting 4x8 panels, such as the EZ Smart Guide and others that cost less. Any suggestions?
  • Bruce Cohen
    Veteran Member
    • May 2003
    • 2698
    • Nanuet, NY, USA.
    • BT3100

    #2
    Paul.

    Home Depot carries a two piece cutting edge that when put together is aboyt 100+ inches. It is clamped to the panel you're cutting and works like a charm. If I remember correctly, the price is about $20.00 or so. You'll find it in the tool corrall.

    Bruce
    "Western civilization didn't make all men equal,
    Samuel Colt did"

    Comment

    • autiger1
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2003
      • 549
      • Tampa, Florida, USA.

      #3
      Buy a metal stud...use it as an ede guide.

      Tom

      Comment

      • jbalders
        Established Member
        • Oct 2003
        • 298
        • Vienna, VA, USA.
        • BT3100 + Shopsmith

        #4
        If you have the money, here's an alternative to the EZ Smart Guide:

        All-in-one 99.5" Guide:

        Matching Saw Plate:

        And while you're at it, the matching router plate:


        The plates lock into a channel at the top of the clamp. The clamp will easily clamp onto square stock, or you can use quick or F clamps for odd angles. It's VERY light, considering its size. You mount your saw/router to the respective plates. It looks like it would be pretty easy to fashion new base plates to attach to the plate guide block, so that you could use multiple saws or routers with. Heck, if you're good enough, you could probably make more guide blocks too. The whole system is interchangable. This system also has a few other uses with some other attachments and/or clamps:
        • Dado, using the router plate
        • Stopped Dados with the router plate and stop block
        • Bandsaw fence, with a 20" clamp and the fence kit
        • Step-n-repeat cutting with the story stick
        • Probably some other things I'm not thinking of

        MLCS also sells something similar, called a "Boomer Red", but apparently the channels that the plates lock into are different. They don't sell a 99.5" clamp from what I could see. The prices at MLCS are similar.

        I have the guide Bruce mentions. I had it together once and the second time I tried to put it together, I managed to bend the joining plate (thin steel). It's a good thing the bent piece co-incided with the arrival of the All-in-one clamp. It's made by Empire. It's pretty good for the price, as it's only $15-$16 or thereabouts. You could probably rig up a saw guide plate to ride over one of the ribs with a little phenolic and polycarbonate. Unfortunately you could only use the guide plate when the two pieces are separated.

        HTH,

        Jeff
        Jeff

        BOFH excuse #360: Your parity check is overdrawn and you're out of cache.

        Comment

        • Pappy
          The Full Monte
          • Dec 2002
          • 10453
          • San Marcos, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 (x2)

          #5
          Do a search for sawboards. There have been several discussions on them. Easy to make and use.
          Don, aka Pappy,

          Wise men talk because they have something to say,
          Fools because they have to say something.
          Plato

          Comment

          • bmyers
            Veteran Member
            • Jun 2003
            • 1371
            • Fishkill, NY
            • bt 3100

            #6
            I have both the $20 and $45 dollar versions (one of those wonder clamps). The $20 straight edge does a fine job. The wonder clamp is handy though. I use it for much more than hacking up 32 sq ft of sheet.

            Bill
            "Why are there Braille codes on drive-up ATM machines?"

            Comment

            • mater
              Veteran Member
              • Jan 2004
              • 4197
              • SC, USA.

              #7
              I bought an aluminum straight edge at Lowes for $10.00 that I use. Just clamp it on and saw.
              Ken aka "mater"

              " People may doubt what you say but they will never doubt what you do "

              Ken's Den

              Comment

              • Steveanson
                Forum Newbie
                • Oct 2004
                • 36
                • Houston, Tx, USA.

                #8
                A couple of years ago, I needed several small cuts of 1/4" MDF. I had to order a complete sheet, and decided to make a 'full sheet' edge guide before making the smaller cuts.

                I cut a full length 6" strip following a chalk line. Then set this strip on the remaining sheet of mdf, about five inches from the cut edge. I squared and glued the strip in place, making sure the factory edge of the strip was on the outside. After the glue is set, just run the circular saw with a fine cut blade along stacked piece of mdf, creating a straight edge guide already spaced for your saw.

                Whenever you make cuts with this type of a guide, it's easy to align, as the cut spacing is already set for your saw. A additional plus is that you still have a bunch of MDF for other jigs/projects.
                Matt
                Old Tele\'s and Tube Amps

                Comment

                • Tom Miller
                  Veteran Member
                  • Mar 2003
                  • 2507
                  • Twin Cities, MN
                  • BT3000 - Cuttin' it old school

                  #9
                  I use melamine shelf boards with finished (melamine) edges. I suggest the thinner (5/8") ones since they're lighter. Collect the whole set! (4', 6', and 8')

                  Regards,
                  Tom

                  Comment

                  • Les
                    Forum Newbie
                    • Jul 2003
                    • 48
                    • Portland, OR area
                    • BT3000

                    #10
                    I particularly appreciate this thread because I spent an evening making a saw guide out of plywood. But the first time I used it with my new PC MAG saw, I somehow managed to cut up the guide itself. I did glue and screw the fence part of the guide, so I am still not sure how/why this happened.

                    So yesterday I picked up a Johnson Tru-Line 98" cutting guide for $19 at Lowes. It contains two 49" cutting guides along with a connecting plate and two small C-clamps. Is that the same thing you got Bruce? Does anyone have experience with the Johnson product?

                    Thanks,
                    Les

                    Comment

                    • MilDoc

                      #11
                      Appreciate all the responses. Plan to look at HD & Lowes tomorrow.

                      Comment

                      • don_hart
                        Veteran Member
                        • May 2003
                        • 1005
                        • Ledayrd, CT, USA.

                        #12
                        I am a big supporter of the sawboard http://members.aol.com/woodmiser1/sawbd.htm They are easy to make and in most cases easier to use than any of the store bought guides as you can just mark your cutline line up the sawboard and go. You do not have to offset the sawboard from the cut to allow for the distance between the sawblade and the guide. Best of all they are cheap.

                        Don Hart

                        You live and learn. At any rate you live.

                        www.hartwoodcrafts.com



                        Comment

                        • John Hunter
                          Veteran Member
                          • Dec 2004
                          • 2034
                          • Lake Station, IN, USA.
                          • BT3000 & BT3100

                          #13
                          Les,

                          I was looking at the Johnson product at Lowes today. I almost bought it and would love to hear some feedback on it myself.
                          John Hunter

                          Comment

                          • DrChas
                            Established Member
                            • Aug 2003
                            • 187
                            • Burlington, Vt, USA.

                            #14
                            Go with the saw board. Make two, one 8 feet, one 4 feet. They are quick, simple, cheap and accurate. The one change I would make from the writeup listed by Don Hart is that I would put the wood guide strip an inch or two in from the edge so that you have a good clamping space that won't interfere with the saw. Somebody on this board used one side for their saw and the other for their router! Gives clamping space and two guides for the price of one.

                            Comment

                            • shuttermutt
                              Forum Newbie
                              • Jun 2003
                              • 73
                              • St. Louis Park, MN, USA.

                              #15
                              quote:Originally posted by DrChas

                              Go with the saw board. <snip> Somebody on this board used one side for their saw and the other for their router! Gives clamping space and two guides for the price of one.
                              I'll third (or fourth or whatever) the sawboard vote. The way mine are built, one side is for my full-sized corded CS and the other side is for my little 18v DeWalt cordless saw. Like others have mentioned, I think the primary advantage is that all you've got to do is line the bottom edge of the guide up dead-on with your cut line and make the cut. No offsets, no goofing around and no trouble.

                              There's another advantage that isn't talked about too much, but is worth mentioning. When you use a properly constructed sawboard and clamp it to your stock, you're bracing the stock at the ends to help prevent flexing. This, in turn, helps to eliminate binding and kickback. It also goes a long way towards helping to make sure you've got a nice, square edge.

                              Every now and again (if I can afford to lose the stock), the first thing I'll do when I pick up a new sheet of MDF is slice a few inches off the factory edge and build a new guide blank. This way I've got one ready to go when I buy a new blade or need one for the router. Just can't beat 'em on price or ease of use!
                              Greg
                              Old trucks and good tools are all a man really needs.

                              Comment

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