Thread: Best tool for breaking down slabs?

Hi Danny,

I used a 7 1/4" Skil saw for many years until the magic smoke got out. I then upgraded to a trade quality DeWalt 71/4", which weighs about 3 times as much and haven't had any issues cutting slabs of brushbox and ironbark, but only hobby type volumes of course. I've found basic homemade t-square suitable for squaring rough cuts, mostly I find a roofers square sufficient to guide the saw plate across most widths I use.

Cheers,

Thanks Franklin - yeah, my thinking at the moment is to replace the el cheapo 909 with a good trade quality saw (dewalt/bosch/makita probably). Just wondering if there is some other option I haven't considered!

Cutting 60mm thick in those hard woods is asking a lot of any circular saw. I think I would cut 20mm deep at a time there by taking a lot of load off the saw. Cutting slabs with your power saw is also hard due to the surface not being flat and the base of the saw trying to go up and down following it. The blade wants to jamb as you progress

I guess some people would use a chainsaw for rough cutting wonky slabs. I've wondered about how effective the heavier Sawzall type reciprocating saws would work out.

I have sometimes found it necessary to use small wooden wedges to stop the cut closing up when using the circular saw to rip slabs, but haven't had much issue cross cutting. But then I don't really do a lot of it.

I you have help and the starting piece is not too heavy and awkward a BS will do the job.

I use a big Makita Circular for <50mm thickness.
It does about 5m of cut and then it needs to cool off.

For thicker I use this.
Home made monorail mill with 70cc saw and thin kerf Lopro chain.
This mill is super adjustable for angles and can cut with the back of the bar so the sawdust goes to the ground rather than upwards all over the operator.

You can buy a similar cheap version of this called a Granberg mini-mill for US$130 that runs on a 2 x 6" wooden beam and use it with a smaller saw (e.g. 50 cc) and it will cut through 12" with a sharp chain.
Granberg Mini-Mill #G555b | Granberg Alaskan Sawmill Accessories | Granberg Alaskan Sawmills | www.www.baileysonline.com.com

My setup did this cut in about 20 seconds
start.jpg
strart2.jpg
first-cut.jpg

You could bandsaw and then jointer it. The best tool, hands down, would be a self-feeding rip saw, followed closely by a sliding table saw or panel saw (depending on where you're from). Those are both industrial scale machines though. I think having a jointer to straighten and clean up whatever edge the saw you use leaves is the most important part of it.

That mini-mill is an interesting idea! Might be handy for small logs in general, I am utterly terrible at cutting freehand with a chainsaw.

Unfortunately I normally work by myself, so even a medium size slab is too unwieldy for safety on the bandsaw. The bandsaw or table saw, depending on what I'm doing, is normally the second stop after cutting things into more manageable pieces with the circular.

After thinking about it, I think I need a reasonably beefy circular saw around for other jobs anyway (as well as my dinky ryobi cordless), so I guess I'm going shopping before the easter long weekend!

There's always Wood 'n You. They have an Altendorf panel saw with a 3m throw. You can use that to rip one edge off of the slabs and then rip the other off with your table saw at home. You'd likely spend more time getting the safety shpeal and paying for your time than you would actually doing the work. It'd be worth looking into as opposed to buying more tools.

Sadly I think I would never motivate myself to pack up some slabs and head out there!

Originally Posted by rtyuiop

Any suggestions for the best tool for breaking down small-ish slabs into square-ish pieces for dressing and more accurate cutting?

I have been using a cheap and nasty 909 circular saw, but a few metres of ~60mm thick ironback and bloodwood proved too much for it yesterday, and I think I might have let the magic smoke out.

Is a circular (or track) saw the only reasonable option? If so, any suggestions for a good one that doesn't cost the earth? Is a thin kerf blade a good idea to reduce the load?

Hi Danny

In my opinion, a track saw is a good option, but I'm not sure if any of them can cut through 60 mm -- the one I'm familiar with tops out at about 50mm.

What I do suggest is that you get a dedicated ripping blade for whatever saw you do get.

It is important when using a circular saw - any circular saw - that the depth of cut is within the abilities of that saw. I venture that you could cut any wood as long as you cut within the abilities of the saw (even a low powered one). A series of shallow successful cuts are better than a single, deep and terminal cut!

Regards from Perth

Derek

I use a Makita 240v chainsaw with a home made mini mill running along a 7" x 1" straight timber. Works well and is quiet.

Originally Posted by ian

In my opinion, a track saw is a good option, but I'm not sure if any of them can cut through 60 mm -- the one I'm familiar with tops out at about 50mm.

Ive used a Festool plunge/track saw to break up some 50 mm thick jarrah slabs and it did it quite easily and very accurately. I think the max cut on those is 55 mm.

What I do suggest is that you get a dedicated ripping blade for whatever saw you do get.

Yep very important.

Originally Posted by ian

Hi Danny

In my opinion, a track saw is a good option, but I'm not sure if any of them can cut through 60 mm -- the one I'm familiar with tops out at about 50mm.

What I do suggest is that you get a dedicated ripping blade for whatever saw you do get.

There is a really nice looking festool track saw that cuts pretty deep, and I will buy one shortly after winning the lottery!

Yeah, I think what I'm going to do is get a middling trade saw and put a thin kerf rip blade. Then take it easy on hard timber like that damn ironbark!