Thread: Table Saw Cross Cutting

For not much more money, you could have purchased a cheapy track saw set and used it. They generally come with a 1300L track and can be set to bevel cut. You would need to mark out the cut at both ends then lay the track across the panel and clamp in place, the tracks accept special clamps on the bottom so they do not interfere with the saw riding along the track for the length of cut.

To do it on a table saw, you need a panel saw or table saw equipped with a slider with a travel of at least the width of the panel, and capable of supporting the panel for about 2/3rds it length so that the panel does not try to tilt on the slider as it passes over the table. If the panel is not resting on the table or slider as it passes the blade, the bevel angle will not be accurate and the cut probably will not be straight if the clearance between table and panel varies during the cut.

You might be able to do the cut in a single pass with a SCMS, but you would need to be cautious about the maximum cutting stroke when selecting the machine to ensure that it could handle the panel width. However the cheaper end of the SCMS market tend to be notorious for sloppy pivots and stops etc so they have a tendency to introduce random errors of a degree or so from piece to piece.

A way oversized sled might work, but like a slider or panel saw, you need to keep the sled base in contact with the table and the panel in contact with the sled top surface. This suggests that the sled needs to be mounted on runners or similar for the complete length of travel, but the Aldi saw may not be rigid enough enough to not move under the sled if it is independently mounted on extension runners.

Originally Posted by exidez

I just bought one of those Aldi table saws as I need to do a 30 degrees bevel cut on some 200mm x 235mm x 19mm pine panels. I would not be using it often so I thought this was a good deal for $149.

for what you want to do it's a very bad deal.
If you can take it back and get a smallish router.

a 30 degree bevel is a doddle with a router and straight edge

I have never used a table saw before ...
I ran into my first issue right off the bat where I could not even cut up my 1.8m stock of 235mm width pine. The distance between the start of the saw and the front end of the mitre gauge when inserted fully into the tracks is less than 235mm. This image, which was a similar question on another forum, sums up my scenario:

MXX8S.png

Is this normal for a table saw?
snip
is this what all the other threads mean by its 'limitations'.

yep

Should be investing in a different table with a bigger area

unless you are seriously moving into woodworking, save your dollars

or I am I just using the wrong tool for the job?

that Aldi saw is the wrong tool for the job.

better options for what you want to do are
T square to draw a guide line
hand saw -- about $22 from Bunnings
straight piece of wood to use as a guide
router and spiral cutter to straighten the hand sawn cut line.

Good Morning Exidez

Firstly, welcome to the Forum.

Secondly, STOP what you are attempting to do. It is potentially quite dangerous; the sheet material is quite unstable, and there is a real risk of the blade jamming and kicking back.

Both Malb and Ian have suggested good workable solutions.

An "American style" table saw is designed to rip wood lengthwise. It can be persuaded to cross cut by adding a sled. There are issues of balance in both operations and saw owners often add extension tables - they improve convenience and safety.

The newer "continental style" sliding panel saws are designed to both cross cut and rip timber and to cut sheet material. Unfortunately they have a large footprint and literally will not fit into many hobbyist workshops and they are expensive. No cheapies, prices range from $3,000 to well over $20,000.

Besides the options suggested by Malb and Ian, you might consider wandering around to your local Men's Shed and asking "Is there someone here who would like to do this for me?"

Or, if you think that you might like to go on and do some more woodwork then you might phrase the question as "May I join, and could someone show me how to do this? Having access to experienced mentors will greatly accelerate your learning curve, and a Men's Shed will give you access to equipment that you can only dream about.


Fair Winds

Graeme

Exidez....you have named your location as "Australia" this may be correct but it does not tell the rest of us where you might be. I am not being nosey but if you had a location named some one from the Forum living nearby could drop in and give you the guidance you need. Saws of any king or quality are quite dangerous and can inflict heavy damage to you or the project you are doing

Pretty much what others have said, but I've just put in some links to products I know of.

If you have a router, get one of these. Then use a 30deg chamfer bit and you'll have a crisp bevel. The limitation here is that the material can't be thicker than the cutting face of the bit. There are cheaper bits on ebay if this is a one off for you. Carbitool make excellent bits though.

Another option is to get a cheap track saw, Machinery House has the Scheppach and Total Tools has their Detroit brand. Or use a circular saw with the above mentioned guide.

Forget cheap table saws or SCMS' for long accurate bevel cuts (or even long accurate cuts), it'll just be no end of frustration.

I agree what you're trying is dangerous, and you should use a track saw or even a circular saw with a bit of wood as a guide or perhaps a router (though total cost of a router and bit is quite a bit more than your saw). However if you have no alternative, you can try reversing the mitre guide in the slot so it's at the front of your wood. It's still pretty dodgy but at least you'll get your cut done. Watch out for the wood wanting to twist away from the mitre guide.

In case nobody's explained it, the problem is that if the wood twists it can catch in the blade which can wreck the workpiece and possibly injure you.

You might want to make mini crosscut sled with a single crossbar at the front, kind of like a super-size mitre guide (but again, reversed), which might make the whole thing a little safer by adding support to the workpiece and making it less likely to go out of square.

Thanks for the reply and the advice guys!
Don't worry, I never used the table saw for this cross cut. It didn't feel right doing it.
I am going to return the table saw, If I cant use it for cross cuts on this size then I just know I'm going to run into issue in the future.

Originally Posted by Alkahestic

Forget cheap table saws or SCMS' for long accurate bevel cuts (or even long accurate cuts), it'll just be no end of frustration.

Yeah, I can see what you mean by this. I am a bit of a perfectionist and I just cant get accurate cuts with the saw I have at the moment.

I have been eyeing off a router and a proper precision router table setup for quite a while now. There have been a number of projects I have wanted to do and couldn't because I didn't get the the router. I think I might go down this route in future and get the different sized bits and bevels for the material I need.

Thanks again all!