Thread: Table Saws

I bought a clamping aluminium straight edge similar to that frequently used by Norm, thinking that this would result in straighter cuts. It did, but not enough because you need to keep the saw baseplate pressed up against the fence consistently as you travel along the panel. I eventually bought another guide. Using two guides allows you to trap the saw baseplate so it can't wander. A pair of these things are great for trapping any base plate you can think of, including routers. The only shortcoming is that its not so useful for ripping lengths near the end of the panel because there's nowhere to attach the second guide.

If you've ever tried lifting a 2.4 x 1.8 x 16mm panel you'll know that it will take practice to guide across a tablesaw with any sort of good control. Until I get a table saw with a serious sliding table, I'll stick to breaking down panels using sawhorses and the clamping guide.

I do like Wayne's solution. It's simple, doesn't require a huge amount of floorspace and avoids having to lift up large panels onto a cutting table or horses. Like his cyclone, its another thing to add to the list of things to make...