workmate or saw horse(s)..?

[spurty]

Hello hoping for some advice on my (upon reflection stupidly ambitious) plan to build my first (and probably last) arcade cabinet.

I have a jigsaw and circular saw, and have ordered 2 huge sheets of 18mm mdf (1.22 metres by 2.44 metres). Done a huge amount of research,  reading and video watching and the only question I can't really answer is...

What do I need to securely and safely hold this mdf while I cut it to size? Do I need a black and decker workmate like this

http://www.diy.com/departments/black-decker-610-mm-steel-vice-jaw-clamp-workbench/31976_BQ.prd

Or 2 or 4 sawhorses like these, and some clamps

http://www.diy.com/departments/stanley-sawhorse-workbench/255105_BQ.prd

I intend using the circular saw as little as possible (terrified of it if i'm honest) but I think i'll be ok providing the mdf is very securely fixed in place while I make the cuts. But how?! Any advice appreciated, thanks...

[jennifer]

      It wont go anywhere while your cutting it, If your only going to build one not much sense in investing in tables and such.... Draw your lines , lay it on the ground and slide a couple of 2x4s under it,  set your blade depth just past the thickness of the mdf but not deep enough to hit the ground, and cut.... you might want to make sure you got a new blade first and the nut is tight (and perhaps a few practice cuts).

[jennifer]

      It wont go anywhere while your cutting it, If your only going to build one not much sense in investing in tables and such.... Draw your lines , lay it on the ground and slide a couple of 2x4s under it,  set your blade depth just past the thickness of the mdf but not deep enough to hit the ground, and cut.... you might want to make sure you got a new blade first and the nut is tight (and perhaps a few practice cuts).

FWIW.... A  strait edge couple C clamps make a nice guide to make a nice strait cut.

[spurty]

hello jennifer thanks for your answer but...

I don't want to be cutting the mdf close to the floor...as logic suggests my leg(s) might get in the way. As this is my first time using a circular saw, safety is my main concern...and I don't mind spending an extra £50+ or so if it keeps me out of the local casualty. So thoughts anyone?

[jennifer]

     It actually works best on the ground, When you cut your pieces they don't fall very far and you can crawl across the board as you follow a long cut.... You should practice with your saw on scraps however,  and get the feel of it (don't cut through your power cord) before you cut a nice piece of MDF.

[JDFan]

     It actually works best on the ground, When you cut your pieces they don't fall very far and you can crawl across the board as you follow a long cut.... You should practice with your saw on scraps however,  and get the feel of it (don't cut through your power cord) before you cut a nice piece of MDF.

I'd agree with this -- IF you setup a couple 2x4's close to where the cut is going to be and a couple others placed toward the edges of the MDF sheet the MDF will not move while cutting and as long as you set the depth of the cut close to the thickness of the MDF it will not get anywhere close to hitting the ground (Personally I use several old milk crates to set the MDF on ) with a sharp blade and proper setup of the cutting depth you'll barely be adding any pressure to get the cut made and it will cut right through ( as long as it is not a reused sheet that has nails\screws left in it !)

Saw horses will also work if you want but be sure to keep them close enough to the cut so the sheet doesn't warp as you near the end of the cut applying pressure to the cutting surface that can bind the blade or let the cut sheet halfs fall to the floor as you finish cutting.

[knave]

      It wont go anywhere while your cutting it, If your only going to build one not much sense in investing in tables and such.... Draw your lines , lay it on the ground and slide a couple of 2x4s under it,  set your blade depth just past the thickness of the mdf but not deep enough to hit the ground, and cut.... you might want to make sure you got a new blade first and the nut is tight (and perhaps a few practice cuts).

FWIW.... A  strait edge couple C clamps make a nice guide to make a nice strait cut.

I use this method all the time...especially for long rips...way easier and more stable than using saw horses. I used to just use 2x4s but now I prefer a couple of pallets.

Nice thing about pallets is I can have a large work area and if I need a really clean cun I can line my cut with one of the slats and cut just past my material into the pallet slat = no tearing. (watch out for nails/staples)

My 2¢ is to practice and use clamps and a straight edge. I sometimes just clamp a square to my work and use that as a guide.

[spurty]

Hello thanks for all the advice.

Huge sheets of MDF 8ft by 4ft arrived Sat, slipped some of the 2x4s underneath and cut into more manageable size pieces with jigsaw...surprisingly easy. And thanks for the milk crates tip, I have some old tray things left by tesco home delivery many moons ago in my cellar so I finally have a use for the damned things (been tripping over them long enough).

So that saves me a few £ on the saw horses and or workbench, and looks like I won't need the circular saw after all. Can't wait to get cracking now...

[prezo1]

The problem I find with using a jigsaw is the blade tends to bend and they dont give a straight cut.A circular saw is the bes.

[BorgDog]

The problem I find with using a jigsaw is the blade tends to bend and they dont give a straight cut.A circular saw is the bes.

And by this I'm guessing he means perpendicular to the surface of the wood, at least that is the biggest issue I have had with jigsaws.

[jennifer]

     A jig saw will beat you to death, A good quality Skillsaw will give a better cut. Be sure to look at the 90 deg. thingy, Ive noticed on cheap saws these are all bendy, it says 90deg. but leaves you with a crooked cut.... Don't forget to do some practice cuts on scraps so all that beautiful Mdf  doesn't get wasted.