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| roybfr:
I started making my control panel (UA) today and noticed that I may have a problem with my table saw. The long cuts were a little wavey, noticable when I would set the side on a flat surface. I am not sure if it is a problem with the rip fence slightly moving or the blade that is on the saw, or just the nature of the beast. I have had the saw for several years but mostly use it for repetative short cuts when making frames. I am using the general blade that came with the saw, so maybe that is part of the problem. I am concerend that when I got to rip the MDF for the cabinet that it will be a real problem. I do have a 6" and 10" circular saw that I could use instead with a guide to keep is straight, but would rather figure out what is wrong with the table saw. Any help would be appreciated. |
| NoOne=NBA=:
It is really hard to push a full sheet of wood through a table saw, and get a GOOD edge on it--even using rollers for infeed and takeoff. I used a sawguide/circular saw combo for all my long cuts. I even used it to do the straight parts of the areas where I have inside curves on my cab. Once I had the cut most of the way to where it needed to be, I would switch to my jigsaw, and finish it up. |
| DrewKaree:
--- Quote from: roybfr on August 01, 2004, 10:11:54 pm ---I am not sure if it is a problem with the rip fence slightly moving or the blade that is on the saw, or just the nature of the beast. I have had the saw for several years but mostly use it for repetative short cuts when making frames. I am using the general blade that came with the saw, so maybe that is part of the problem. I am concerend that when I got to rip the MDF for the cabinet that it will be a real problem. --- End quote --- You need to describe your saw a bit more, but from the sounds of it, I'm betting you have one of the ~$100 "table" saws, as that's a common problem with those and larger sheets of wood without setting up an auxiliary table around it to support the wood AND the fence usually isn't as stable as those found on larger, more expensive saws. Changing the blade won't make your cuts straighter, but it probably will make your cuts smoother if you pay for a decent 80T carbide toothed blade. If you're worried about using your circ saw, fuggedaboudit. The 4 foot clamp I use won't work (probably) for your MDF, since it's width will be more than 4' and you need something for the longer stretch too...go get yourself an 8' lenght of angle iron, mebbe two if you want to cut the second one up for shorter saw guides. Clamp them to your workpiece (taking into account the space from the edge of the shoe and your blade) and just push the shoe up against it and saw away. When you're done cutting your pieces, mebbe you use your "saw guides" for added support in certain areas in your cab! OH, and if you haven't already, change the sucky (usually) blade THAT came with. You'll probably LOVE a plywood or laminate blade, although you'll have to go slower than you would with the blade that you're used to. If I'm wrong about your saw, and you paid a lot of money for it and it's a biggun, please forgive me, I'm guessing because there wasn't enough info on the saw. If it's a saw in the $200-400 range, you should have a Biesemeyer fence for that saw (or VERY similar copy) so go out and buy one...NOW! ;) Go prepared - get all those "it costs HOW MUCH for THAT THING?!?" thoughts outta yer mind, cuz their fences are well worth the money. I'm intrigued, as I've never heard of a 10" circ saw. Is this an old thing, and where did you pick it up? That's gotta weigh a TON! Good luck, you'll do just fine with your circ saw, patience, and your "saw guides". |
| roybfr:
I have a Delta ShopMaster TS300, IIRC was about $350, so it was not the cheapy cheapy, but still not the "pro" model. I just looked up the Biesemeyer, man I have been looking for something like that for ever, thing will cost as much as the saw, but I could really use it on some other stuff that I do. I will try the angle iron, have some pretty long pieces down at work so I will have to get a few lengths of it home. I was using some extra wood as guides for some short cuts but I don't have any pieces long enough to do the cab back. Not sure what I was thinking about the circ saw, it is just a regular 7 1/4in one, nothing special. The 6" is cordless so I have been using it more, plus the blade is a little better. Thanks |
| Apollo:
Much easier way is to tack a straight pioece of timber to your MDF and use it as a guide for your circular saw. |
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