Cutting sheet goods with circular saw

do you have the room to set up a couple of roller stands by your table saw to help you hold it better ??

-- Tony---- Reinholds,Pa.------ REMEMBER TO ALWAYS HAVE FUN

Don’t buy a $500 track saw!!! You won’t always be working with sheet goods….trust me, you won’t want to. You will always work with them some but not exclussively so a track saw will be over kill unless you plan to build cabinets for a living or something.

What GR8HUNTER said would work fine but then you have to store the roller stands after that. I use a circular saw as well to break down sheet goods because it’s difficult to manage them on the table saw anyway. I’m not a small man either.

I use one of these but mine is just the straight edge part. This has a setup to attach your circular saw to it to guide it. I don’t see how it will help more or less with the saw guide but my Bora straight edge works great for this.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BORA-50-in-WTX-Clamp-Edge-and-Saw-Guide-Kit-543056K/205866206?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25T-PowerTools%7c&gclid=CjwKEAjwqdi7BRCL6Zmjk5-rsTwSJABmrVabtt9uL6FWgRUaLqRp_Ta8BuunQ_-YjgUAP3CvOzJjDxoCkLbw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

-- Dave - http://kelleycrafts.com/ - pen blanks - knife scales - turning tools

I’ve got an aluminum straight edge guide that I clamp to sheets of plywood. You can cut the sheet down to more manageable parts for final trim on the table saw. It’s a method I’ve used for years quite successfully.

Have you tried making a shooting board for your saw? Some scrap 1/2” plywood will set you up there. Alternatively to dropping $$$ on a track saw, you can get a straight edge to run your saw against for only $. Something like this.

-- Chris - Would work, but I'm too busy reading about woodwork.

If you are using a straight edge and still getting ‘wavy’ cuts, then you are doing something terribly wrong. Anything from a 2×4 to a long level can be used as an edge to get a straight cut. What exactly are you trying?

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/149192/woodriver-clamp-guide-50-inch.aspx

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Johnson-98-in-Aluminum-Cutting-Guide-J4900/100188970?cmmmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA%7c&gclid=CjwKEAjwqdi7BRCL6Zmjk5-rsTwSJABmrVaboVr0Xl-tTilqVJBL9HWHPD6tfd-b2KEEJb9LDnPC1xoCZFHwwcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the Universe's finest custom rolling pins.

You can get a 50” version of the above ^^^^^ at HF for about $25 before coupons (or a 24 inch version for about half that price).

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

I used to have a piece of 9’ angle aluminum to which I screwed a nice straight 1”X4” maple board to. It was great for just what you are asking. Just clamp it at either end and cut away.

Problem is, it was a casualty when we moved here 3 years ago, (got run over by a pickup truck, ,dont EVEN ask) and I haven’t replaced it yet.

You can buy the angle aluminum and the maple boards at most any of the big box lumber stores.

-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward

No question with a straight edge guide you should be getting straight cuts. I use a clamp on straight edge similar to the one shown by lew. I get cuts that I could use as finish cuts. And at times they will be.

You didn’t mention how you were supporting the sheet goods while cutting. Having done the saw horse thing in the past, I now lay down two 2’x8’ pieces of construction foam board. I just lay the sheet goods on the foam in my driveway and set the saw to just cut through the sheet goods. The saw will cut into the foam a bit. Or if I happened to be cutting the 4×8 sheet in half lengthwise, I just create a gap between the foam boards and the saw won’t hit any foam.

This works really well, the sheet goods are fully supported and flat. Also, you can usually kneel directly on the sheet goods and stay right over the saw giving you great control.

It also makes it really easy to handle heavy sheets. I just lay the foam board behind my pickup truck and pull sheets off one at a time onto the foam board.

You can use the foam board many, many times. Even all sliced up with shallow cuts, it will still support the sheet goods fine.

Also make sure you have a good blade on your saw. With a good blade, usually thin kerf, the saw should cut almost effortlessly. This will help to control it.

-- Clin

I don’t like the straight edges that clamp to the plywood. Still allows for wavy cuts if the saw goes off away from the guide.

Track saws don’t have to be $500+. I’ve got the Grizzly one and it works great.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Track-Saw-Master-Pack/T25552

$257 which includes the clamps, track, etc.

-- The quality of one's woodworking is directly related to the amount of flannel worn.

Make sure you have a good sharp blade. Try waxing the shoe of the skilsaw also. That makes pushing it easier.

-- Paul, Duvall, WA

Quality of your blade can be huge. Thin kerf blades can also flex much more. A good straight edge is essential.

-- Nature created it, I just assemble it.

Welcome to Lumberjocks

-- Nature created it, I just assemble it.

You might try checking that your circular saw blade is parallel to the edge of the saw base. If not the saw will wander.

Don t buy a $500 track saw!!! You won t always be working with sheet goods….trust me, you won t want to. You will always work with them some but not exclussively so a track saw will be over kill unless you plan to build cabinets for a living or something.

What GR8HUNTER said would work fine but then you have to store the roller stands after that. I use a circular saw as well to break down sheet goods because it s difficult to manage them on the table saw anyway. I m not a small man either.

I use one of these but mine is just the straight edge part. This has a setup to attach your circular saw to it to guide it. I don t see how it will help more or less with the saw guide but my Bora straight edge works great for this.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BORA-50-in-WTX-Clamp-Edge-and-Saw-Guide-Kit-543056K/205866206?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25T-PowerTools%7c&gclid=CjwKEAjwqdi7BRCL6Zmjk5-rsTwSJABmrVabtt9uL6FWgRUaLqRp_Ta8BuunQ_-YjgUAP3CvOzJjDxoCkLbw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

- ki7hy

Hey, do you have a link to the extended rail for that? I’ve been wanting one that I can do rips and crosscuts with. My shop is a bit too crowded for full sheets as well, and the guys at the box stores can’t be trusted to cut where you want the cuts…

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