Breaking down large sheets to make cabinets..my story so far

[SMJoinery]

Hi All

I read a lot of threads here are from guys sharing info on best technique etc and so I thought I'd share some experience on the above topic as it comes up fairly regularly.
BACKGROUND.
I run a small joinery / carpentry business and so do this for a living. My tools earn money but it's more than that for me and I'm striving for excellence.
My old ways would be to balance a sheet on my table saw with out feed table and get as good a cut as I could and then finish the cut with hand plane and sander in order to remove chips and blade marks etc.
I purchased the TS55 and two 1400 guide rails about a year ago and saw instant improvement but could see flaws with supporting sheets and joining rails etc.
MY BEST EXPERIENCE.
Cutting sheets by yourself and getting accurate and ready to finish cuts is simple.
Take the sheet and lay it on a good sturdy bench capable of supporting your sheet, the edge being cut and the off cut. (I use 2 MFT3's with a back bench at same height). This way I can work round my MFT's or push them up to back bench for support when needed.
Get the 3000 guide rail and using the FS pistol grip clamp set up your cut so as the pencil marks line up on the splinter strip (previously trimmed as per instruction) and ensure that the guide rail is laid on top of the piece you want. (Otherwise you will be 2-3mm short!).
I don't place anything on top of the bench before I cut. I'm happy to replace bench tops if they get that bad.
Make sure the depth of cut is set to materials plus 1-2mm on the guide rail scale on the saw. Connect to extraction (I use a midi with cord suspended on bungee above the bench) and plunge smoothly but confidently and steadily guide saw on the rail.
The cut achieved is ready for paint or edging.
I always use the green splinter insert on the saw regardless if I need the off cut or not. Just simply sit saw on the rail at your first cut and adjust the insert to sit on work piece and tighten.
FINALLY
Some other tips..
If your cabinets are 600mm finished size, set your first cut into the sheet as 610mm up the middle and then using this cut as a datum cut the sheets machine edges off and now you have two great edges.
I use 12mm backs for my cabinets and use the OF1010 with 12mm cutter. I rebate the backs into the sides by 5mm each side using the edge guide set on the router. I route all my sides, tops and bottoms the same way at the same time to ensure consistency.
Cut your tall cabinets to height first remembering to deduct your legs (plinth) height as I find the off cut can be used for a bottom or top.
If your cabinets are being painted don't sand mdf edges before painting. Paint first then sand and repeat.
Use moisture resistant mdf where possible. It is easier to work with, has a better paint finish, copes better with humidity and is only about £2 a sheet more expensive.
You can achieve a good finish by hand painting. Ideally prime and undercoat the boards after machining but before assembly and then finish in place. If you don't have the space then assemble the cabinets and paint in place using a good quality brush for edges and corners and small foam roller for remainder. Sand lightly between coats and fill holes after primer coat and again at undercoat but not before. 

The above is my method, it's not the only method but it does work well, is accurate and gives a consistent quality.
Please add your own experiences and tips so we can all continue to strive for excellence.
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Scott

 

[Tinker]

When I first stepped onto the Slippery Slope, I started cutting my sheets of plywood right on the truck as i took the material off.  I thought that wod save time if i cut to dimension before bringing in to the shop.  It is nearly impossible to bring a full 4x8 sheet into my work area.  Out at he truck, i used a saw horse and the truck tailgate and measured with straightedge, square and pencil lines and cut to dimension.  Once I had the pieces inside the shop, i soon found out there would be an error somewhere along the line and changing dimension on one piece often meant either a leftover and sometimes having to get another full sheet of ply, or change dimensions of almost every thing.  I now figure out how to make only one or two cuts out at the truck to break down the sheets to manageable size, bring the undimensioned sections in to the shop and make precise cuts at the MFT. 

I am not a pro, so this method works for me as time is not the most important part of the equation.
Tinker

 

[Brent Taylor]

My methods have changed over the years, so now I try to get the sheet goods broken down at the yards that  I buy them from and most are agreeable to do so for me. ( it helps to be disabled, but still working full time ) From there I use different methods depending on the size of the sheet goods. Large parts cut on a sheet of foam on the gate of the trailer. Smaller parts on work tables that I have built ( much like the MFT ) and than some parts to the table saw. B

 

[Nippychippy]

Thanks for the post Scott it's always good to here how other people do stuff. What are all the markings on your Howdens worktop jig got my one last  month it was a pain in the ass to figure out 

 

[SMJoinery]

Thanks for the post Scott it's always good to here how other people do stuff. What are all the markings on your Howdens worktop jig got my one last  month it was a pain in the  to figure out

Thanks.
The jig came with A4 paper instructions which I feared would get lost so I sharpie marked all the key points at the relevant peg holes etc. I've also used it for some jigs like drain grooves (white packers you can see) etc and wrote set up lines on jig etc.
All worktops jigs can seem overly complicated to me but I think the sketch you can see showing "a typical worktop layout" helps me most. It's a final check for me if the cuts face up or down etc and also the offset amount from the back and inset depth etc.

 

[sancho57]

Hey Scott

Good to see your name here again. I dont think Ive seen it in a while. I do something similar, Basically, Ill take some 2x4 lay them on top of my MFTs set the ply on it. Use my 3000 mm I will take about 5mm off one edge use it as the edge to baseline all my cuts off of. Set up my PGs rip to width, then set up my MFT fence and guide rail, cut to length. Then use the LR 35 for shelf pin holes. Then sand finish and assemble with screws.

 

[southrider]

I skinned an old hollow core door with 1/4" Masonite. When I need to break down a large panel I throw it on a couple horses, then add a sheet of 1" foam. The foam completely supports the whole piece and off-cut.

Everything stores easily out of the way when not needed.

Just a thought..........

 

[fshanno]

You might want to try the razor blade method of aligning the guide.  I think it is much better than pencil marks.  In fact you don't make any kind of mark.

Just lay the tape down and stick a razor blade in at the 600mm point at both ends of the rip.  Then bump the guide against the razor blades which act as a stop.

 

[#Tee]

thanks for the share everyone