crosscutting wide plywood on MFT800.

[Tom Ryan]

I have very limited space in my workshop (it used to be a bathroom!)  I do have access to a larger shop, which I'll use for breaking down sheet goods and lumber, but I'd like to do as much as possible in my own little shop.  I have an MFT800 and a TS 55 EQ plunge saw, and I think I'll be able to do a lot with them.

The problem I'm running into is crosscutting wide plywood.  Specifically, I'd like to build some kitchen base cabinets, and the sides of the cabinets will need to be crosscut from plywood just under two feet wide.  I could do it by just using the guide and saw (using the MFT800 as just a table).  But I'd rather be able to crosscut 2' wide plywood square as easily as I can do a 1' wide piece, using the angle unit and fence.  But on the MFT 800, as normally set up, I can crosscut only up to 20" wide.  This is because the angle stop forces the face of the fence to be about 4.5" from the back edge of the table.

I believe that the same issues arise if someone wants to crosscut 4' plywood on an MFT1080.

One solution would be to turn my MFT800 ninety degrees, and cross cut in the direction of the long dimension of the table.  I'd really rather not do that, since my workshop is a few inches over 5' wide, and turning the table would narrow the remaining space by about 5 inches.  If worse came to worse, I could turn the table, and break through two stud bays into an attic eave space to get an extra 6-10 inches or so.  (Not ideal -- I don't own the house, and will probably live there for 5 years or less.)

Here's what I'm thinking of doing -- I'd appreciate suggestions or comments:
I would put a fence along the back edge of the table, to replace the fence and angle stop that comes with the table.  I'd attach the fence using t-bolts in the extrusion at the back.  This would give me about 24.5 inches between the fence face and the thingy in the front that locates the front edge of the guide rail.

I would need a little longer guide rail (about 4-5 inches longer) to be able to complete the crosscut in the extended space.  This gets into a space problem again, but I could cut into just one stud bay to get the space needed.  The FS1080 guide rail is probably longer than I need, but it shouldn't be too hard to cut it to the length I need.

Of course, I'd need to adjust the guide rail to be square to the fence.  And I'd give up being able to easily cut other angles, which I don't do often.

Am I crazy to think this way?  Comments?

 

[mastercabman]

tom, i really know how you feel.at home,i also have limited space. my work space is about 9' wide and 17' long.(detach garage).your idea could work, but i would find another way.i would suggest to get a dust extractor,and do your cutting in a different room or outside if the weather is ok.when i have sheets of plywood or mdf to cut, i precut them to more manageable pieces.i got a styrofoam sheet and a 1/4" sheet of luan,witch i glued together,then i lay it down on the floor or saw horse stands.that gives me a cutting table that is safe for my blade and cheap to make.(cost around $20.00 for the styrofoam and luan).just use a good square,and use your fence with your ts55. that mft800 is a little small to do cabinet work,but it can be done.i wish you best of luck with your little shop

 

[Dave Rudy]

Best solution for cutting down full sheets is use any of a number of cutting tables that have been discussed here many times.  I have great success with foamboard on a sheet of plywood or 2x stretchers, on the floor, on sawhorses, on a folding table -- whatever works.  Using just the guiderails and the saw you get great smooth, square cuts even off the MFT, which I find more useful for cross cutting, smaller pieces of sheet goods, and other operations which require clamping or table work like routing, assembly, etc.

 

[Tom Ryan]

Thanks for your suggestions, mastercabman.

I do have ways to break down large panels -- access to a big shop not too far away. But I'd like to do as much as possible at home -- because it's home, and because it isn't open to a community which includes those who think the best tool to open a paint can is a wood chisel.  My hope is to bring in panels ripped to width and cut to manageable length, and then do as much as possible from there in my little shop.  And I'll be doing other projects in my small shop, mostly smaller than kitchen cabinets.

 

[Loren Hedahl]

Thanks for your suggestions, mastercabman.

I do have ways to break down large panels -- access to a big shop not too far away. But I'd like to do as much as possible at home -- because it's home, and because it isn't open to a community which includes those who think the best tool to open a paint can is a wood chisel.  My hope is to bring in panels ripped to width and cut to manageable length, and then do as much as possible from there in my little shop.  And I'll be doing other projects in my small shop, mostly smaller than kitchen cabinets.

Hey, I use a wood chisel to open paint cans regularly.  It's the same one my wife used to clean the grout out when the shower needed re-grouting.  It started life at a Harbor Freight store, one of a set of 5.  Actually it has some pretty good steel in it and can be sharpened to a fine edge. 

It's just that it has found a place in our domicile for more noble deeds.  Could it be said that it has been graduated, or perhaps become more highly evolved.

Concerning the panel sizing  -  I find I can cut panels to finished size, square and precise in dimension, using a TS55 and guide rails on a portable table with foam as noted above.  Check out John Lucas methods, especially the one using the razor blades to position the guides.  Not only do you get perfect panels, but almost absolute dust control.  You also save your back.  Life couldn't get much better, in my opinion.

Loren