I think Id like to make a panel saw.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I'm in the planning stages for making a panel saw.
I've looked at a few of them online as well as one in the Shop Notes Tools and Jigs edition of about a month ago.
Any advice - pro or con - would be appreciated.

[JayStPeter]

I'm not sure how much use you plan on. But, the Festool or EZ systems work pretty well for sizing down panels. For a hobby woodworker, a panel saw is probably overkill given these devices.
If it's something you need to do often and quickly you'll have to ask others. The ShopNotes appeared to be less than industrial strength when I looked at it, so maybe not the best for tons of use. But, it has been a while since I've considered a panel saw.

[Tom Veatch]

Hello,
I'm in the planning stages for making a panel saw.
I've looked at a few of them online as well as one in the Shop Notes Tools and Jigs edition of about a month ago.
Any advice - pro or con - would be appreciated.

I'm not sure which one is shown in the edition you reference since there have been two different designs of panel saws presented in Shop Notes over the years. I built the one shown in Issue #4. There is, or was, a hardware kit available for that one.

I've been well pleased with it. Although it's not something I'd use for cutting to final dimensions, I've been impressed with the accuracy I've gotten from the device.

I'm not real fond of the method for making rip cuts - stationary saw, sliding panel - but I believe that using something like these (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=74127) in the lower supports would go a long way toward improving that operation.

I built it to the plan without modifications. If I had it to do over again, I'd make it tall enough to take 5'x5' sheets of Baltic Birch. As is, it's fine for 4' wide, but not quite enough for 5' stock.

The panel saw in Issue #88 is a more complex design and answers my dislike of the rip cuts in the #4 version. The panel is fixed and the saw moves for both cross and rip cuts. A video (http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/088/videos/the-ultimate-shop-built-panel-saw/) is available on the Shop Notes web site. There doesn't appear to be a hardware kit available for it, but I'm giving serious consideration to replacing my #4 with the #88 version.

In short, I'm pleased with it and the dissatisfactions are few and minor - especially since I'm getting to an age where wrestling sheets of 3/4" ply is not quite as easy as it was 40 years ago.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I agree with Jay's suggestion on either Festool or EZ system. They would require much less storage space and enable cutting to finish dimensions in some cases.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I also made the early version of the ShopNotes panel saw. I bought the hardware kit from them also. It works well. As stated above, it's not as accurate as a table saw but accurate enough to make substrate for laminate countertops and for roughing sheet goods down to size.

It has advantages over a guided saw system in both ergonomics and price. Ergonomics is the most important to me because I can handle sheet goods on their edge instead of lifting them horizontally onto a table or saw horses.

The disadvantage is that they take up room even when stored flat against a wall with the outfeed wings detached, and you cannot make angled cuts.

Overall, I have been pleased with my saw. It's a clever design and economical. If the hardware kit is not available anymore, it may be more difficult to build...especially the sled (pic at bottom).

-Jeff :)

From ShopNotes:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/panel-saw-kit-6804p400.jpg

And a close-up pic of my saw with the circular saw removed:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/DSCF1051.jpg