How to cut a benchtop to size?

[dan sherman]

I'm designing some "utility" benches for my shop, and i have hit a conceptual snag. I was planing on making the tops 4 inches thick out off rock maple, and then I started to wonder how am I going to cut them to size?

Once you get the tops glued up and planed even (with a router sled), what's the best method for trimming/finishing the ends?

1. Jig and circular saw?
2. jig and router?
3. other ??

[Vince Shriver]

I was faced with the same dilema. I found a cabinet shop with a large drum sander, and a big industrial table saw. They cut it to size and ran it through the sander and it came out square and flat.

[Mike Heidrick]

What about handsaw, belt sander, and router?

Why so thick?

[Alex Shanku]

I'm designing some "utility" benches for my shop, and i have hit a conceptual snag. I was planing on making the tops 4 inches thick out off rock maple, and then I started to wonder how am I going to cut them to size?

Once you get the tops glued up and planed even (with a router sled), what's the best method for trimming/finishing the ends?

1. Jig and circular saw?
2. jig and router?
3. other ??


Here is a link to a thread discussing almost exactly what you are asking.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=94328

This was my response on that thread :

"Circular saw with straight-edge (good quality blade), router with flush trim bit. [as the other have suggested]"

[William OConnell]

I'm designing some "utility" benches for my shop, and i have hit a conceptual snag. I was planing on making the tops 4 inches thick out off rock maple, and then I started to wonder how am I going to cut them to size?

Once you get the tops glued up and planed even (with a router sled), what's the best method for trimming/finishing the ends?

1. Jig and circular saw?
2. jig and router?
3. other ??

What tools do you have available to you? A bandsaw would be my way but I'm not sure if you have one.
A guided rai, but you would need the depth of cut. Even with the larger festool you would have to flip the piece
Good Luck

[Ken Lustgarten]

I would definitely use a hand held tool for the job. The top will be to heavy to move accurately past a stationary blade. If you do not have a guided saw system a circular saw and a straight edge will do. You will need to make a cut, flip the top and finish from the back side. I have a Makita 10 1/4" circular saw and the EZ system that would make this a simple job if the top thickness was reduced to 3 1/2" or 3 3/4" if I removed the EZ base from the saw (single pass no flipping needed). Of course there are also 16 1/4" saws available :)

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would use a straight edge and circular saw, cutting from both sides. If it is too thick for your saw to cut through even with full depth, I would still do that, and then use a handsaw to finish the through cut once you have a full depth kerf from each face of the top. Then you can plane, sand, or rout the middle smooth as needed.

I suppose you could do the same with a radial arm saw, if you have one, but I don't. And even then, you might have to cut from both sides, and both edges depending on the width of your tabletop. A lot of work to get it all lined up straight and square.

Doc

[Chip Lindley]

I'm designing some "utility" benches for my shop, and i have hit a conceptual snag. I was planing on making the tops 4 inches thick out off rock maple, and then I started to wonder how am I going to cut them to size?

Once you get the tops glued up and planed even (with a router sled), what's the best method for trimming/finishing the ends?

1. Jig and circular saw?
2. jig and router?
3. other ??
Wow! 4" thick rock maple for "utility" benches! I would love to see your real workbench!

All depends on the tools you have available. If you will rely on tools in your shop, rather than transport these heavy pieces to a cabinet shop for finishing with a wide belt sander and large panel saw, then consider building a router sled to finish the ends also.

Rough cut the ends from both sides with a circular saw and finish the cut with a hand saw if needed. Attach your router sled to the ends and finish them same as you would finish the top. A tedious task for a large tabletop, but not impossible.

I have an old Ryobi 3" belt sander with sanding frame that is wonderful for sanding large flat surfaces. These sanding frame attachments are worth their weight in gold for jobs such as this. Good Luck!

[dan sherman]

Sorry guys, it was a long day today.

The tops need to be pretty thick, because they are going to have bench top metalworking tools on them. They will only be supported on the ends (roll away chests etc. going underneath) and will thus will have an unsupported span of 64"

The projected overall top dimensions are 4" x 30" x 72" (~ 225lbs), and I would like to only use tools in my shop. Based on the size and weight, (like other have said) I need to move the tool. In my shop that means router or circular saw.

How about:
on pass on each side with the circular saw, and then clean up afterward with the belt sander?