Clean Crosscut on 4.25" x 17" x 9' slab, how?

[John Sanford]

I am stumped at the moment on how to get a clean, square (both across and vertically) crosscut on the ends of my bench slabs. Both are 4.25" thick, and @9' long, the small one is 11.5" wide, the big one almost 17" wide. In short, both are way to big an unwieldy to cut on either my table saw or with my band saw. I suspect it would be fairly simple if I had a radial arm saw, but I don't.

Suggestions?

[Bruce Page]

Use a circular saw & guide as deep as it will go through both sides, then the rest of the way through with a hand saw. Finish up with a hand plane or router & trim bit.

[Tom Ewell]

As Bruce says, rough cut with guides and trim up with router.

The bit below should get you full depth using both sides of the slab.

Remove the 'bottom' bearing for the first trim cut (using guide or pattern) then flip the slab, install the bottom bearing to use the previously trimmed edge as guide.
Remove as little material possible to get to the final edge, that's a big bit.


http://www.amazon.com/Yonico-14135-P.../dp/B00KZM1JK8

[Greg R Bradley]

Any decent rental yard will have the big Makita Circular saw for rent. They will saw more than 6" thick.

This one: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-.../dp/B0000614UR

[Pat Barry]

Well, you really should have thought about that before you built it you know. JK

There's always the old reliable hand saw approach, other wise I agree with the idea of cutting from both sides with circular saw.

[John Sanford]

Any decent rental yard will have the big Makita Circular saw for rent. They will saw more than 6" thick.

This one: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-.../dp/B0000614UR

They do, right around the corner. 32 tooth blade. I fear that such a blade is better suited to timber framing, i.e. not exactly a path to a really clean cut. If I had more than one shot to get this right, I would try the Big Mak. At $40 for a half day, it would be an interesting experiment.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

You can make a jig for a router that's mounts to the end of the slab to clean it up. Just take a piece of plywood or MDF, and cut a hole slightly larger than the end of the slab.
Clamp a pair of 2x4's to the slab, and screw the plywood to it. Then just use the router on the end with a large diameter bit to clean it up. Pretty much the same as flattening a slab with a router.

[Prashun Patel]

Circ saw followed by handsaw. A ros will clean it up plenty fine.

[Tom M King]

I have one of those big Makita saws. The blade always wanders a little bit, and will leave some cleanup needed for a perfect edge.

[Michael Peet]

I built a box-like jig for the track saw. Slip it over the end of the slab and clamp it on. Cut partway through from one side, flip the slab, then complete the cut. As long as the edges of your jig are coplaner and the saw is setup for 90° the cut should come out well.

If you don't have access to a track saw I'm thinking this could be adapted for a circular saw too.







Mike

[Greg R Bradley]

Or get a bigger tracksaw

P-GCP1000-1-b.jpg

That is interesting about the blade wander on the big Makita. I recall the blade does seem to be somewhat narrow material for that large diameter.

Nice bench and nice pictures Mike!

[jack duren]

We use the makita all the time for 5 1/4 parallam. It only wanders when you force the cut.

[Michael Zerance]

You can make a jig for a router that's mounts to the end of the slab to clean it up. Just take a piece of plywood or MDF, and cut a hole slightly larger than the end of the slab.
Clamp a pair of 2x4's to the slab, and screw the plywood to it. Then just use the router on the end with a large diameter bit to clean it up. Pretty much the same as flattening a slab with a router.

Great idea; I'm sure I'll come up with a use for that one at some point!