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Thread: Working with big slabs...

  1. #1

    Working with big slabs...

    Looking for some advice on working with big slabs. I've purchased some white oak slabs that I'd like to join to make a table top. Can't quite get my head around cutting pieces this big accurately enough to make a nice 10' long glue joint.
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  2. #2
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    Track saw with 10’ saw guide. Would be a good place tp start.


    Then you need to figure out how you’ll flatten the slabs, IF they are wider than surface planer or wide belt sander you have.

    Are you looking at live edge slabs?

  3. #3
    SLR.

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  4. #4
    any circ saw and a straight edge.
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  5. #5
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    Interesting first three options, Michelle's cheap, Paul's sorta expensive and Darcy's expensive route. My first choice in my shop (even if I had a SLR) would be my TS75, depending on the thickness the 160mm saws (TS55, Dewalt, Makita et al) may not have the depth or guts for the cut.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

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  6. #6
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    I would use a track saw of some sort.

  7. #7
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    Circular saw and long straight edge followed by top bearing straight router bit and straight edge, followed by dowels for alignment. Works great.
    Jerry

    "It is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation" - Herman Melville

  8. #8
    Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws? The largest slabs are 30" wide and 11' long. The finished table will be 10'.
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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Girouard View Post
    Track saw with 10’ saw guide. Would be a good place tp start.


    Then you need to figure out how you’ll flatten the slabs, IF they are wider than surface planer or wide belt sander you have.

    Are you looking at live edge slabs?
    Morning Paul. The slabs are currently live edge but I won't be leaving them. Too large for my planer or drum sander.
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  10. #10
    Just get as far through as you can with a track saw then finish with a hand saw. Then clean with something known straight clamped to them and a router bit.

    Jerry has the the best approach imop..

    Now I would use my track saw, finish the cut by hand then build a sled to flatten then or probably use a hand plane. Then I would setup I feed and outfeed tables on my what is already nearly 12’ 20” extended bed jointer to joint the edges for joining.

    A straight edge and a router should be all you need though..

    Quote Originally Posted by Terry Hatfield View Post
    Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws? The largest slabs are 30" wide and 11' long. The finished table will be 10'.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Terry Hatfield View Post
    Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws?
    The TS55 (probably similar to all the 160/165mm track saws) has a 90* depth of cut around 2 1/8", the TS75 (210mm blade) has a DOC @ 90 of 2 3/4". The whole reason I bought the TS75 (already owning a corded and cordless tracksaw) was for deep heavy cuts like this but probably too much to spend for a one off cut... If you flatten the slabs first you are likely to be in 160mm saw range.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  12. #12
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    Terry

    My first choice would be to get them to someone with the machinery to handle a large slabs like that. It may actually be cheaper and easier in the end.

    Many years ago John Lucas and Bob Marino did a cut just like the one you want to do. They made a photo essay of it that was on John's website.
    Essentially they used a track saw and being that it was Bob Marino, it was a Festool, but it didn't have to be. The sequence went basically as follow:
    -Rip a clean edge on each of the material pieces of be joined.
    -Butt the two newly ripped edges up against each other in the grain orientation you desire and clamp them in place.
    - Set the edge guide, or track, up to rip both butted pieces simultaneously. Basically the edge guide will split the two butted pieces of material and the saw kerf will cut a new edge on both pieces at the same time. If everything is setup properly, you should have two edges that butt up to each other and any deviation in off set from 90 degrees will be cancelled.

    Mark Singer used this same type of method to rip, and joint, some 12' wenge sections for a table, probably one of his last builds shared here. He did not use a track, or track saw, but used a straight section of aluminum. Same sequence though.

    I used Bob and John's methods to cut some 8/4 padauk for a table top. The results were pretty good. It was this cut that maneuvered me to buy a Festool TS75, or get a 10" + circular saw for my EZ tracks.
    Any track saw is going to lose some depth of cut running on the track. A 7 1/4" circular saw, on an EZ track will not make this cut, nor will a 8 1/2" worm drive on a EZ track. I know this from experience. The Festools lose less due to the design of the guide rails. I don't know that the FestoolTS55 will do it, but the TS75 will. If you were closer I'd just loan you my TS75 and guide rails.

    As I said in the beginning, it may be easier, and cheaper, depending on the tools you already own, to find a place to have the slabs milled and joined.
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 11-17-2018 at 8:42 AM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Van Huskey View Post
    Interesting first three options, Michelle's cheap, Paul's sorta expensive and Darcy's expensive route. My first choice in my shop (even if I had a SLR) would be my TS75, depending on the thickness the 160mm saws (TS55, Dewalt, Makita et al) may not have the depth or guts for the cut.
    One SLR was less than a long guide rail (it is a super nice machine with a new chain and race) one was as much as a ts55 and the other was like two ts75s.

    I would be done in 5 minutes though.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cutler View Post
    If you were closer I'd just loan you my TS75 and guide rails.
    When I read this I had to check where Terry lives... closer than you but still 600 miles from me.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  15. #15
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    Speaking of slabs, check out this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JMchU9neyU

    slabs.JPG
    NOW you tell me...

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