How would you cut a large panel to size

[Jim W. White]

I treated myself to a Kreg Accu-Cut circular saw guide system for my cordless saw last year when I was building a murphy bed. (I don't normally work with a lot of sheet goods but the bed project made it a necessity; and I couldn't justify a full blown track saw set-up)

I was very happy with this piece of kit, I paired it with the FRUED 60 tooth blade below. I've since used it to cross cut some very hard wood boards since then (Maple and Chechen) and the cuts have been phenomenal.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

Jim in Idaho

[Christian Hawkshaw]

I'd do the cut with the saw proud of the final line and then template route in multiple passes to get that perfect surface with little or no tear-out. Blades with more teeth can certainly provide a cleaner cut, but with an unsupported edge as is the case with a "non track saw", there can still be issues as the blade exits the wood. I've honestly used a jigsaw to do the ends of thick tables prior to using the pattern routing technique to clean things up. (and that works well for curved ends, too)

This is what I usually do...Cut proud with the saw, and clean up with router in a few passes...

[Rich Engelhardt]

Having a track saw means you get to sit back and read all the workarounds people go through to do what you can do in about 4 minutes.

I would lay my Makita track down on the cut line, run the cut with my Makita cordless track saw, then blow off the sawdust and pack it all up in the Systainer until the next time I needed it.

Track saws are not just for breaking down sheet goods.

[Warren Lake]

worm drive over the line, router with straight edge originally made for doing that.

[Brian Runau]

Bought a new HF 60t blade, won't use it much, test was good. Route the edge clean and do it upside down being aware of tear out on the end of the router pass. Thanks all. Brian

[Richard Coers]

A top bearing pattern bit run against a jointed edge clamped the piece.

If you do this, clamp a scrap board on the side grain so the router bit doesn't blow out the grain at the end of the cut!

[Christian Hawkshaw]

Having a track saw means you get to sit back and read all the workarounds people go through to do what you can do in about 4 minutes.

I would lay my Makita track down on the cut line, run the cut with my Makita cordless track saw, then blow off the sawdust and pack it all up in the Systainer until the next time I needed it.

Track saws are not just for breaking down sheet goods.

I use a Makita track saw as well, but still clean up via the router with a compression bit on the end grain. I can get a much better finishing that needs less sanding than the saw leaves. I usually just have to take off about 1/32 of an inch or less... I am just a hobbyist, so I can spend a little more time doing this...doesn't take too long.

[johnny means]

Really? Freehand?

[Jim Dwight]

I would also use my track saw but the OP doesn't apparently have one. Could be a good excuse, I guess. One of the track saws I use, the one at church, is an Evolution saw which will take a "normal" 7.25 inch blade. The blade it came with can be used for wood but cuts metal too. I got a new blade for it shortly after getting it and it works very well for fine cross cuts like this. It is a 60 tooth diablo by Freud. Not expensive but it works well. With that on a circular saw of decent quality I would expect a nice clean cut.

I have never seen the need to clean up track saw end grain cuts made with my DeWalt track saw including on several cherry table tops. A few passes with my Bosch 1250 DEVS sander is all the clean up they need. If you do this on your table saw cuts then I guess you would want to on track saw cuts. But in my experience, track saw cuts are at least as good as table saw cuts so cleaning them up with a router doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I've never tried it, however.

[Michael Burnside]

I would use this as an excuse for a new tool and buy a track saw! They were built for this, I have something similar coming up with a miter and I’ll be using my TSC55

[Ole Anderson]

Every new project deserves a new tool. Track saw in this instance.

[Brian Runau]

Panel is cut and stained. 60T blade on a circular saw with flush trim bit clean up came out very good pretty flat. Break my arm patting myself on the back, came out pretty flat. Brian

kitchen table top.jpgkitchen table top 1.jpg

[Robert L Stewart]

Awsome grain, beautiful color

[Brian Runau]

Top is complete and installed on the table base. Bought the chairs, made the table for a little eat in kitchen set. Thanks for the help. Brian

table 1.jpgtable.jpg