Best method to cross cut sheet goods over 16 inches, ie.e 24 inch?

[Jimmy Harris]

If you're not doing a bunch of cuts like this, I'd just clamp a level or some kind of straight edge to the board and use a circular saw. They make aluminum clamp guides specifically for this as well. I have a cheap one from Harbor Freight that I have no complaints with. The level works better on really thin stock that might compress under the purpose made aluminum saw camp guides, as they want to squeeze the wood.

Kreg also makes some circular saw jigs for this type of stuff that people seen to like. But I've never used them.

[Bill Howatt]

I made a guide by fastening a straight-edge, used aluminum angle, to a piece of 1/2" (IIRC) ply that had a base wider than the distance from the straight-edge to the blade. Then put the saw against the edge and cut away the excess width. This give you an edge on the ply that is exactly where the blade will cut - no need to add/subtract the distance from the blade to the fence when laying out the cut. Only thing to watch out for is the blade width depending on whether you are cutting on the good or waste side of the line.

[Tim Greif]

I've used this saw guide for many years in crosscuts and ripping sheet goods to size. It's basically a zero-clearance guide. You can make shorter versions for shorter cross cuts so it isn't so unwieldy for short cuts. Construction is very simple. Rip a factory edge off a piece of nice quality plywood, at least 4 inches wide. Take a piece of tempered hardboard and attach it to the plywood from the bottom with screws leaving the factory plywood edge toward the saw location. The hardboard needs to extend wider than the saw cut. Put a fine tooth blade in the saw and push it along the guide, trimming the hardboard to the exact width of your saw and blade combo. This creates the zero clearance guide edge. Clamp the guide to your workpiece and cut away. As Jim mentioned, be mindful to keep the saw firmly against the plywood guide edge as you cut to eliminate wander.

I've used this successfully with hardwood plywood and melamine with great results.

IMG_3200.jpgIMG_3205.jpgIMG_3206.jpg

[Tom M King]

Tim and Bill's are pretty much the same as mine except I trim one side with a router for use with that router and straight spiral bit. That leaves either side wide enough to use quick clamps when wanted and be out of the way of the saw motor for deep cuts on stacks of plywood. I have one for trimming interior door bottoms that has to be over 40 years old. I used to use 1/4" Birch for the bottoms when that was readily available and had leftovers from cabinet backs. I have a couple now with 1/4" Luan bottoms.

Even my helpers that couldn't read a tape measure could make straight cuts with these.

That 60 tooth Diablo blade does a plenty good enough job for me, as seen in the pictures with the T1-11 cuts, and is less than 20 bucks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18558139769...Bk9SR_qdz5qaYw

[Cameron Wood]

I have several that I made years ago from masonite. When the edge at the blade gets funky, I flip it over & run through the table saw to take a little off the fence edge. I have a triple chip blade for cutting door bottoms that can handle the little nails that often hide there.

That's all good, but the OP's question was about cross cutting plywood for cabinets. Using a saw guide and getting it square for each cut would be tedious.

[andy bessette]

...I do not have a track saw...

This is why you are having difficulty. You will regret not having bought one sooner.

[Benjimin Young]

Some great suggestions and I look forward to implementing once I get my shop moved. I will most likely start with circular saw, a good blade and homemade guide, maybe upgrade to a commercial track if I can find one in my budget. I will be adding a table saw extension, not just for table saw use but also to hold full sheets while I cut them down with a circular saw; nice pics Bob. Again, thanks to all.

[Tom M King]

Depending on your height, a table saw may be a little high to reach all the way across comfortably. Since we always did that cutting outside so the sawdust didn't have to be cleaned up, I always just used 2x's on sawhorses. A sharp pencil helps to mark an arrow point on each side to set the guide to. It's a pretty quick process once you get the system down.

[Jim Dwight]

I agree with Jim Becker. There are many ways to cut up plywood. I used my circular saw with a home made "shoot board", just two layers of 1/4 inch plywood glued together, for decades. I agree completely with those saying it can work fine. But I wandered off the guide sometimes and it did not work fine. Over time, the value of the material I damaged doing this was not inconsequential. A more skilled operator could undoubtedly do better. But it is a lot more difficult to wander away from the guide with a track saw. You have to lift the saw off the guide. In addition, the plywood edge of my home made guides got eroded over time and failed to tell me where the saw would cut. That happens to the sacrificial edge of the track saw track too but then you spend about $20 and put another edge on. The blade I use on the church's track saw is a circular saw blade so I do not doubt that a circular saw can also make a high quality cut but I never got as good of a cut from my circular saws as I routinely get with track saws. Maybe the bearings in track saws are better but that seems like a stress now that they are getting inexpensive although they still are higher priced than many circular saws.

I think it is also interesting to see who argues against track saws. It is predominantly if not totally people who do not own one. In many cases people who have not used one. I do not remember seeing anybody comment "I bought one and it didn't work so I went back to a guided circular saw". I found the track saw to be more handy than I thought when I bought it. Other volunteers at church have, over time, started to be converted. Track saws are not perfect and don't work miracles but they are a good way to make cuts on big workpieces - solid wood or sheet goods.

[Tom M King]

Quote from OP: "wanted to ask what other Creekers do to create square cross cut sheet goods around 24" wide utilizing economical solutions"

I have managed to build probably a million dollars worth of cabinets, and forget how many millions of dollars worth of houses that contain those cabinets without a track saw, and don't remember ever damaging anything with my simple saw guides, or wasting enough time for a commercial track saw to be worth the cost. The OP was asking about an economical solution for building some shop cabinets. I would never have any reason to suggest such a question get answered by suggesting to spend multiple hundreds of dollars for an "economical solution", especially for just building shop cabinets.

[Warren Lake]

made a thing like shown only 3/4 baltic. Put laminate on the guiding edge for the tool. Made it so the bottom section is bolted on and can be moved so you can always refresh the leading edge. made from scrap over 40 years on it and likely advanced it as far as I can go now. Mostly used a skill saw rough cut over by 1/16th and then cut with a router. This on large tops too large and heavy to put on a table saw.

[Edward Weber]

All of this is, of course, personal opinion.
Track saws are nice to have, but not necessary for a precise clean cut. If I had a need, I would own one, I don't cut much sheet product.

Track saws are what many reach for these days before they ever consider anything else, whether it's actually necessary or not. You see ads with guys crosscutting a 2x6 using one. I know this might be a shock to some but we used to cut wood straight and clean before track saws. There used to be a thing called "following a line".
When using a guide, I always have the drop portion on the free side of the guide/clamp. If you do happen to wonder away from the guide, you don't damage the keeper piece of the sheet. This is just common sense.
They may be safer, with less likelihood of kickback and anyone can cut a straight line but they are expensive and not necessary for occasional use.

I'm with Tom on this.
OP wanted an inexpensive solution, that's one thing a track saw isn't.

[andy bessette]

I have always been challenged with accurately cross cutting sheet goods square when making pieces that are wider than 16"...
wanted to ask what other Creekers do to create square cross cut sheet goods around 24" wide utilizing economical solutions, i.e not a sliding table or expensive track saw system?

Reading between the lines I interpreted this as saying:

"I have struggled my whole life trying unsuccessfully to crosscut large sheet goods. Surely there are other members here who are also too cheap to buy what actually has been well proven to work?"

I am also cheap, but not so cheap as to prolong the struggle or seek advice from others who insist on struggling. My own solution was to buy a used Festool track saw, track and Systainer for $350. This was many years ago, after having got by with homemade guides and such, and wasting a lot of time I can never get back. Of course there are many other functions the track saw does better than anything else I've come across in my 80 years, like plunge cutting, crosscutting without tear-out, straightening rough boards, etc.

I could have taken the attitude: "If he dismisses the very best solutions, offhand, let him continue to struggle." But there actually are economical solutions, such as buying used.

[Derek Kessler]

If you can't afford a track saw, then just buy a circular saw and make your own track for it. Another option to consider is the Kreg Rip Cut. I've had one for a few years now and it works great. Basically does the same thing as a track saw; works with any standard circular saw, and is less expensive.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Best method to cross cut sheet goods over 16 inches, ie.e 24 inch?

For me it's a cordless Makita track saw and a set of Woodpecker's Parallel Guides.

I tried the shop made route and ended badly.
I tried ripping a full sheet on a light weight jobsite table saw and that ended worse.

The cordless setup saves me a ton of money.
Instead of needing a truck or van to haul sheets of plywood, I just take the saw and guides to the store - cut the pieces to final size - and haul them home in my Hyundai Kona.
That's a nice plus from not having to drive around a truck so I could haul sheet goods a few times a year.