Crosscut thick slab

[Russell Stanton]

My son and I are doing a natural edge slab dining room table. The slab is about 2-3/4" thick and about 40" wide at each end, 100" long. We need to crosscut each end and need advice on how to do this. A normal circular saw with the 7 -1/4 blade won't do it in one pass and cutting from both sides is difficult due to getting a precise line-up.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Russell, if you had a location and were near me, I would loan you my worm drive saw with a 10" blade. Look around your area for some timber framers. They usually have saws that will cut your slab. Failing that, use a sharp handsaw.
Joe

[John TenEyck]

A jigsaw with a long blade will do it. Not as rough as you might first think either.

John

[Roy Harding]

Following on to Joe's suggestion of a sharp hand saw - use your 7 ¼" circular saw and a straight edge to cut as deep a kerf as possible. You can then finish the cut with a handsaw relatively easily. The long jigsaw blade suggestion is also a good solution.

That said, I don't understand why you can't use a circular saw to make two cuts, one from the top, and one from the bottom. Understanding that it's a live edge slab, I might make the first cut with the circular saw, then use a handsaw to cut through just a ¼" or so at both ends - voila, you can now see where your kerf needs to be on the second side.

OR, find a friend with a 12" slider, OR, rig up adequate support and use a bandsaw (this one is probably the least desirable, given the size of you slab - 100" long).

If none of those solutions are acceptable, perhaps a local cabinet shop or mill could make the cuts for you (for a price, of course).

It is an interesting quandary, for sure - but there're lots of ways to skin this particular cat - best of luck to you. I (and I'm sure others) would be interested to learn how you eventually make the cuts.

[Matt Day]

Cut as deep as possible with the circular saw, finish the cut with a handsaw, use a flush cut bit with the router to clean it up.

[Rod Sheridan]

My son and I are doing a natural edge slab dining room table. The slab is about 2-3/4" thick and about 40" wide at each end, 100" long. We need to crosscut each end and need advice on how to do this. A normal circular saw with the 7 -1/4 blade won't do it in one pass and cutting from both sides is difficult due to getting a precise line-up.

I would talk to a local cabinet shop with a sliding table saw.

They will cut it in one pass...............Regards, Rod.

[Ted Calver]

The Festool TS-75 track saw does 2 3/4". Maybe someone near you will volunteer to help.

[Adrian Anguiano]

Get 2 2x4 and 2 clamps. Make sure the one edge on the each 2x4 is straight. Clamp them onto the slab. Make sure that the edges align with a ruler on each end. Also make sure the boards are 90 degrees to the slab so you get a square cut. and then use your circular saw on one side, then flip it over, and cut the other side.

About the cheapest way to do it with limited tool and time.

rhick.jpg

[Adrian Anguiano]

A jigsaw with a long blade will do it. Not as rough as you might first think either.

I do agree with John that a good long jigsaw blade will do a clean cut, and no tear out if you masking tape both sides. You may get some blade tilting though

[John TenEyck]

Brilliant. Saw that somewhere else recently but forgot. I won't forget again. Thanks for posting that.

John

[Roy Harding]

Get 2 2x4 and 2 clamps. Make sure the one edge on the each 2x4 is straight. Clamp them onto the slab. Make sure that the edges align with a ruler on each end. Also make sure the boards are 90 degrees to the slab so you get a square cut. and then use your circular saw on one side, then flip it over, and cut the other side.

About the cheapest way to do it with limited tool and time.

rhick.jpg

Ding, Ding, Ding - we have a winner. That's brilliant - and is the technique I will use in the future if this conundrum ever comes up. Thanks Adrian!!

[Adrian Anguiano]

No problem.

If it's something you will use often then put those 2 boards on a flat table and sandwich them together. Clamp them so they don't move. Drill a 1/4 or 3/8" Hole through both boards on each end. Go buy some threaded rod and put them through the holes with some knobs. This way you won't need a ruler to keep them parallel aligned.

I think I saw this on a diy show where they were building a pergula with a huge post. And that's how they cut the top square.

[Andrew Hughes]

Cross cutting wide thick slabs is best done with a handsaw.This allows you to see how much tension is in the wood as you cut the kerf will usually close behind the blade.Sometime wedges are needed to open things back up just to get the blade out.The cut may not be as clean as you like but the circular saw will probably burn your end grain.I don't like cleaning up burnt end grain.
I have a nice old handsaw I bought from Mike Allen that I use to break down slabs.The saw kerf are easly planed away,And a perfect surface is ready.
I confess to not reading all the post so if someone as already mentioned a handsaw I agree.👍

[Clarence Martin]

Three ways to go about it.


1. Cut it with a reciprocating Saw.

2. Rent a makita 16 inch Circular saw.

3. Jig Saw.

[Clarence Martin]

Come to think of it, if you have the room, you could get some roller stands and just slide it across a table saw.