# Cutting paper with a table saw



## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

I'm an entrepreneur who does woodworking for a hobby (I love to save money!). I keep stacks of used paper and currently use a heavy duty paper trimmer to cut stacks of paper into quarters then bind the edges with glue to use as notepads - the office loves them.

I recently picked up a 13-amp Delta table saw (I love it!) and am curious if my saw could cut stacks of paper. I don't know how a stack of paper compares density wise to wood and I don't want to blow something up…

Any tips?


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I think you're looking for trouble here but I suppose if you could figure out some way of securely clamping the stack to a sled of some sort is possible.


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## levan (Mar 30, 2010)

I'm with Robert on this one

*I think you're looking for trouble*


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I wouldn't try it. The saw will likely cut it just well, the edges will be fairly rough but the bigger problem will be controlling the paper for the cut. Unless you find a way to secure it to a sled that will be very tough to do. If you insist on cutting it on a saw, try a bandsaw.


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

You probably can do it using a jig that resemble a flower/wine press. It has to be longer than the size of the paper so the saw doesn't completely cut the bottom in half and barely touch the bottom of the press plate.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Paper is quite dense and should be perfectly fine to cut on the saw if suitable supported, for instance on a zero clearance sled.
Let us know if you succeed!


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## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

Yes you can cut paper on your table saw using a fine blade. Take a stack about as thick as you can go and use packing tap to bind the bundle then cut through it. I haven't done this in years but if I remember correctly the majority of the paper is cut good. Also if you have a scroll saw bind up your little pads the same way drill a small hole insert the blade and you can cut out little pictures or monograms. And for everyone's information you can cut cardboard quite well, cut plexiglass and even aluminum and brass sheet with the right blades.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I buy my shop towels in huge rolls that I cut down. I use my bandsaw, and have enough trouble doing that. It tends to clog the blade and shorten the lifespan.
I would not even think about putting paper through my table saw. A ream of paper will get caught, dragged down, who knows what happens then…


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## jshroyer (Nov 10, 2013)

Band saw should cut it well. I cut cardboard on my bandsaw because i never have a box cutter to cut up a box in my garage for recycling. It might dull my blade a bit bit i buy cheap blades already.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I think it can be done if you sandwich the stacks of paper, tightly between 2 sheets of plywood. They also make special knife cutting blades. I think Tenyru makes some.


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## RichardHillius (Oct 19, 2013)

How about cutting it on a cross cut sled with a sacrificial hold down strip of 1/4" plywood?


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## SirIrb (Jan 12, 2015)

two sheets of ply clamping the paper. ride on the fence. sounds good to me. will have rough edges. You can buy a paper cutter. A tool for every job. Hence why I chop onions with my knife and not my table saw.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Sounds like an invitation to a disaster. But hey follow all the above advice and make a video to share with us.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

If you have a heavy duty paper trimmer already why not stick with that? You get nice clean edges with that - you'll certainly have a ragged mess with a table saw.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

> I think it can be done if you sandwich the stacks of paper, tightly between 2 sheets of plywood. They also make special knife cutting blades. I think Tenyru makes some.
> 
> - MrRon


That's what I was thinking too…


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

MDF would work well for the sandwich, and it's cheaper and flatter than plywood.

I cut stacks and single sheets of very thin veneer all the time this way.


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## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

Wow… This is one hell of a community - I'm blown away by all the responses!

I have quite a bit of paper so my paper slicer will take too long. I think I'm going to build a MDF sled that will allow me to sandwich a stack of paper and tighten it down as needed. Then I'm going to take it oh so very slowly. It's still just scratch paper so if it shreds and makes a mess then it's not the end of the world!

I'll do my best to document it all, but I'm backed up at work so it may not happen right away.

Thanks again!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I heard of a couple unisaws used for paper cutting. A sled with piece to hole the paper down should be easy.


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## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

I'm currenty using a 50T Diablo multi-purpose. Anyone see any issues with me using that blade? I don't want to go buy a new blade just for this if I don't need to.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

By heavy duty paper cutter, do you mean a stack cutter?










Because if you have one of those, I fail to see how the table saw would be faster or better. They are super quick and easy to adjust and use. Remember that paper and cardboard are also hard on saw blades.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I'd think more teeth = faster cut.


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## leafherder (Jan 20, 2013)

Congratulations on being an entrepreneur. Great job on saving money (I hope you are taking the amount saved and investing it for retirement). I have been doing the home-made notepad thing for about 30 years - when I started my co-workers made fun of me but they all used my notepads, and when I left for another job they complained that they had to start buying notepads from the office supply store.

Now about your question: Google "how to make a book box" instructions on how to cut the pages out of an old book to make a secret compartment box. There are videos that show you how to sandwich the paper pages between cardboard or thin pieces of wood so you can use power saws to cut the paper, leaving a nice clean edge. You should be able to adapt the technique to your situation. Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

> By heavy duty paper cutter, do you mean a stack cutter?
> 
> Because if you have one of those, I fail to see how the table saw would be faster or better. They are super quick and easy to adjust and use. Remember that paper and cardboard are also hard on saw blades.
> 
> - JAAune


Nope!
More like this


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## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

> Congratulations on being an entrepreneur. Great job on saving money (I hope you are taking the amount saved and investing it for retirement). I have been doing the home-made notepad thing for about 30 years - when I started my co-workers made fun of me but they all used my notepads, and when I left for another job they complained that they had to start buying notepads from the office supply store.
> 
> Now about your question: Google "how to make a book box" instructions on how to cut the pages out of an old book to make a secret compartment box. There are videos that show you how to sandwich the paper pages between cardboard or thin pieces of wood so you can use power saws to cut the paper, leaving a nice clean edge. You should be able to adapt the technique to your situation. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
> 
> - leafherder


Perfect! Thank you so much (and yes I'm living poor and investing like a wall street exec!).


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

> By heavy duty paper cutter, do you mean a stack cutter?
> 
> Because if you have one of those, I fail to see how the table saw would be faster or better. They are super quick and easy to adjust and use. Remember that paper and cardboard are also hard on saw blades.
> 
> ...


Pro Tip:

Stack cutters are the most ingenious devices ever invented for doing small veneer projects. A quality one is like having a mini veneer guillotine in the shop and the price is way lower.

There. I just gave you an excuse to buy a new woodworking tool.


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## mwatson2 (Apr 9, 2015)

Well I hope everyone learned something from all of this. I just discovered that my Kinkos will cut a stack of 100 pages for $2 per CUT with their hydraulic cutter.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't know about paper but I cut lots of cardboard on my table saw with out incident. I get good clean cut also.


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## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

You should only use your WOODworking tools to cut WOOD or things made out of WOOD. You should never use them to cut paper because paper is made out of, um, well, ................................


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

> paper is made out of, um, well, ................................
> - Picklehead


Rags. There, i just learned something: rag rhymes with snag for a reason. So, paper and WW machinery do not mix.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Your question has already been answered, but in the '70s, I ran a power shear that was originally used to cut newspaper as a part time job while studying at the university. I mainly cut voice coil formers for JBL speakers, out of Nomex. That blade was 4 feet wide, 7" high, and razor sharp. I could cut stuff up like you have never seen it done, and used a micrometer to get the width right. I don't recommend using a table saw for cutting paper. It will dull a blade way faster than wood does. Paper may be made of wood, but it has a pile of unpleasant properties from processing that dull blades, quick time.


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