# DIY Panel SAw



## TheRock (Mar 22, 2012)

I need to remodel my wife's kitchen (or get a new wife, and that is no fun). I have a Ryobi BT 3000 table saw but it just is not large enough to cut a full sheet of plywood. My dad taught Industrial Arts for 38 years and had four boys. When he needed to cut a full sheet of plywood my brothers and I became board holders. I have six daughters. They are worthless in the garage. They simply cannot hold a sheet of plywood with their fingers in their ears because the saw is too loud; hence, my need for a DIY Panel Saw.

I saw this one recently: 




Does anyone know anything about this panel saw kit?


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## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

I don't know anything about the kit but years ago I built my own pannel saw. This looks like a good product I'd have bought it back then.
MIKE


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## lizardhead (Aug 15, 2010)

Rock: That is so funny, I can see a mental picture of your girls with their fingers in their ears, Yukky, Dad


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## JulianLech (Jan 13, 2011)

First time I've seen this panel saw but it looks like a good product. The only problem I see with panel saws is that they take up a lot of space. I typically cut plywood sheets with a straight edge and circular saw and then take it to the table saw for final cuts. And with an outfeed table I can cut 8 ft long pieces by myself with no problem. Unless you plan on using the panel saw often you might be better off taking your money and investing in a bigger table saw.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I recommend vertical saws over large table saws. They are
more reliably accurate due to gravity, though setting them
up to cut square requires some insight. They don't consume
so much floor space and allow one to forgo elaborate outfeed
setups used when cutting large panels on the table saw.

One of the problems with lower-end panel saws is that they
often lack a shoe that rides on the wood. Thus tearout 
happens and you get one "good" side and one "bad" side. 
When a third axis is added to allow the saw shoe to plunge
and ride on the work, tear-out is controlled. Some industrial
saws have scoring blades.

Anyway, you won't get finished edges when crosscutting with
a panel saw like the one in the video. Ripping with the grain
of surface veneers works better. You will however get 
squarer crosscuts of full sheets of ply and find ripping full
sheets is made much easier. Cut quality can be improved
by laying masking tape over the cut line prior to cutting.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I have the newer version of your saw, a Ryobi BT3100, and even with the wide table kit, I hate cutting full sheets on it. I would rather move the blade through the wood, not the wood through the blade… So I use a cutting guide and circular saw to cut down my sheet goods… With careful measurement, I get clean accurate cuts, without the added risk and hernias of cutting on the TS…


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## bluekingfisher (Mar 30, 2010)

It looks a great bit of kit, but, so it doesn't cost $3000, so what does it cost?


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## joebloe (Feb 13, 2012)

I just looked at the web site,looks like a good set up.But you will end up spending about $500.00 total for the set up plus a saw.If you are going to be using it a lot I can see getting it. But if your not I would just use a pair of saw horses.2-3 2/4/8's,a good straight edge, a couple of C clamps and a circular saw,and keep the $500.00 in your pocket.I have built a lot of cabinets this way.Also works great for the router.


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## Tornado (Jun 17, 2009)

Have you heard of a company called Safety Speed Manufacturing? They manufacture a home hobbyist model called the PRO2K Vertical Panel Saw that sells for $899. It is all set up for you including the motor and they guarantee an accuracy of 1/32" out of the box. They are also offering free lower extensions for a limited time. Here is a link to their website www.panelpro.com. My neighbor has one of these and uses it all the time and loves it!


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Just a suggestion of a completely different option you may not have considered … most large cabinet shops have automated systems for cutting sheet goods. You might find one that would be willing to cut the parts for your cases, and it might be less than the cost of a panel saw.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

I've got some 1" hardened tubing that I use with some linear bearings for jigs now. The manual on the website includes plans to build the frame. I've got a bunch of pine 2X4's cut and the rails, bearings and 1/2" plastic sheeting for the saw & router base… Looks like a new project. I have a yard barn to build and a panel saw would do the cuts I need to make and keep them straight without buying a sliding miter saw…


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## TheRock (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks for all the input. My time is limited enough that I would much prefer to have a panel saw over using a circular saw, saw horses and a straight edge of some kind. I really like the fact that you can swap the saw for the router so quickly. It looks like a really elegant design. It can take me up to 15 min. (or more) to get the datto in my table saw. (It is a real pain because the access is so limited.)

If I get this kit (and I probably will) I will share photos.

Thanks,

TheRock


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## Vincent (Mar 10, 2009)

Shopnotes volume 4 had a plan for a home built panel saw. You can get the plan these days from Plans Now for $5.95. It was built from plywood, 2×8s and electrical conduit.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

TheRock, get you girls some ear protection. I make my grandsons put them on when in the shop.

(or get a new wife, and that is no fun). 
I'm thinking about trading my wife for two thirties.


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

+1 on vincent's shopnotes comment. only needs as much wall space as you want to allocate for cutting. but i'd skip the traditional panel saw as it needs 16' of uninterrupted wall space for max efficiency. sell the bt3, buy a real TS, construct a simple outfeed table and make a worbench mobile, using it for an infeed support. i routinely rip 4×8 sheet goods this way alone and never have a problem. if that's not comfortable for you, get your circular saw, an edge guide and a 4×8 sheet of 2" ridgid insulation. use it to support the sheet goods on the ground so there's no heavy lifting. cheape and faster than buying plans and materials for making a panel saw.


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## TheRock (Mar 22, 2012)

Knothead 62,

No worries with my daughter's hearing. They just leave when the power equipment comes on. I do have ear plugs but I would have to get their fingers out of their ears to put the ear plugs in


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I don't feel panels are good replacements for table saws. In my experiance using panel saws (factory made ones)is that they are not that accurate ,the material is hard to line up and the cut is rough. I feel investing in the material to make some infeed and outfeed tables might be your answer or making a shop made track saw. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/56166


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## TheRock (Mar 22, 2012)

a1Jim,

I can sure see where a traditional panel saw would be hard to line up. The kit I am looking at has carriages made out of see-throu-ium (polycarbonate). You should be able to easily see exactly where you are cutting with one of these. The saw itself is certain to get in the way. Maybe someday they will have a transparent saw  (I sort of doubt it.)


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

TheRock

It sounds like this is a tool you really want ,I know it would never work for me just because of all the space it takes up but if it's what you want I'd say go for it .We all have to explore what equipment works for each of us. Let us know how it works out.


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

I never like to be the guy that discourages someone from a tool purchase, but I wouldn't add a panel saw unless I was sure that I would be doing a large volume of plywood projects moving forward. Even then I don't think I would personally do it, but it would be a worthy consideration at that point.

If I had the money burning a hole in my pocket I would buy a nice circular track saw system. Since I rarely have extra money, I made one of these for a few $$: http://www.wwgoa.com/articles/one-great-tip/shop-made-circular-saw-guide/

I find that I can get as good or better quality on this than I an on my Unisaw, and it is much easier to bring the tool to the plywood rather than other way around.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

It is useful to understand that you won't get cabinetmaker quality
crosscuts off a panel saw that runs on elevated rails. There will
be tear-out and squareness may or may not be a problem, depending
on what tolerances you work to. Panels can be broken down
to perhaps 1/2" oversized and resized on the table saw with a 
crosscut sled to finished dimension.

I don't much like reaching over a panel to cut it with a track saw
on the horizontal, but the track saw systems are accurate with
some care can make finished cuts in most cabinet parts due to
the superior tear-out control in the various systems. They are
also desirable tools so resale value is very strong. If you can
tolerate cutting on the horizontal, the EZsmart cabinetmaker 
system would be a comparable dollar investment to a panel
saw kit, make tear-out free and square repeatable cuts pretty
much right out of the box, and have a resale value of 85%
of new cost or more, as well as being shippable and portable
for jobsite or outdoor use.

I have a vertical panel saw under construction myself but it 
is a much more high-end style of thing modeled on a Holz-her
and I have a lot of time into building it and the investment
in linear bearings and metal components was not insubstantial.

I owned 3 other panel saws before and had a Festool track saw
for several years as well and have had several good table saws.
None of those systems satisfied me for straight and square 
cuts in sheet goods with minimal tear-out, repeatability, 
consistent squareness and ease of handling 90 lb panels
by myself.


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

Here is my inexpensive, easy, and safe way to handle sheet goods.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/29870

Good luck.


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