# How to Handle Large Sheets of Plywood on the Tablesaw?



## MikeInGA

I'm new to woodworking so i haven't quite worked out a solution for myself just yet; I was wondering what your method is for handling large sheets of plywood on the tablesaw. My saw has a rip capacity of only about 32" so in some cases, i'm having to cut "on the wrong side of the blade". That isn't such a horrible thing i guess but the real issue is that i'm having a tough time feeding the plywood and keeping it tight against the fence at the same time. Even with some infeed / outfeed rollers, its still pretty difficult to really get an accurate cut. short of getting a buddy to come by to help, i'm not sure what i could do differently.

Thanks,
Mike


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## RussellAP

Before someone comes in and fillets you, let me say welcome to LJ.

We try to discourage our friends from cutting large sheets of plywood on a TS in hopes that they might keep their fingers and hands so they can continue woodworking, or at least updating LJ.

It's best to use a circular saw for sheets of plywood too large for your TS. A couple of clamps and a straight iron can be a great guide for the saw on long cuts.


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## enurdat1

Welcome Mike. I 2nd Russell's thoughts. Using a circular saw is so much safer and easier. I use a couple of saw horses with 4 2×4"S between them to support everything. Quick set up and easy cutting.


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## interpim

I purchased a straight edge clamp from Harbor Freight a few weeks back for this exact purpose… ran me $20, and it has given me excellent results cutting sheet goods with a circular saw. Handling full sheets on the TS is asking for trouble.


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## Sawkerf

I have my TS set up at the garage door facing in. My workbench is right behind it and serves as my outfeed table. I back the pickup into the driveway, set up a couple of roller stands, set my rip fence. I can slide the sheets out of the truck, across the roller stands, and across the saw pretty easily.


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## ShipWreck

Mike…. do it with a circular saw. There are a million different type of straight edges out there that cut just as straight as a table saw. It's a 100 times safer.


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## a1Jim

Some saws you can rip and cross cut full sheets of ply but it sounds like your saw is not large enough to handle full sheets of ply but if cut it down to manageable sizes you can then use a table saw sled and or out feed table.


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## ArlinEastman

Mike Welcome to LJs

I work from a chair and use a circular saw with a straight edge to keep it straight. There is alittle off set from the blade to the straight edge and you can measure that out and Wha La it is done.

Arlin

PS - You can clamp the straight edge down on the same piece of plywood


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## sandhill

Cutting you sheet goods on the table saw is insane and never safe in any way what so ever and never cut without a splitter installed on the table saw. If your cutting panels for cabinets cut them a little oversize then use a home made panel sled to get them exactly square. If you have the money get the FesTool TS 55 for about $550.00 new and the track guide for $285 they will do as good or better then a table saw plus its portable and you can cut long panels. I can't afford one right now but as soon as I can I will get one. In the mean time I would do as interpim did get a straight edge clamp.


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## sandhill

.


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## a1Jim

I've ripped full sheets of ply by myself on my table saw for years, and they haven't taken me away yet. LOL
As far as a track saw is concerned many folks prefer them but you can use a straight edge (just a straight board) will do the job of a guide for your circular saw with out a large outlay of cash. There's nothing wrong with track saws but unless you cutting large sheets of ply everyday I would spend my money elsewhere if you are just putting you shop together there are many tools that are higher priorities IMO.


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## DaleM

I have to disagree completely with the comment above that cutting sheet goods on a tablesaw is insane and never safe. I do it at work all the time, but, and this is a big but, when cutting down full sheets we always use two people to do it safely. Since you already said that isn't an option for you other than getting a buddy to come by just for that purpose every time, then I would recommend using the straight edge and circular saw for cutting larger pieces (the way I do it at home) and use the tablesaw for smaller pieces.


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## crank49

I never cut anything on my table saw wider than 30". Preferably 24" or less.
Like almost everyone else here, I prefer a circular saw with a straight edge.

I am planning to build a sort of rack to let me use the circular saw like a track saw. I think that will be the best.

Anyway, welcome to LJ and be safe.


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## Viking

Mike;

Here is how I do it safely.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/29870

Good luck.


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## PurpLev

while it can be done safely on the TS, I always always always go the easy way out and always cut sheet goods by myself on the floor (well, on some 3/4" MDF sheets as backerboards) with a straight edge and a circular saw and most of the time get a finished cut on the first cut - no need to trim or clean up on the TS later.

safer, easier (weight and control) and gets me precise cuts without the need for 2nd operation.


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## dkirtley

I also am in the circular saw with a guide or a tracksaw camp.

On the other hand, it is too vague of a question because it depends. When you say tablesaw, it could mean anything from the little $79 disasters from the big box store all the way up to the monster European style sliding table. Given a big table with lots of support in all directions, stock management/feed and extra helping hands, it is no different than cutting a 2×4. On a contractor saw with an outfeed table, it is problematic and takes care and experience. On a little cheapie 30lb "hobby" saw, it is outright dangerous and a good way to hurt yourself badly.


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## Loren

Long rollers can pull the stock away… or if it gets out of
alignment they support linear motion in one direction
only. You can avoid this by using things like the Triton
multistands or the Ridgid fliptop stands, both have slick
plastic bearing surfaces that don't introduce much directional
bias. The Triton can clamp a 2×4 in its jaws and make for 
a long support to the left of the saw.

Also "Board Buddies" and related widgets can help 
keep the sheet tighter to the fence.

That said, I have alternative systems for breaking down 
full sheets and usually use those. I'm not a fan of breaking
up full sheets on a saw that isn't designed for it or built out
to do it.


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## waho6o9

Welcome to LJs MikeInGA!

To continue enjoying your new hobby, I would suggest following the above advice and use a straight edge and circular saw. If lead times allow, have the lumber yard rip them down for you. There's usually no charge if you give them the time to do it. I would have them rip it in half and it has worked out well.

Looking forward to your projects in the project section MikeInGa. Have fun.


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## mveach

While I do cut 4×8 sheets on my table saw, I use an out feed table and in feed stands that have the roller balls that let the stock move any direction. Now…..That being said, I will agree that a circle saw is safer in most cases, if the board is properly supported.


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## brtech

Also in the circ saw camp. No one has mentioned the foam board on the floor trick. I highly recommend it.

Get a full sheet of 1" foam insulation board. Put it on the floor. Put your sheet good on top of the foam board. Clamp your straight edge, and set your circ saw to cut through the sheet good, but only 1/8 - 1/4" more. Then make your cuts.

The foam board fully supports the sheet while you cut. Much easier than supporting it up in the air and dealing with the offcut.


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## mtenterprises

A little demo on how it is properly done.
MIKE


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## MrRon

I've seen some cabinet shops use a dedicated table saw set up for the purpose of ripping large sheet goods. It's usually a large table surrounding a conventional table saw with a long straight edge used as a fence. It takes up a lot of space, so the best you can do is to cut sheets down to a convenient size as prescribed by the other replies.


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## Bertha

Here's an option from my local CL, lol:
.


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## wapakfred

I always tried to break the full sheets down into a more manageable size to finish cut on the TS with a circ saw and strightedge. Handling full sheets with one person and not enough room is very tough, especially if it's the thicker plywood.


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## Knothead62

Could the store cut them for you? I know Lowe's has a panel saw for plywood. I think one cut is free, the rest are about 25 cents.
Do you know anyone at acabinet shop?
All in all, a straight edge and CS are the best.


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## SirFatty

I have a great outfeed table and infeed support as well. It's always served me well. I would like to get a track saw, but for the price.


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## Doss

I'd say as a 1-person operation that a circular saw and a straight-edge is the easiest way to do it.

If you have large in and outfeed tables that would be the next best way.

Even with a helper, a simple bump in the wrong direction could bind the saw and damage it or the wood.


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## MikeInGA

Thanks for your great suggestions. I see a few that I'll give a try to.

Mike


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## mcase

I really have to strongly disagree with most of the opinions here. Cutting large sheets of ply on a cabinet saw is a routine operation in most cabinet shops. It is easy and accurate with the proper surrounding tables - NOT roller stands. My shop is a bit narrow so I added a flip-up extension onto my outfeed table to save on space. When I get past my rip fence capacity I switch to a shop-made straight edge that attaches to threaded insert in the side table. This gives me almost seven feet of crosscut capacity on the right of the blade. 







!


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## bullhead1

I must agree with most that are suggesting you don't cut full sheets by yourself on your table saw. Unless you have a large TS with out feed tables you not only endanger yourself but risk ruining part of a good sheet of material. I have bought sheets at Home Depot and my two local lumber yards and they have always cut it down to my requested sizes without charge. If you know what you need for your project plan ahead and bring it home in more managable pieces.


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## TCCcabinetmaker

Us pros use tablesaws to cut full sheets all the time, even contractor saws, however, if we need to make an awkard cut, we use what's called a helper, to help support the load, the helper NEVER pulls the sheet of plywood as this is DANGEROUS. However we are practiced at doing these things and know that when we feel uncomfortable with something, we'd best stop and figure out what we're doing. I am NEVER comfortable crossing cutting full sheets of plywood, as that's when it's really dangerous. But I will as long as the piece I'm cutting is not longer than it is wide.

( a rip is with the grain of the veneer, a cross-cut perpendicular to the grain of the plywood).


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## mveach

A cheep sub for a track saw is a good straight edge double side taped to a strip of hard board. Then cut the length of the guide through the hard board. This leaves an edge that is exactly where the saw will cut.


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## helluvawreck

I have a small shop and never have any compitent helper around to help me do anything. Outside my shop I have 4 identical saw horses and when I need to bust up a sheet of plywood I arrange the saw horses in a way where I can make the cuts without damaging the saw horses. I use a circular saw with a straight piece of hardwood and some c clamps. Once I have busted up everything I then accurately trim up all the parts on the table saw. Since the parts are smaller I can then handle them safely. If I can't stand the waste them I am especially careful when setting up my straightedge. A straight edge, clamps, and a circular saw can cut accurately if you need to.

helluvawreck
https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## Brrman

I have cut full sheets on my saw in the past, but I have found it easier to just cut to size with a circular saw.

here's a tip - put the sheet on the floor on top of a section of pink or blue styrofoam board insulation. Set your depth of cut slightly deeper than the thickness of ply and cut away. No need to setup sawhorses or to support the cut side of the ply.


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## Doss

"Cutting large sheets of ply on a cabinet saw" - mcase

Let's keep mind we're talking about a table saw which typically doesn't have large feed tables (actually, none at all usually) and also not always very stable when large masses are moved on them. Also, if you're answering the original poster, they are admittedly new to woodworking. I totally agree that cutting on a table or cabinet saw is not hard for some of us due to a lot of practice, but I know I feel a lot more comfortable using a circular saw and a straight-edge (and clamps).

Some more tips would be if you're using a circular saw to cut it with the face down (or face opposite of the circular saw side). You could also score the line you plan on cutting (if you're ripping) and tape the cut line.

These should all reduce tear out chances.


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## Charlie5791

OK, enough silliness. I'm also one of those people who works alone. I'm 60 years old this year and horsing a 4×8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood isn't fun any more. I can carry them, stack them, move them, but controlling a full sheet while pushing it through a table saw…. accurately … I just don't feel is safe for me. So I break them down and carry the smaller pieces back to my shop. This is in my garage right now because it's where the plywood is before it starts getting "processed"...

So first I need a cutting table.









Folding sawhorse brackets from the Borg (Home Depot). 8 ft 2×4 as sawhorse tops. Then 4ft pieces of 2×4 screwed into those tops. The screws are recessed over 3/4 inch so I won't hurt my saw. The blade is never more than that through a piece of 3/4 or 1/2 inch plywood anyways. ONLY THREE are screwed on. One at each end and one in the middle. The ones BETWEEN those 3 are floaters. I can shift them around to make sure both sides of whatever I'm cutting are supported. 
Why are the cross boards all cock-eyed right now? Because I don't have the sawhorses 4 feet apart. To store them temporarily I remove the floaters (they aren't screwed down), remove one screw from each of the end cross pieces. The 2 end pieces then pivot over one of the long rails. Remove a screw from the opposite end of the middle cross piece and it pivots over the other long rail. Long term storage means, fold the legs so they release those top rails and put the top rails up in the rafters of the shop. The 2 floaters stay down where I can reach 'em so I can quickly make a 4 ft saw horse. Great for clamping adjustable height supports for making temporary extension tables for saw, planer, whatever.

Then I made an edge guide…









It's a piece of 4 ft MDF, screwed to a piece of jointed pine. I jointed an edge of the pine with my #7 Anant. It's very straight. Because it's pine and because I'm anal about such things, I still check it before I use it again in case I need to make a new edge guide.  The MDF started out about 10 inches wide. Clamped the edge guide to my workbench, set my circular saw against the pine and trimmed off the excess MDF. No measuring setback with this. Lay the edge of that MDF on your line ON THE KEEPER SIDE of what you're cutting and as long as you hold the saw against that straight edge pine and flat on the MDF you get a super straight cut and it's nice and clean because the MDF acts like a zero clearance insert on the keeper side of the cut. The pine extends past the MDF just for ease of keeping it lined up at the start and end of the cut. Need an 8 footer for ripping plywood lengthwise? Make a longer one.  What are those tabs sticking out the back? Well I actually made an edge guide for my edge guide. Originally used this for making repeat cuts at a foot or less wide. Here it is all together hanging in the shop.









I'm not going to argue about whether you should or shouldn't break down sheet goods on a table saw. I think it depends on how you're set up. A big shop that handles a LOT of sheet goods might have a really nice setup to handle it. Personally, I have space issues and can't afford the floor space of having a couple square miles of table surrounding my saw. AND…. I'm not as young as I was.. AND due to a couple really bad car accidents…. not all my strength moves are working at peak efficiency. 

So I beak 'em down into pieces I can mange alone SAFELY and go on from there.


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## Dal300

Roy Underhill would recommend using a hand saw. It's great sawing practice and builds up your cardio and even your biceps! (Although Roy would probably never use store bought plywood anyway)!

I agree with most of the others here. Use a circular saw and a straight edge.

My 'Sierra Circular' is a 1977 Milwaukee 15 amp 7 1/4" that has been a real workhorse. My straight edge is an 8' piece of "C" channel aluminum taken from the upright struts on an RV awning. It's a little bit thick for my saw, I can only cut stock 3/8" or thicker because the motor and the back of the "C" channel meet.

This piece also has 5/16" holes along each side which makes it great to lag screw into a large piece of wood, (think log), for milling on the band saw. Another use for it is to bolt a chunk of wood to one end and use it to joint long boards on the table saw by pushing the lumber with the block on the end of the channel while holding the channel against the fence with a piece of 1X2 that has a rabbet (rebate for you foreigners) that goes over the edge of the "C".


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## bandit

Buy the Kreg Rip-Cut for about $40 and use your circular saw.


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## Martyroc

Hi Mike, first welcome to LJ's. 
Cutting full sheets of ply wood on a TS is very tricky, in the past I used a circular saw and still do when I have to cut some of the 8' length. I solved the other problem buy building a huge outfeed table and another table to the left of the blade. The out feed table is 5' long and 7' wide, the only problem is supporting it going in, and for that I built a knockdown table the same height as my saw. The draw back is the outfeed table it takes up a lot of shop space, the advantage is my outfeed table doubles as an assembly table. I have a Jawhorse from Rockwell and I know they make a plywood attachment, you might want to check that out, and just clamp a straightedge to it for more accurate cuts.


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## Gregn

Welcome Mike to lumberjocks.

Cutting full sheets by yourself can be difficult and unsafe if done improperly. That's why the preferred method is to break down the sheet using a straight edge and circular saw.

Having proper support is important by all means. Once you have the support that is needed the next step is the cut. This is where your question comes into play, in getting accurate cuts.

I suspect the reason that your getting inaccurate cuts is due to where your positioned with the material. So if your standing parallel behind the blade and feeding your material through your more apt to have the material move away from the fence causing inaccurate cuts. Try positioning yourself at the corner farthest from the blade, in my case it would be the far left. By applying pressure from this angle, this will help to keep the material close to the fence. Also watch your material at the point of cut and not along the fence.


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## davidmicraig

Welcome to LJs Mike. I have a car, so I don't even carry the full sheets home. I only buy ply when I have a project in mind for it, so I take the dimensions for the pieces with me and have them make a couple cuts at time of purchase. Most places will at least make 2-5 cuts free of charge. I have them cut a little oversized so that my final dimensions can be done on my TS for a smoother edge. Even if they tack on a small surcharge, I would have to go through an insane amount of plywood before a track saw and a truck would be justified.


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## tsmccull

I used the circular saw -straight edge method until I added a sliding table to my cabinet saw. Now once I get the plywood up on the sliding table, cutting it becomes easy and accurate. If you have the room, that's another approach.


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## mveach

The sides fold down to give me more room and I have storage inside, I also made it portable, just in case.


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## LeeJ

Thank you Jonathan for mentioning me and my product. We've sold a lot of these units to everyone from weekend woodworkers, to huge commercial shops, to the U.S. Army!

And, in our own shop we cut full sheets all the time, with one person, and no problems.

Here's a few other comments from other LJ's:

http://lumberjocks.com/ND2ELK/blog/14118

Lee


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## MR_Cole

Every time I buy a sheet of plywood, I usually have my dimensions already set so I have the store/lumber yard break it down into usable manageable pieces for me. This is usually free!


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## SCOTSMAN

Get anew panel saw with sliding table takes up to eight foot by four foot boards and larger easily or maybe better still get at them with the circular saw thats the safest way cut large and trim off at the table saw have fun .Kindest regards Alistair


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