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Shop-built panel saw

Every now and then someone asks about panel saws and I'm reminded that my life might be some easier if I had one. Last time around I started sketching and accumulating files in a directory.

Well, Larry L'Hote might be proud of me. My next door neighbor buys 2" x

0.125" aluminum [aluminium] tubing in 24' lengths, cuts 17' for wing spars, and scraps the remaining 7'.

I started thinking that the tubing might make passable guide rails for a panel saw if I could puzzle out how to build a decent linear bearing out of a 2x4 and was encouraged by the donation of two of the cut-offs by their chief (actually, their only) test pilot/mechanic/floor sweeper (and lunch buddy.)

I've made a start of sorts - and had an inspiration to subject the entire design and build process to peer review. It works pretty well for software, so why not for woodworking? Anyhow, I've loaded what I have so far (and some has already changed) onto a web page at

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who has any interest is welcome to look it over and send suggestions and criticisms as you feel apropriate.

I'm hoping to end up with two things: first (of course) a decent panel saw; and second, a howto page that will make it easier for someone else to build one of these things.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto, Iowa USA

Reply to
Morris Dovey
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Looks intriguing. That has to work.

Staying tuned for next episode,

Rob

Reply to
Robatoy

Looks good! But, I think it might be more stable using two pieces for each stretcher. Could you use the top and bottom frames as the back stretchers? If you do that, you can bolt through the wood on both sides of each tube as your plan shows. If you just bolt through wood and tube (single stretcher), you might get some racking due to the nut not making full contact with the curved surface on the inside of the tube.

LD

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Hi Morris,

I mean no disrespect because I often thought that a panel saw would be answer to all my sheet good woes.

Then, a few months ago I made a saw board for my PC Sawboss w/ply blade (after reading posts here).

I am in heaven! Actually I made 2 - one about 52 inches and one 96. Total time invested - about an hour or two.

I am rippin' sheet goods left and right, up and down! For almost no cost, little effort and *very accurate* and with practically no additional space needed.

And for those who are still doing this (as I did for 15+ years) forget about pushing 4x8 sheets through a TS - get a small trim saw and save your back with a couple of sawboards.

I don't see why every woodworker doesn't have one or two.

Lou

Reply to
loutent

If the top and bottom frames are used as stretchers, then the tubes will interfere with the workpiece. AFAICT, there'll need to be stand offs of some kind to position the whole guide assembly far enough foreward to allow passage of panels.

The original plan had doubled stretchers; but a single stretcher looks like it would do the job of holding the tubing squarely. I really hadn't given enough thought to how the nut would contact the tube.

You're absolutely right about the less than ideal contact. I've "dry fitted" the parts and /think/ that the guide will be sufficiently rack resistant so song as the tubes are held firmly in their spreader recesses.

Do you think that if I cut a 7/8"R half round x 3-1/2" long piece to fit inside the tube it would provide an adequate flat surface for the nut (and a washer) to bear against?

If I've underestimated resistance to racking, the design can always revert to the double stretcher approach.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

Looks very nice, Morris. I presume that the saw carriage will be capable of rotating and locking 90 degrees so you can "cross cut" across the 4' dimension as well as ripping along the length.

If so, I'd consider adding a cam or clamp somewhere along the line to hold the panel tight for the cross cut operation as well as a simple counter-weight to pull the saw back up to the top position when used for cross cutting.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

Rob...

Seems that interest in solar heating panels follows the price of crude oil fairly closely - and it's been climbing steadily until the end of this past week. The panel saw is really a bit of R&R that may make my work life a bit easier when it's finished.

I've been skimming the wreck, but most of my free time has been spent on design of some CNC equipment that I'm hoping will allow me to hold the line on heating panel cost.

Please feel welcome to join in on the panel saw project. I've never even used one of these things before, so I value every bit of input.

-- Morris

Reply to
Morris Dovey

Sorry, I can't possibly participate in a peer review until your development process documents have been approved.

(Only 13 weeks until retirement, thank god...)

Lee

Reply to
Lee DeRaud

So you are working in a place that is being "processed" to death to, eh?

Number of docs for a critical gate review: 220+ --- absolutely out of control. ... and that's just to determine whether they are applicable or should be tailored or tailored out.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Ya think? Scorecard for current project: Number of people working on Process: 4 Number of people actually developing software: 1 Getting my ass out of here: priceless.

Lee

Reply to
Lee DeRaud

Yuppers on the rotatable insert. Also plan to install a t-track for a flippable stop and a PSA tape rule. Should also be able to install other tools (like a router, roto-zip, etc) on additional inserts.

The counterweight is on the agenda. My thinking here hadn't gone beyond spring clamp. A built-in cam-type clamp had never even ocurred to me. Thanks!

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

Care to clarify this? What is a saw board?

Reply to
Markndawoods

Right, hadn't thought of that.

Your stretchers should be enough, but you'll still need stand offs for the back of the frame. IIRC, your saw fixture rides between the top and bottom halves of the longitudinal bearing so that shouldn't be an issue.

Yeah, that would do it! You're going to put two bolts in, right?

Yep. It would be an easy add-on.

LD

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Lee...

Consider that they've been approved. Join in on the fun!

(Hang in there. You're on the home stretch.)

-- Morris

Reply to
Morris Dovey

I'm planning to have the bottom of the saw platform/insert flush with the bottom of the linear bearing. If the bearing isn't in the way, then the saw platform won't be in the way - and because of the possibility of putting a router on the platform, it'd probably be a good idea to keep the platform as close to the workpiece as possible.

Ok. I'd thought about using a single 3/8"-16 bolt; but a pair of 1/4"-20 bolts should work as well. The real alignment and anti-racking properties are probably going to be more a result of the fit of stretcher and tube than the bolts here. I think the only need is to secure the guide assembly to the frame and to ensure that the tubing is firmly seated in the stretcher coves.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

snip

I tend to over-build. :o)

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

As an example your saw cuts 1.5" on the skinny side and 4 " on the wide side. I assume that you get a straight 8' long board 4 inches wide. You glue and screw a piece of plywood to the bottom of the board about 8.5" wide. You rip down that straight edge and now you have a saw board that is about 8" wide and perfectly referenced off the straight edge. You place a 4x8 sheet of plywood on the sawhorses. You mark the width of the cut. You clamp the sawguide with the now perfect plywood edge on the marks. Clamp and cut. No math regured to figure offset for blade which may cut at 3.8" or 4.25". The sawboard is generally good for only one saw though unless you have more than one saw that cuts exactly the saw width. Works for routers also.

Jim B.

Reply to
Jim Behning

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 23:31:47 -0700, the inscrutable "Markndawoods" spake:

This, maybe?

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Just so I don't get stuck collecting the metrics.

Annoying my cow-orkers with the countdown, I assure you. :-)

Lee

Reply to
Lee DeRaud

With regard to the cam-type clamp, it just occurred to me that you may be using varying thicknesses of ply or MDF. Mounting the cam clamp on some sort of springy material, maybe a longer piece of thin steel or thicker aluminum (to provide some self-adjustment as the material is clamped) would be the way to go. Afterall, the only thing you're trying to do is prevent the lateral movement of the stock on those "effortless" bearings

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

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