Straight Talk…About Straight Cuts.
There are a lot of people who still believe you can only get straight, splinter‐free cuts in a shop using expensive panel saws, table saws, and CNC equipment. Getting quality cuts with portable power tools doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. The truth is…that with the right tools, anyone can get great results in the shop or on the jobsite. Straight, splinter‐free cuts are easy, once you know the secret.
Let’s start with the basic causes of poor quality cuts. Unwieldy panels, arbor run‐out, low quality blades, pinched kerfs, unsupported material, misaligned fences, poor visibility, and bad technique all lead to less than optimal results. To illustrate, let’s start with the basic challenge of working with ¾” sheet goods. If you don’t own a large shop with a dedicated panel saw or CNC
equipment, you are probably going to try to cut the sheet down on a table saw. A typical sheet of ¾” plywood weighs between 70 and 100 pounds and cost between $50 and $100 or more. After making the cut, you will probably be disappointed, because the cut was not perfectly straight, the veneer has chipped‐out, and the edges have tooth marks that require sanding before attaching trim material.
Some woodworkers compensate by cutting the parts oversized, and then re‐cutting the pieces to final size when they are more manageable. Another solution is to invest in a lot of expensive accessories and additional equipment to minimize the problems. Let’s face it, working this way wastes both time and material.
Is there a better way? There is, and you are about to learn the secret that more and more seasoned craftsmen are discovering every year. The secret, gives them a competitive advantage, while allowing them to work faster, easier, and smarter. They are able to reduce waste, and accomplish the same task more safely, and in less time than with traditional methods. So what is this secret? The secret is…the plunge cut saw, and guide rail system.
The Plunge Cut Saw and Guide Rail System
What is a plunge cut saw and guide rail system? Some people would describe it as a circular saw riding on a metal rail. This would be a gross understatement, and would overlook the major advantages that a plunge cut saw and guide rail system offer. Designed properly, a high quality plunge cut saw and guide rail system is a precision piece of equipment, as well thought out as most stationary equipment. The combination of a precision plunge cut saw, and a guide rail will create a system that generates precision cuts anywhere on a panel quickly and safely…cuts that should never be attempted with a traditional circular saw.
