Woodworker's Journal 1994-18-2, страница 22

Cut Down to Size

One of the primary attractions of sheet stock is its size. Need a pair of 20 in. by 36 in. cabinet sides quick? Just set the fence and rip them oft a nice 4x8 sheet; presto—no edge jointing, no glue, no clamps.

Right. If you've got a nice table saw fitted with sturdy outfeed tables, anchored in the middle of a 6 ft. by 20 ft. space, clear of all obstructions. And a helper with a strong back and enough experience to assist you in manhandling 60 lbs. or more of singularly awkward board; keeping il tight against the rip fence every inch of its eight-foot journey.

I doubt I'm alone in my distaste for cutting sheel stock. It's hard work, nerve-wracking and potentially dangerous—particularly as so few home shops are set up lo do it safely. We usually don't have the space to start with and if we do, can't afford to organize it exclusively for the infrequent occasions when we need to reduce a large sheet to more manageable proportions.

Manageable proportions—that's really what we're talking about here. Because it's so difficult to cut a large sheet accurately. I'm unlikely to rip those two cabinet sides above to exact width right away. Unless I need every fraction of the sheet, I'll rip a bit oversize, cut the pieces to length and then rip the smaller panels to final width. The real problem tor most ol us is the first two or three cuts needed to produce pieces of a manageable size.

The problem has several solutions. You can ask the folks at the lumberyard to make those first cuts for you. Most yards have a track-guided circular saw set up for just this purpose(see photo). The dollar or two extra it will cost is money well spent. If you're using expensive veneered stock and the yard's equipment is too crude,

you might ask around town to see if any of the production cabinet shops have special panel saws, fitted with bfades designed for plywood, perhaps even with a scoring blade beneath the saw table that cuts the underside veneer just ahead of the main blade, eliminating tear out.

If you work with a lot of sheet stock, you could make or purchase your own panel-cutting set up. There are several kits on the market, all of which use a circular saw. I think .the most useful ones are those where the sSVf is guided over a stationary sheet, which cuts down on the space needed, the effort required and on the potential dangers.

If none of the above works for you, some suppliers sell pre-cut pieces. These may be local or mail-order Paxton, lor example, sells what they call "panel blanks." Ranging in size up to about half a sheel (4 ft. by 4 ft.), these are available as slock items in several thicknesses and various face veneers, and in a wider range of sizes and species il special ordered. Buy what you need slightly oversized.

In the process of tracking down information for this article, I happened upon an outfit that takes the concept of pre-cutting lo another level. Heritage Building Specialties, 205 N. Cascade, Fergus Falls. MN 56537; tel. 1-800-524-4184. will provide all the material you need for any project—sheet stock and solid wood—custom-cul to your specifications. Heritage's Paul Thieme told me they are happy to offer advice in choosing appropriate materials and can even run your cutting list through a computer program, plugging in different materials to compare costs. They also sell kits based on projects published in woodworking magazines.

if he or she isn't offering the cheapest price.

So, Which Sheet Should I Use?

Like so many categorical questions in life, this one elicits the firm, unequivocal answer. "Il depends."

As wonderful a material as Baltic birch is, its cost is prohibitive for many projects. For built-ins. kitchen cabinets, shelving, and so on. hardwood plywood makes the most sense, particularly if a particular face-veneer is needed. According to Ahrens and Fuller much of their Baltic birch business is for specialty applications—it's great stuff for scroll-saw work, and makes durable, dimen-sionally stable drawer sides. If you want

maximum strength, void-free edges, minimal surface defects (for veneering or painting), ease of working, and price is no object, go with a Baltic birch.

If your project doesn't require sheet stock that must bear a load without additional support, there's very little reason not to choose MDF. It outperforms particleboard in virtually every respect, and costs only fractionally more. It can't be beat by any sheet or solid material for painted surf aces or as a substrate for veneer. (Jerry Fuller told me that industry is increasingly turning to llberboard for paint-grade cabinetry and. interestingly, to replace poplar for painted trim in homes.) The main drawback to MDF. at least at this time, seems to be avail

ability. If you have to have the stuff shipped to you, the advantages MDF has over the particleboard and hardwood plywood down at the local lumberyard begin to lade.

So, despite some clear advantages, Baltic birch plywoods and MDF probably won't supplant hardwood plywood and particleboard for most of us any time soon. Still, in time, if more people ask for them, more suppliers will stock them; who knows, the prices might even drop. Until then, with a little extra carc in the cutting and joining and, if you're painting, a judicious application of Bondo on the edges, the old siandbys wilt do a creditable job pTJi

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The Wnodworier's Journal