Thanks for the note on extra clamps. Thoughts on how best to use these on 3/16" thick mdf beadboard panels? Just clamping this thing down may buckle the panel since it's so thin. I was considering getting a piece of solid foam insulation and cutting on top of that, but I feel like the clamp will deform the foam and result in crooked cuts. I guess I could get a sheet of plywood to lay underneath and just cut into that a bunch of times similar to how I'd use the foam.
I’d say a sacrificial sheet of plywood, get ready to shit a brick at how much sheets cost these days, I with you on the foam. Not sure it would be sturdy enough for the clamps.
Fuck me running, you're not kidding ($70/sheet). Might end up getting a straight edge and clamping so I don't have to worry about the flex.
OSB pricess are way up, too and so are wood panels. I built a closet in my new office. I had planned to just use paneling for speed and cost, but I ended up using drywall afterall, because it was so much cheaper. (Yay for coal burning!)
I can't justify the cost right now. At most, I'll have to make maybe 10 cross cuts for this project. I also just thought of a solution that doesn't involve buying expensive plywood. I can grab some scrap 2x4s, cut them down to 48", place one where the straight edge clamps will grab, another just beyond where I'm going to cut and clamp that down so the panel doesn't buckle up or down, and set up saw horses to support the panel appropriately as I make the cut.
The other option is to just snap a chalk line and cut along it. Unless you joint that 2x4 I doubt it’ll be all that straight.
I won't be using the 2x4 as the straight edge. I'll be putting the 2x4 under the panel I intend to cut, put the Kreg straight edge on top of the panel and then clamp the jaws to the 2x4 along the edges so they have something to grab on to. The beadboard panel is only 3/16" thick.
Hey all - checking back to update - here's the latest spoon mule and me doing my thing in the first post-shutdown performance of this project. It feels dirty doing this but there's more info there so feel free to follow along on IG: @suapyg
The Kreg straight edge guide with the 2x4 underneath for clamping ended up working perfectly to cut the beadboard panels. Straight cuts every time, even for some thin 2" pieces. Definitely recommend it if you're looking for an easy way to cut sheets.
This was an interesting video. Guy builds his own festool domino machine out of a Ryobi hand router and a bit of wood.
So, the wife has decided she's going to go all Joanna Gaines on our house and now she wants a table saw for Christmas. I don't mind getting one, but at the same time I don't want to spend a TON of money on something that I'm not sure she'll end up using too much, so I was looking at maybe an entry model for now and we can always upgrade down the road if it actually gets a lot of usage. This is the one I was looking at just for a starter, but figured I'd ask some of the more seasoned pros here before I do anything.
This is the one that I bought, and still have and use: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-13-Amp-10-in-Professional-Cast-Iron-Table-Saw-R4520/309412843
I've never used the Ryobi one, but man, it's hard to complain at that price. I did start off with the Ridgid portable contractor saw but found it wasn't stable enough for everything that I wanted to do, and the stand too up more room than the pedestal one I linked to. (The other one was also easier to move around the shop on its castor wheels).
If I knew for sure that it was going to be used frequently, or that we had a lot of projects lined up like you do, I'd consider spending that much on one, but as it is, I don't want to spend $750 on something just yet that may or may not be used only a handful of times.
Then yeah, you can't go wrong with that Ryobi then. I'd say just go in with reasonable expectations... it'll work, but I have to think at that price it'll have some issues that you'll start to notice over time as you get more experience with it. I mean, at that price, it's the same price as some cordless drills.
I bought a 10" Dewalt table saw about a decade ago when I installed wood flooring to my old condo...in retrospect, I wish I got a miter saw instead. Between the two, I think the miter is more versatile. Speaking of which, any suggestions for a miter saw? After building two Adirondack chairs, I may have convinced the wife we should get one. My preferences are 10" (for blade compatibility with the above table saw) and dual bevel. Is there anything else I should include?
If I were starting out now, I'd rather get a good mitre saw and a cheap track saw than a table saw. The cheap track saw does most of what I use the table saw for. Never mind I can rip big sheets down on the floor easier than I can with my table saw, due to my shop not having the room to do it. I have some hard insulation sheets I lay under the sheets, set the track saw depth to something like 1/16" more than the sheet is thick, and cut away. Works great. For mitre saws, I currently have the Festool Kapex, which is a fantastic saw but probably (ha! probably?) overpriced for what it is. I had a Ridgid that wasn't bad, but not great. It was hard to keep properly aligned/setup, and the laser system on it was shit and never worked. I then tried a Bosch Glide that I liked a fair bit... it was nice and tight but also was able to fold up against the wall well due to the way the arm was articulated. I've never heard anything bad about a DeWalt mitre saw. I'm a fan of the laser system on the Kapex... it really helps with getting super precise cuts.
Adirondack chairs I made from framing 2x4s. The plan is to paint them, but debating how much I should sand first aside from enough to remove any splinters on the edges.