# Cross cutting long boards on a TBLsaw



## dribron (Jul 19, 2010)

Hey, all so I have a delima. My wife has asked me to make a pair of book shelves for our littel girl. I Picked up some 1x12 boards. My problem is that I do not have a circular saw, I do however have a miter and a table saw. My miter is a 10" compound, so it can't do it. The table is a smalish cheapy I got as a gift last year. So is there a way to cross cut a longer board that will be too long to use a feance? I don't need it to be perfict, but woulod like it to be feirly straight.
Thank ! Duane :boat:


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

cut half to 3/4 of the way through on one side with the miter saw then turn the board over then cut through the rest of the way


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## awoodman (Dec 15, 2010)

I second that.....


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I don't think that 10" non slide I am assuming Miter saw is going to cut 6+ inches across. TO do the job safely the methods using power tools are...

#1. Sliding Compound Miter Saw. But you don't have one. Rule that out... Anyway, you'd need a big one (12") to make that cut...
#2. Circular Saw with an edge guide. Again, you don't have that...
#3. Table saw, with a crosscut sled. You have the table saw, you need a crosscut sled... There are TONS of designs out there. Cheap plywood, something to use as a runner, make sure that everything is good and square, and you are good to go...


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## thehunter (Oct 27, 2010)

i suggest getting a circular saw, you get a good one for $60 propbably


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## Allen Tomaszek (Dec 11, 2010)

You could also go buy a hand saw and make the cuts. Safe, easy, inexpensive.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

dribron said:


> Hey, all so I have a delima. My wife has asked me to make a pair of book shelves for our littel girl. I Picked up some 1x12 boards. My problem is that I do not have a circular saw, I do however have a miter and a table saw. My miter is a 10" compound, so it can't do it. The table is a smalish cheapy I got as a gift last year. *So is there a way to cross cut a longer board that will be too long to use a feance?* I don't need it to be perfict, but woulod like it to be feirly straight.
> Thank ! Duane :boat:


Never use the fence when crosscutting. Bad Things Will Happen!:thumbdown:

Make an miter gauge extension bar like this:


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

I second the hand saw.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

this is not the best idea but i have done it plenty of times
have someone hold the other end and very slowely and carefully bhave them move their end as you saw it
SLOW AND CAREFULLY


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## Jstove (Nov 18, 2010)

robert421960 said:


> this is not the best idea but i have done it plenty of times
> have someone hold the other end and very slowely and carefully bhave them move their end as you saw it
> SLOW AND CAREFULLY


Hmmmmm...........


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

robert421960 said:


> this is not the best idea but i have done it plenty of times
> have someone hold the other end and very slowely and carefully bhave them move their end as you saw it
> SLOW AND CAREFULLY


I wouldn't recommend doing this even as a last resort. Maybe dial 911 before you start.









 







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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I also vote for the handsaw.












 









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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Agreed*

The only person I would ask to help me do this is.....hmmmm
It's a very short list. I'd rather have a greased 2x4 under the other end than a helper. A lateral movement of 1/4" 10 feet away translates to a whole lot more at the other end, the blade end, and will bind the blade cause Bad Things To Happen. :thumbdown: bill


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

"#1. Sliding Compound Miter Saw. But you don't have one. Rule that out... Anyway, you'd need a big one (12") to make that cut..."

That depends upon the saw. My 10" Cheapie Craftsman will cut a 12" board.

George


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

*Accident waiting to happen*



robert421960 said:


> this is not the best idea but i have done it plenty of times
> have someone hold the other end and very slowely and carefully bhave them move their end as you saw it
> SLOW AND CAREFULLY


You are offering a Dangerous solution, ! Buy a circular saw or a hand saw. It will come in useful many times again


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## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

Buy a used Craftsman radial arm saw on Craigslist for $50-$100. :thumbsup:

Bill


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## apprentice (Mar 31, 2010)

Buying a circular would be my first suggestion, provided i had the bucks to burn. It's a great investment if your going to be building in the future.
If not though, or if this is a one time only project, than i would have to go with this, it has worked well for me.


dat said:


> cut half to 3/4 of the way through on one side with the miter saw then turn the board over then cut through the rest of the way


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

If you dont want to spend a lot buy a handsaw,if you cant cut a straight line clamp another board to it as a guide.Maybe the place you bought the wood from may cut it for free or a small fee.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*OK I give up*

The guy asked how to do this on the *table saw.* I presented a safe, easy, cheap way to do it. It doesn't not require buyin a new handsaw, RAS, circular saw.... nothin. Only a 1 x 3 x 30 scrap bolted to the miter gauge. It will work. I've done it...the proof is in the picture. All you need to do is safely support the far end of the board on something it will slide on. This is not rocket science and if it's too much then have someone else do it and give up the hobby..... :yes: bill


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## dribron (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for all the replays.. Some great info. I am going to build a miter guide like the one shown tomarow... That should work great. I'm sure that I can clamp a scrap to a saw hourse to aid in guiding the boards. 
Thanks tons .... Duane


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

well maybe after re reading what i said it does sound bad and im sorry i dont mean to ever give bad advice but i have carefully done this with my dad along time ago
i have done some crazy things in my life and maybe this was one but i felt being careful and watching carefully the other person it is not as bad as it sounds
but i agree its a bad idea and you need to listen to the others
sorry again
Robert


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> I wouldn't recommend doing this even as a last resort. Maybe dial 911 before you start.
> 
> 
> 
> .


Definitely not smart go to Home Depot and buy the cheapest circular saw they have ryobi what ever you will save plenty of time. I'd rather see you struggle with a hand saw then risk grave injury


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

I vote for.......several things. First off, are you gonna ever need a circ. saw again? If so get one, they are wonderful tools that have so many uses for a homeowner. Handsaw is cheapest and possibly safest. 

That said, maybe next time have the home center cut it to length for you. All three of ours in Sioux Falls run RAS's and will cut to size for you. Same for panels, they all have panel saws here, maybe yours do too. Just gotta ask em.

I would avoid the table saw option, especially if it's small and this will off balance the whole saw. Good luck to you.


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## yocalif (Nov 11, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> The guy asked how to do this on the *table saw.* I presented a safe, easy, cheap way to do it. It doesn't not require buyin a new handsaw, RAS, circular saw.... nothin. Only a 1 x 3 x 30 scrap bolted to the miter gauge. It will work. I've done it...the proof is in the picture. All you need to do is safely support the far end of the board on something it will slide on. This is not rocket science and if it's too much then have someone else do it and give up the hobby..... :yes: bill


I am just a newbie with TS, but I have used "woodnthings" method on my first TS which was a light weight portable Ryobi (now replaced with my Craftsman hybrid). Not only did I cut 8-10 ft flat 3/4x12 board, I also cut a couple of 4x4x8' pieces. Plus I own and have used a circular saw a lot. Why did I us the portable TS? I just wanted to work out methods for making crosscuts. Where the cuts accurate? Not very, they were for some rough projects and accuracy wasn't critical. Actually the 4x4 cuts were fairly accurate. After completing the three projects using the portable TS, and with many more projects coming up that did require accuracy, it was a no brainer, I needed a heavier higher quality TS.

The best advice for dribron is to buy a circular saw, especially if he plans on doing more projects, craigslist has many to choose from.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

A jigsaw would do this cut too and you can do curve cuts with it if that's in your future. Just throwing that option out there too.


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## sofalinux (May 28, 2009)

Your making this WAAAAY more complicated than it needs to be. You have a mitre saw, USE IT. Cut one side, flip it and cut the other. If it does not cut the entire width, big deal. You have a perfectly straight partial cut. A hand saw will finish it off very nicely. 
A total of 5 minutes to complete the job...that is if you work slowly.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

daryl said:


> Your making this WAAAAY more complicated than it needs to be. You have a mitre saw, USE IT. Cut one side, flip it and cut the other. If it does not cut the entire width, big deal. You have a perfectly straight partial cut. A hand saw will finish it off very nicely.
> A total of 5 minutes to complete the job...that is if you work slowly.


so I guess when he's done with that he can cut the two halves down the middle the full length with his handsaw he should be done by breakfast


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*After you get the circular saw others recommended*

Use one of these or make your own:







 
from www.amazon.com Empire 3990 12 inch square
or like this: 
Amazon.com: Cheeter 10101 Crosscut Saw Guide: Home Improvement

Make your own: http://www.dannylipford.com/video/circular-saw-crosscut-guide/


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Making a cross cut jig is very simple. It's just a form of a "T" square you can make from scraps. I just leave a 40T carbide tipped blade on my circular saw. That way no dimensions will change. With the right leg of the bottom part of the "T" cut off the first time, that is the very left edge of the cut. That edge is used on your next cut mark. Easy, fast, and accurate to use.





















 









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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

dribron said:


> Thanks for all the replays.. Some great info. I am going to build a miter guide like the one shown tomarow... That should work great. I'm sure that I can clamp a scrap to a saw hourse to aid in guiding the boards.
> Thanks tons .... Duane


Wax up the scrap to aid in gliding.. Use floor type wax like Johnsons Paste wax. Pretty much anything that does NOT have Silicone like car wax does...


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I'm with woodnthings, on using a long fence on your miter gauge.
With a support for the long end to slide on, it shouldn't be that bad to do.
With the "right person" (knows what he is doing) on the long end, to support the piece, I could do it with just the miter gauge. The "right person" is the key. You don't want them trying to cock the board.
I guess there would be a limit to the board length!
Good luck with the cut.


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