what is the machine i need - table saw?

GERMAN ROCKS

whats the best thing to cut planks of wood. normally they will be just one inch thick. say a 6 inch wide plank but you wanted to make it 5.5 inches wide. would a table saw be the best for this as it would give an even cut compared to a circular saw which would have crooked when you would be cutting a plank 16 ft long. what are these like for home use?
http://www.jebbtools.ie/.SIP-10-Table-Saw-c-w-Stand_01918.htm

baords dyslexic

Bench saw would be the tool most people would use but you'll also need a couple of roller supports for those 16ft planks something like these http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=prodlist&cat=185&sef=Roller+Stands one to support the plank on the way in and another on the way out.

btw used jebb and sons and found them a good firm to deal with, check out their stuf on eBay in case its any cheaper

Carlow52

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

whats the best thing to cut planks of wood. normally they will be just one inch thick. say a 6 inch wide plank but you wanted to make it 5.5 inches wide. would a table saw be the best for this as it would give an even cut compared to a circular saw which would have crooked when you would be cutting a plank 16 ft long. what are these like for home use?
http://www.jebbtools.ie/.SIP-10-Table-Saw-c-w-Stand_01918.htm

too light for 16' planks, even with rollers.

Consider a circular saw with a guide rail such as this rail
http://www.hilti.ie/holie/page/module/product/prca_productdetail.jsf?lang=en&nodeId=-341470&selProdOid=443919

this kink for the idea, hilti is way 2 expensive: this rail is a 3m rail

baords dyslexic

Carlow52 wrote: »

too light for 16' planks, even with rollers.

Consider a circular saw with a guide rail such as this rail
http://www.hilti.ie/holie/page/module/product/prca_productdetail.jsf?lang=en&nodeId=-341470&selProdOid=443919

this kink for the idea, hilti is way 2 expensive: this rail is a 3m rail

I don't use anything much more powerful for 16ft planks. tbh don't think length has anything to do with it, OP is only talking about 1inch thick planks, I do 1 3/4 on a similar saw bench with no problem, you just take it nice and steady.

aujopimur

Avoid Jebbs, poor after sales service.

slowburner

Carlow52 wrote: »

too light for 16' planks, even with rollers.

Consider a circular saw with a guide rail such as this rail
http://www.hilti.ie/holie/page/module/product/prca_productdetail.jsf?lang=en&nodeId=-341470&selProdOid=443919

this kink for the idea, hilti is way 2 expensive: this rail is a 3m rail

Circular saw and guide rail to cut 16' planks? That would take some maneuvering.

+1 for a saw table.

Farls

Chainsaw and a steady hand...all I ever use, have a small stihl with a 13" blade that is fantastic for those types of jobs, as I said though a steady hand is much needed!

slowburner

Farls wrote: »

Chainsaw and a steady hand...all I ever use, have a small stihl with a 13" blade that is fantastic for those types of jobs, as I said though a steady hand is much needed!

Are you talking about firewood or carpentry :eek:

Carlow52

slowburner wrote: »

Circular saw and guide rail to cut 16' planks? That would take some maneuvering.

+1 for a saw table.

Most planks when u buy them are not 100% //
hence to create a straight edge on a plank 16 feet long, a table saw just wont do it and certainly not the one posted.

I have a 5m Alu angle which I use as a guide with the hand held circular saw.

The other point about this investment is that buying rollers is fine but they dont cater for twists and bows in the plank, where as there is no such problem with the guide, if the twists a re bad they can be shimmed before cutting.

There comes a point in diy that the weight of the work piece indicated that it should stay put and the power tools move. This is a case in point
finally most diy guys wont have 32 feet clear in their workshops

slowburner

I can see the merits of the portable saw and rail system alright.

I don't have 32' clear in my workshack either - I have the table saw fairly close to the double doors and a hatch at the wall at the other end.
If the board doesn't have a straight edge, I pin or tape a straight edge (usually a strip of hardboard) to it and run this along the fence.
This way the only limitation to the size of board to be cut, is the width of the hatch (about 2').
My main workbench is the outfeed table to the saw. This gives enough support to prevent even a 16' board from drooping.
The advantage of this set up is avoiding the hassle of setting up something for holding the piece to be cut. The disadvantage is having to open the doors and hatch on wet or cold days.

I don't like rollers at all: the wood, the floor and the rollers have to be dead on level and square to the fence, or else they have a tendency to push the wood away in all sorts of unwanted directions.

How do you hold the board when cutting with the saw and rail system?