how to cut a laminate stock?

[Paradiddle]

I need to shorten a Boyd's laminate stock. Can I treat it as a wood stock, tape it, and carefully use a table saw?

I'm assuming it's just like cutting plywood - just wanted to check if they had a tendancy to splinter or anything really crazy.

Jeff

 

[Runningman]

I just cut a laminate stock a few months ago, material cuts good and doesn't do anything crazy. Just be real careful because of the odd shape compared to a normal flat chunk of wood.

 

[tango2echo]

I use a die grinder and a 4" cut-off wheel, but you need a steady hand.

t2e

 

[jon8777]

Put 3-4 wraps of 2" wide painters tape on the cut line. Use a high tooth (depends on the saw) carbide blade, go slow, but not slow enough to burn the wood.

 

[dubbleA]

Laminate stocks are nothing more than plywood in reality.Wrap tape and press down firmly over the kerf area to get a chip free cut. Using a plywood or veneer blade will produce the smoothess cut. Make sure you keep the same pitch when cutting. A electric miter or radial arm saws work well on this because you are not moving the stock itself but only the cutting tool/blade.

 

[RedAlert]

Carefully score the cut line with a sharp utility or X-Acto knife about a 1/64th of an inch deep. Keep the saw blade on the waste side of the cut. By scoring the cut, you reduce the chance of having the saw splinter the cut.

The tape will provide extra protection.

 

[Maverick223]

I would recommend taping the stock at the cut (then cut through it) and using a bandsaw for any wood stock...it gives a much cleaner cut and permits greater control. Scoring the wood prior to the cut also seems like a good idea. Good luck, Mav.

 

[Olympus]

Someone already mentioned this, but I'm an avid woodworker so I wanted to second the idea of using a mitre saw instead of a table saw. Because of the awkward shape of the stock, a table saw wouldn't be my first choice of equipment to make the cut. A mitre saw would remove a lot of the potential for mistakes due to moving an awkward piece of wood through a stationary blade as opposed to keeping the awkward piece of wood stationary and moving the blade.

If you're handy with a bandsaw, that would make a very nice and clean cut. But if you want a perfectly straight cut, I wouldn't go with the bandsaw. If you've ever tried making a straight cut on a bandsaw, the edge of the cut usually ends up looking like a washboard. You'll have to sand the little humps down. The idea of the bandsaw is a semi-flexible blade that allows curves to be cut. Because of that flexability in the blade, it doesn't make it the best for straight cuts, even if you have a bandsaw with a fence. You'll still get a little bit of the washboard even then.

 

[Maverick223]

But if you want a perfectly straight cut, I wouldn't go with the bandsaw.

True, a horizontal (metalworking) bandsaw would be perfect...but are not very common. The miter saw with a new (or equally sharp) veneer blade is probably the best bet.

 

[Paradiddle]

I have an electric mitre/chop saw - I was planning on using that.

Thanks for the tips. I figured it was plywood, but wanted to check before ruining a brand new stock.

Jeff