Vertical Panel/wall saw required please?

[Ian Johnston]

Buy yourself a good panel saw Warren, Altendoft f45 or the likes, you can pick them up sub £3k and it will enable you to do so much more than just plain cuts. Mitres frames rebates etc etc , with the guide fence folded away they don’t take up that much room .

[Warren Beard]

Thanks Ian that looks like a good piece of kit, how much total space is needed for this in order to cut full lengths? Not sure if I’ll have the space for this due to the layout of our unit.

Cheers

Warren

[Martin Pearson]

You would need a little over 20 feet Warren if your looking to cut 10′ boards. My saw pretty much takes up one whole wall of the unit. Got it positioned so the blade is pretty much in the centre of the wall, feed board in one side & out the other. You will need a good dust extraction system, something I don’t have & dust causes all sorts of problems.

[Ian Johnston]

quote Warren Beard:

Thanks Ian that looks like a good piece of kit, how much total space is needed for this in order to cut full lengths? Not sure if I’ll have the space for this due to the layout of our unit.

Cheers

Warren

You need about 20ft x 12 working area, but solid footprint is only about 12 ft x 6 if folded down or 12x 10 not folded down, I would class it as invaluable in our workshop, it rips 3mm solid aluminium with ease – 20mm acrylic cut perfectly using the scribing blade to prevent chipping

[Warren Beard]

Hi guys

Thanks for feedback so far, I really like the F45 and might be able to make space (somehow) if I tried hard enough but it would be in my fitting bay and we would be fitting vehicle graphics right next to it, is this not advised?

Alternatively what I like about the Zapkut ZM is the router attachment for making trays but my main concern with the Zapkut is the lasting quality of it as I can’t get a review from anybody here or on other forums so either nobody has it or nobody wants to talk to me 😥

I also can’t get any recommendations for an alternative vertical saw so have very little options!

The F45 looks amazing and would love one but even if I squeeze it in it will be in my fitting bay.

Ian, where is yours? Do you have a picture for me and how much dust does it make, I never cut wood, would just be acrylic, PVC foamboard and composite.

Desperate Warren

Cheers

[Vic Adair]

Here you go Warren, try making your own :lol1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_q4MOfPtnY

[Ian Johnston]

Mine is in our sign workshop, but will be in our fitting area in new Workshop when we move,
there is virtually no dust from them as they have an extraction point at top and bottom of the blade, There is an extraction point on the Safety cover.
They are brilliant, There are other makes as well as Altendorf, although they are one of the best.
Look out for local auctions, they are on all the time,
I bought this one for another local signmaker, He’s delighted with it now it. It was under £3K

http://www.armstrongauctions.co.uk/deta … uctid=5598

[Reza Faezi]

Hi Warren, what are you doing with your Steeltrak as you said you were replacing it with a vertical panel saw? If its ever for sale, could you give me a shout please 😀

[Vic Adair]

Here’s another cool DIY one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVubVWzgm_s

[Warren Beard]

Thanks guys

Not interested in building one, I make signs and not machines so what to get a machine that will help business day one with back up support and us reliable.

Thanks Ian, looking in to it new if I don’t find a used one and trying to make some space, hood to know there’s no mess.

I guess there’s too many smaller businesses here who don’t have equipment like this to give recommendations so I appreciate your help

Cheers

Warren

[Warren Beard]

Ian, do you have an extraction unit and does it come with the machines or purchase separate? If separate what do you suggest?

I’ve found 1 or 2 used F45’s for around £3k so not out of the question yet.

cheers

Warren

[Kevin Flowers]

Warren
i use a wall saw brought second hand out of Homebase, it does make life so much easier. Dust wise you do get dust even with extraction on nut not excessive and contained to the saw area which is in our dirty area anyway

Kev

[Warren Beard]

Thanks Kev (Hope you’re well mate)

I’ve seen this

http://www.axminster.co.uk/safety-speed … wwodJiAALA

only does 8′ though

The Altendorf F45 I found I just noticed is 20 years old 😮

Man this is doing my head in, thought it would be easy to buy a decent saw 😕

I’ll keep looking

Thanks guys

[Warren Beard]

This also looks decent at £5k

http://www.sagetech.co.uk/kk-vertical-p … -range.php

What I liked about Zapkut ZM16 was the router option to do trays, not sure you can do it with the KoolKut machines and they cost more!

[Kevin Flowers]

Warren
i am good mate could do with more work but couldn’t we all. The problem i can see with the Sagetech is the spacing of the sacrificial support boards when you want to trim flexible material it has no support. You need a saw that as spacing no more than 100mm a part, these are then movable by a lever which means you won’t cut in to them. Keep checking Ebay they do come up at good prices sometimes and due to their size not everyone can fit them in.

Kev

[Warren Beard]

Hi Kev

I didn’t even think of that and now see what you’re saying, Sagetech sell both machines, Zapkut is only £3k and has less/wider supports but does have a router attachment. The Koolkut is £5k but has more support and I think a bit more heavy duty.

My problem is I don’t know enough about them so to buy second hand might be more risky but the info here is helping thanks.

So is it quiet difficult cutting 3mm foamboard on these as we do a fair amount and may also be doing 3mm or less acrylic panels.

Cheers

Warren

[Warren Beard]

Happy new year everybody, no time to waste now so back in to business mode 😉

So where I’m at currently is haven’t been able to find a good used table saw or made any success on gaining more space to fit one in.

So now I’m thinking again about a vertical saw but the support spacings are my concern now, for cutting thinner stocks and also small panels.

Is there a solution for cutting 3mm Foamex and acrylic on a vertical saw like the Sagetech Koolkut KK16 and then for cutting up small pieces would using a small table saw work well, this would be for cutting up A4 type sizes etc?

Lastly had a thought about a large table saw, if cutting large pieces on your own does the cut off piece fall on to the floor or does the table extend far enough to prevent this?

Cheers and hope everybody has a great 2014

Warren

[Robert Walker]

Hi warren, have you thought about a track saw? I use one for ripping acm and ply in half. Takes 5 min to set up and packs away small.

[Ian Johnston]

http://www.donedeal.co.uk/tools-for-sal … 16/6189699

£250 for a boat ticket , day return and bit of diesel

Or

http://www.donedeal.co.uk/tools-for-sal … 16/6189699
Nice compact panel saw

[Greg McCarthy]

quote Warren Beard:

Hi

I’m looking to replace my SteelTrak with a vertical wall saw so I can cut acrylics, wood and 19mm PVC. Can anybody recommend a make or model that can cut 10×5 sheets?

Thanks

Warren

Hi Warren. Could you recommend any decent suppliers for 19mm PVC?

Cheers

Greg

[Warren Beard]

quote Robert T Walker:

Hi warren, have you thought about a track saw? I use one for ripping acm and ply in half. Takes 5 min to set up and packs away small.

Hi Robert

Not really but need something that’s quick and used a lot on large and small pieces. So I need a vertical saw but heard they not great for small pieces so thought a small table saw would be a good additional as well.

appreciate the suggestion though

Warren

[Warren Beard]

quote Ian Johnston:

http://www.donedeal.co.uk/tools-for-sale/wall-panel-saw-sage-tech-kool-cut-kk-16/6189699

£250 for a boat ticket , day return and bit of diesel

Or

http://www.donedeal.co.uk/tools-for-sal … 16/6189699
Nice compact panel saw

Thanks Ian, both links are the same, interested to see what the 2nd one is. To be honest I’m quiet happy to buy a new one, I’ve read on a few forums that over years these can lose a bit of accuracy so I’m quiet happy to buy new, but my worry is cutting small or think pieces, I thought a small table saw like the attached would be good for quickly cutting up small panels which we do a lot of.

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Attachments:

[Warren Beard]

quote Greg McCarthy:

quote Warren Beard:

Hi

I’m looking to replace my SteelTrak with a vertical wall saw so I can cut acrylics, wood and 19mm PVC. Can anybody recommend a make or model that can cut 10×5 sheets?

Thanks

Warren

Hi Warren. Could you recommend any decent suppliers for 19mm PVC?

Cheers

Greg

Hi Greg

Try Amari or Paperlinx

cheers

Warren

[Ian Johnston]

quote Warren Beard:

.

http://www.donedeal.co.uk/tools-for-sal … le/6156256

We have small bench saws like that for site work. They’re alright and have a purpose but arn’t brilliant, lot of movement in the guide fence, no scribing blade etc

[Adrian Hewson]

Hi we have Elcon 155 great for small and large cuts, cuts up to 10ft by 5ft accurate to 0.1mm

http://www.daltonsmachines.com/elcon-ve … -saws.html

Bought new about 8 years ago never missed a beat

[Warren Beard]

Thanks Ian and Adrian, will take a closer look thanks.

Cheers

Warren

[Russell Spencer]

I have used 2 sagetech ones in the past and they were both a bit ‘mickey mouse’. Bit fiddly to use especially when you go from cross cut to vertical.
Neither of them ever cut square.
If i had a choice again I would buy a second hand quality machine like the one above.

cheers

[Shane Binding]

warren my local builder supplies has a 20 year old wall saw still works as it should really nice bit of kit but quite big

[Warren Beard]

anybody know if these are any good

Altendorf F90 Sliding Table Saw

I think the main difference to a F45 is it doesn’t have a tilting blade which I’ll probably never need anyway.

There’s a 1986 model available for quiet cheap 😕

battling to find a decent used saw really 🙁

[Warren Beard]

So the time has come to make a decision on this lol, I finally have some more space and away from production and fitting bay so a real seperate dirty area so mess and dust is no issue.

My biggest thing is do I go for a vertical wall saw or a panel saw? I’ve been told the scribe blade is a waste of money and not to be used when cutting acrylic which I want to do as well.

I have the space for a table saw but want to get the better option if there is one.

we’ll be cutting up panels from large sheets of 3mm – 19mm PVC foamboard, various thicknesses of MDF and wood, 3mm – 10mm thick acrylic and ACM.

Any further comments and suggestions welcome so I can find a machine and move ahead in the next week or 2?

Many thanks

Warren

[Simon Worrall]

Apart from the obvious space saving, a vertical panel saw is much easier on the back!

Simon

[Ian Johnston]

quote Warren Beard:

I’ve been told the scribe blade is a waste of money and not to be used when cutting acrylic

Who ever told you that hasn’t obviously used a saw too often!!!,
The Scribe blade on a Panel saw is to prevent chipping of the underside of the material, it cut’s only a 1mm or 2mm deep, but upwards into the material opposite direction to the main blade, so doesn’t Bust out and therefore chip the material, !,
With the correct blade setup you can have almost a perfect polished edge to acrylic panels.

A wall saw is good for one thing and that is ripping sheets to size,
With a table saw, you be able to do so much extra, Rebates on your Acrylic Lighbox face joints, Mitre you acrylic corner joints , angle cuts, etc .
Don’t be afraid of Age when it comes to an Altendorf saw or the likes, Remember what an Machine Engineer once told be , It’s NOT Old, IT’s "PRE CHINA", therefore it’ll last 😀 😀