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From: Bruce Lehmann
Categories: Alignment
Date: 10/8/98
Time: 3:45:25 PM
Remote Name: 209.153.197.80
Hello,
18" deep!! With a 15" dia. saw, the deepest it can cut from one side is about 6". And it will be fully buried, so you will need side clearance on the teeth to avoid burning. I can't see how the kerf can be much less than 0.125".
You are right to be thinking about some sort of jig to support the wood. At the very least you will need a high fence and some supports on either side of the saw. I would have 2 or 3 other people helping - one of whom makes sure the board is against the fence at the top and bottom. Is the board flat, or is there some cupping?
My first inclination is to use a bandsaw for this job. The kerf will be about 0.100" or less. The trick is to find one that's set up properly for such a deep cut. Even with the bandsaw, there is some benefit to pre-scoring the cut with a circular saw. This will significantly help to guide the blade. Perhaps a scoring cut only 2" deep is needed, so you could use a much thinner blade than for the 6" deep cut.
I hope this helps,
Bruce