A vertical panel saw can make panel sizing easier in the shop, or even on site. Vertical panel saws, which offer smaller footprints and are cost efficient, are becoming an integral part of custom woodwork and closet shops. Vertical saw manufacturers are seeing increased demand for flexibility. Options in demand include digital positioning of the stock, the ability to cut a variety of substrates, repeatability, laser alignment and auto positioning on the X axis.
Portability is also a feature in demand for vertical panel saw manufacturers. For cabinet and closet firms creating custom closet systems, applying MDF paneling to a dining room, or trimming down replacement doors, a portable panel saw can make the job a little easier.

When you don’t have to lift a sheet onto the saw top, slide it over out-feed tables or strategically place roller stands, and wrangle the resulting two pieces back down to the ground, the benefits of using a vertical panel saw become obvious – especially if you’re a one-person operation.

Crosscuts on large sheets were never a specialty of table saws, especially for the compact models usually taken to job sites – but crosscutting is a perfect job for a panel saw. Shaving off a quarter-inch to true up a factory edge is no problem for these tools. Rip cuts on a panel saw are easy as well but require consideration of the fact that the material above the cut rests on the blade.

To help with this problem, we recommend the saws have a riving knife that trails the blade to support the cut-off piece.

As published in Closets Magazine.