Best cabinet making saw

[LA KITCHENS]

Hi all,

I'm new here and I've just joined after reading up on a table saw.

I'm looking at a set up where I can make kitchen units from mfc and also edgeband them so I'm looking for advice on the best saw to get a precise clean cut and also a decent edgeband.
This is a new part of my business and obviously money is a factor so not looking at a million pound saw a few grand more than likely.

Cheers

 

[MikeG.]

Welcome to the forum.

Your terminology is a little confusing. You clearly want a table saw for making kitchen units. That's fine, and you'll be given some good answers soon no doubt. We have a number of excellent kitchen makers here. Cabinet making, though, is old fashioned manufacturing of (mainly) solid wood furniture, and cabinet maker's saws are many and varied, but all come with a handle and are powered by human muscles, not electricity.

 

[LA KITCHENS]

Yes sorry I'm wanting advice on saws used for cutting mfc for kitchen units sorry about that.

 

[doctor Bob]

How many kitchens are you planning on doing per month, just to get some idea of what edgebander is required?

 

[LA KITCHENS]

I currently sell and fit around 3 a month for my self, but I'm hoping to start supplying local firms as well so I'm wanting at least a dozen kitchens a month.

 

[Trevanion]

You can pick up fairly recent (2013-2017) secondhand Felder 700 and 900 series panel saws for around the £4000 mark like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FELDER-KF-700-Professional-panel-saw/302968564821 Has a Spindle moulder incorporated into the machine so you could knock out kitchen doors all day long with that. Nice sized outrigger for cutting down sheet material etc.

That being said, I stopped in with a very high-class kitchen maker the other day to buy a couple of machines and all he had for a saw was a really old worn out Wadkin AGS 12, and he was making £50k+ kitchens with that. So some of it isn't what machine you have but what you can pull off with it. I've seen the same on sites where some guys rolls in with over 5ks worth of Festool gear to do a little bit of work and the quality of work turned out horrendous whilst I've also seen guys bring their 25+ year old tools in a bucket and knock out some downright amazing work. It's not so much the tool but the man holding it.

 

[tomatwark]

For a panel saw you need one that has a 3.2m bed on it and also has not been hammered to death in a production outfit.

For about £6000 you would get an entry level one new or a good second hand one with a better spec.

Have you got the space for it as they take a lot of room up.

If you have the head height a good wall saw would work as well.

As Bob said edgebanders are bit tricky, but for that volume you need one that can at least apply 2mm edging, end cut it , trim, and also buff as well.


Buying second hand with edgebanders can be a bit of a mine field, there are lots of bit to go wrong, even one that has been through a dealer can be a bad one, as I found out.


In my case the dealer got me out of trouble straight away and I ended up with a better machine.

 

[LA KITCHENS]

I'll tell you what I've been doing and what i intend to do then any advice would be Greatly appreciated.
Stopped working for a company as a fitter and went self employed selling and fitting my own kutxhens and bedrooms. Been buying the kitchens from different firms but having difficultys with deliveries or missing stock etc.
Next year I plan to make my own units and try supply local firms with them as well. The year after start making my own doors and supplying firms with them as well. Where I am there's not many people who buy 20k plus kitchens there all under 10k. So it's MDF doors either wrapped or painted and the J Pull door Integrated handle one is very popular.

So with all that in mind I'm looking at the best machinery quality and price wise to get set up and obviously can invest in better as my company grows.

Sorry for the long message!
Cheers

 

[doctor Bob]

If your focusing on kitchen carcases just make sure you get a good hotmelt edgebander.
I would say new minimum £12000 plus vat, secondhand maybe £5-6000.
It's already been mentioned but these machines are the most difficult machines to set up and maintain, you get to know them inside out. The more you can spend the better it will pay off in the end.
Saw, I have an Altendorf W80, been a good machine, pick a decent one up second hand for £6-8000.
If it's just cabinets it may be easier to go the basic CNC route.

 

[LA KITCHENS]

If your focusing on kitchen carcases just make sure you get a good hotmelt edgebander.
I would say new minimum £12000 plus vat, secondhand maybe £5-6000.
It's already been mentioned but these machines are the most difficult machines to set up and maintain, you get to know them inside out. The more you can spend the better it will pay off in the end.
Saw, I have an Altendorf W80, been a good machine, pick a decent one up second hand for £6-8000.
If it's just cabinets it may be easier to go the basic CNC route.

CNC instead of the saw ? I've been looking at your website do you mind if I send you an email for a little advice ?
Cheers

 

[tomatwark]

If you are just getting into the manufacturing side, it might be better to get your carcase material cut and edged outside and then assemble them, this way it gives you more time to fit and also means your not going to shell out around 20k on kit.

It also gives you the chance to see if there is a market locally, with the other joiners/builders etc.

Also if you are making you are not fitting and will end up having to employ people which is another whole level of nightmares.


Also if you are on a budget machinery wise you may end up letting customers down, because you are waiting for bits to fix the machine.


Buying second hand make sure there is a good dealer who either carrys the common parts that go wrong or can get them quickly and not have import them as part of an order from china, and also knows the machines they are selling.


I use one firm JMJ near Hull as I know I can ring them and will get a solution quickly, when I have a problem.