Cutting SIPS - a la 5 inch bit??

[dubliner]

I see that they have a bot to cut sip panels. I need to cut out windows on my sip panel workshop. I considered either a chainsaw, or a beam cutter ( Prazi ) and then I thought if I could get a 5" cutter for a router I could lay down a straight edge and get some accurate cuts. Is there such a thing as a 5 inch plunge cutter? tia Neville

[harryball]

With only 6" of Z travel, I don't know how you'd get the bit to plunge. If I remember, Sip panels are OSB on each side with foam in the middle?

If so, I'd use a standard bit, cut, flip, cut and then use a hand saw to take out the foam. Nice clean edges. Be sure your flip is oriented the right way so your openings are not offset.

Robert

[dubliner]

The SIP bot has an 8 inch travel. Regardless my panels are erected now so flipping is not an option :-), and working from both sides is difficult as the walls are 16 ft at eaves.

[harryball]

Ahh... I see, you don't want to put the panels on the bot, missed that. I would not use a chainsaw myself, that buggers up the edges of the wood badly. I think I'd mark it off, drill a hole in each corner and then connect the dots on both sides with a circular saw then use the handsaw.

Somehow... a 5" cutting bit in a router is even more scary than one in a bot :-)

Robert

[beacon14]

If you must work only from the inside and the walls are already erected I'd consider using a skilsaw to sawkerf the inner skin, and a recip saw with 12" blades to cut out the foam and the outer skin, using the kerfs in the inner skin as a guide.

[dubliner]

Thanks guys, I'm sure I'll use all those ideas before I'm done. Maybe I can use all the cutoff to make a soundproof room for the "Bot when I get it.

[gerald_d]

What is "sip" panel?

[garyb]

sip panel is a sandwitch wall panel constructed of an exterior & interior sheet of osb (usually 7/16")with foam in between.

Neville, if you have a lot of openings to cut buy a Makita 10.25" saw $350 from toolking, use it for the job then sell it if you have no further use for it. Quickest solution, of course you will need to use a recip saw to finish the corners as David mentioned above.

[gerald_d]

What is "osb"?

Edited to add:

Found my answer here:
http://sticksandstructures.com/wst_page7.html

Phil Mulligan's saw may be useful:
http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/messages/47/108.html

[garyb]

Gerald this one will give you the full ins & out of OSB (Oriented Strandboard)which is a preferred building product in this part of the country.
http://www.apawood.org/level_b.cfm?content=prd_osb_main

And this one for sip panels
http://www.sips.org/portal/tabid__3898/Default.aspx
Standard exterior panel sixe is 16'x 8', a 10.25" and up circular saw will cut through these panels from one side which is handy since most windows openings are cut after the walls are stood.