Shopping for a panel saw. Compare both the features and available accessories. Make a list of the types of sheet goods you cut most often along with the thickness and dimensions of the sheets. Panel saws come in a variety of sizes. Certain models have features that may be of extra value to your shop.

Besides taking up less space and being easier to use a vertical panel saw is safer to use than a table saw. Table saws are notorious for cutting off fingers or pinching and kicking back a piece of sheet of stock during cutting. On a panel saw, though, you would have to place your hand well under the carriage to cut yourself. This is possible but extremely awkward and difficult to do.

Cutting substrates to size is an everyday operation in a sign shop. The time spent cutting  2ft x 3ft panels out of a sheet of MDO, cutting blanks out of a PVC board, or ripping a sheet of coroplast in half all adds up.

One of the ways to add efficiency to your shop is to have the tools that make the most common operations faster and easier. For sheet goods, a combination panel saw/knife cutter like our Sign Maker’s Series panel saw can really make those cutting tasks a breeze.