25 sheets of 1.25" ply and no vacuum.

[knight_toolworks]

they are not quite flat and no way my two fiens can suck them down. so glad I just bought a 15 Gage nailer this morning. a noil in each corner then two cuts to show were to nail and 4 more in each end. so not too bad.
I am cutting this as fast as I can so I can get it done on time.
this is a wacky job and not sure why the contractors were thinking cnc. all it started out as cutting sheets of ply into 9.5"x4" rectangles then nailing them on 2x10x20's to get 1" gaps.
this is for rebar. well I don't have a tablesaw that would do it. so I showed how I would do it on my machine and bid on it. I got it so it makes me wonder if I bid too low (G)
but then they wanted the slots at 15 degrees and they wanted more. but the slots were now 1.75 wide and not 1" so it takes less time to cut.
then I ge3t the lumber delivered and they give me a whole unit of the 2x10's
I only needed 37 and got 80. the others were for the rest of the project they were going to do. I had to haul them down a ramp into my basement. 2 at a time on a horrible cart. they were wet too. man 80 later I was pretty tired last night. I am going to charge them for it I called and told them I could not store them and they would get stolen but no one came by.

[coach]

Steve, when I get my plywood in I have a designated table (on wheels with a 4'x8' top)
I place a piece of 2 x 4 across the tables 48" width.(right in the center)Then I stack one or two days lumber on that. I clamp 4 corners and leave it for 1 day. The parts are slightly bowed but no potato chips. I place the sheet on the bots table with the part arching up in the center. The weight and 2 feins suck it right down. I do this for all my stock even on the floor I put an extra piece under the center stacker. Not that you were asking but I thought I would throw it out there.

[knight_toolworks]

that's a good idea. though I don't have a table I could do that on. these are not twisted but just slightly bowed in the middle.
but they are so think you can't really pull them flat. they are even a bit wet still. plus I don't have any time these need cut as fast as i can do them.

[knight_toolworks]

cut about 15 sheets today. I was cutting as fast as I found I could. I had to sue a 1/2" bit to cut the grooves or it would have been too slow. but I was cutting 3ips at .77" deep in a single pass. then doing the long cuts in two passes at 4ips.
my usual 18 gage brads would not hold the ply at all. the 15 gage got a workout and I got to use the nails it came with.
this is some really crappy ply. it is 1.125" t&g flooring. about 6 ply and still damp.

[paul60]

Steve how i solve the problem you have.
I zero to the table, that way it makes no difference
if the ply do not lay flat.
i also use tabs.
i just tack the ply edges down
works for me

[erik_f]

If it were me...set the sheet on your machine with the ends bowed up, turn the vac on, stand on top of the sheet, tack one end with a sheet rock screw in each corner, and then walk to the other end and do the same thing.

[knight_toolworks]

I have a little aluminum plate leveled to the table top so I can zero to it when a sheet is on. this is great when something goes wrong.
I debated on if I wanted to climb on the table tat many times. so the nails worked well and it was fast. nail the 4 corners the first two cuts marked the three nails on each end.
this job nail holes and cuts where the depth are off are not an issue. it is just a guide to hold rebar.
but I do find nails are quicker then screws. s long as you use the right length they are easy to remove.
I have 11 sheets of cheap 3/4" to cut and it may suck flat but the pieces may pop up when they are cut so I will nail them since the pieces are getting upholstered.