Roll cutting apparatus

Method for cutting an industrial-size roll of paper or other sheet material into two or more rolls. The apparatus of the method includes a circular saw with a radius large enough to cut through such a roll in a single cut, leaving press-ready rolls that require no finish-trimming on the ends. The saw blade is mounted in a saw frame that travels along a carriage and positions the blade at any desired cutting position on the roll. The apparatus includes a support bed and load-bearing arms for supporting the weight of a large roll and keeping it in position during the cutting operation. Load/unload tables and a system of kicking cylinders guide the roll onto and off of the support bed. The saw frame is a tower that positions the saw blade above the roll at the desired cutting position, or a floor frame that positions the saw along side or beneath the roll at the desired cutting position. The apparatus of the method further includes a finishing station for sanding the ends of cut rolls.