*
need to get recomendations on beam saws. A chain style will not work clean enough for the materials I have to cut on an upcoming project.
saw an add for the big foot based on the good ole skill 77’s
any users of this or have suggestins or problems with this or others like it. A friend lent me an old makita and it was ok but the blade was on the “wrong” side.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The RealTruck AMP Research Bedsteps give you easy access to your truck-bed storage.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
Josh'
If you go back to the archives and look up square cuts in big timbers you will find a lot of discusiion about this subject. Most very well thought out. To summerize, it seems that there are three choices. Makita's big 16 & 5/16ths , Mliwaukee's 10 incher and The Mafell. Hands down everyone thought the Mafell the best ... but.. at $4000.00 and you need to get 24 amps to it somehow or order the 220 volt version, I doubt I'll ever see too many of them in the field. The Milwaukee might be a better quality saw but with the ability to cut 6 inch timbers, I choose the Makita.
*How about a hand saw? Cuts clean up to most any thickness. You know, whole houses used to built that way. Just a thought
*David, Hand saws have their place as a hobby, but if you are a professional, you use power tools because someone is paying you to do as much work in as little time as possible. There are those who insist on driving each nail in with a hammer and insist that a nail gun is a luxury. You could hump your lumber up to the second floor by hand or in a lot less time put it up there with a telescopic forklift. Then wonder why you run out of energy when you're 45 and can no longer do a house as fast, as well, or as inexpensively as that guy with all the power tools, telescopic forklift, and other equipment. When the next slow down happens, very few people will care if you sawed all those 2x's by hand, the first question will be ... How much... if you can't compete because you didn't keep up equipment wise, you won't get to explain why you're better. They won't take you serious.
*Unless you cut big beams every day , a hand saw is the best bet, when you are done it still works on other things too. My handsaw cuts big beams, it runs exterior trim(soffits ,fascias,corners,etc.). It doesnt get damaged when dropped from a scafold,I dont trip on its cord, and I never have a dead battery. I own nail guns ,but seldom use them- they dont draw material up tight. A forklift sounds great - but untill they are under 500 bucks- I aint afraid to sweat.
*Jay, I admire your ambition, but if I've got to hire you to build my house, I want to know how fast you do the job. The interest meter is running and the faster that house is up, the sooner I get paid. Modern tools and equipment will let you build it faster and better. Yes, you can misuse a nail gun and it "won't draw up tight" but improper use of a hammer is no better. In the case of a telescopic forklift I can frame a house about 25% faster. To build it that fast without the right equipment it will take hiring 2 extra laborers. since the rent/payments on a forklift is less then the cost of one laborer the math is a no-brainer. The forklift won't no-show because of a daycare conflict, or was out drinking the night before, it will never file a workmans comp claim or grievance. Maintinance on them is so low as to be a non-issue, With modern diesel engines and an average usefull life of 20 plus years they wind up costing you a lot less then that $500 bucks per house you spoke about.
*a ahnd saw will never make it. What I will be cutting is a lot of 4 inch thick sheet material, 8 foot in length. As I asked earlier has any one tried the big foot brandwill check the archives
*You could use a straightedge and your circ saw. If you can clamp a straightedge down and run the footplate against it, you will have a great cut. Even better if the straightedge could be screwed or nailed down on the scrap of the cut.
*have used the bigfoot. It is good, reliable, well made and not too heavy. Runs on a hd 77 motor, might be undersized for continuous duty on 8' sheets of...?
*Frenchy,I seem to always find myself agreeing and disagreeing with you!Not to nitpick, but while I agree that modern tools allow us to build faster, I would not say that such things as nail guns vs. hammers make a "better" house, as you've stated. Quite the opposite. Most crews now don't slow down for tight joints, on the line nailing, etc. etc., because the guns make them move too quickly. And the nails are wimpier.Also, with regard to lifts being 25% faster: I'm sure in many applications this is true, but with regard to straight up comparison, I'll tell you that we just sheeted a 12/12 roof, identical on both sides. First side, we used a bobcat to lift the plywood over the eaves for easy handling. Took 2 of us 6 hours. Other side, we humped it up ladders (couldn't drive lift on neighbor's land, 5 feet setback, etc.) Took us 6 hours. Admittedly, harder work and a few balancing moments, but timewise exactly the same. Not saying I don't like the lift though!Luka-Actually, the tools he's asking about are circular saws, the bigfoot modifies a regular old skilsaw to make much deeper cuts, and the others are just larger saws to begin with.Josh-Are you cutting SIP's? If so, do you need a smooth cut on both sides?MD
*D'ooohh !!! I yust hate it ven mine stoopidity shows...b : )(Actualy, I knew all that. It just didn't occur to me that he was only talking about circ saws, already. LOL)
*Mad dog, You are kinda right,nail for nail, hand nailing will probably make a stronger joint....IF properly done. Too often I've seen half as* nailing done when a hammer is used because the poor S.O.B. is all tuckered out from swinging that thing all day. No, not old pros , granted. But face it, alot of homes are built by summer help. As for using a skid steer to sheet a roof, that's like kissing your sister. NOT the thing to do. Use a telescopic fork lift like a Lull/ Pettibone/ Gehl etc. Ya gotta use the right tool to do the job quickly. Evan the biggest skid steer is too small to get sheets of plywood to the peak of a two story walkout with a 12/12 pitch. Using a skid steer here is kinda like trying to frame a house with a tack hammer. It can be done but really isn't too clever. Tell you what, next house that you frame rent a 6000# telescopic forklift with about 40 ft. of boom, then get someone to show you how to use it, (no, not just which way to move the joystick) For example, you use it to pick up a load of floor joists/TJI's and stick it out over the foundation. Pull the joists off every 16 inches or whatever space you use. Since you won't have to make a trip back and forth to the pile for every joist what used to take all morning can be done in a few hours. then grab a cube of plywood and set down a sheet every 4 ft. you'll have the joists down and decked before lunch. Nobody will have a sore back because all you did was to slide, not lift anything. After lunch, grab the wall studs and set them on the deck. Lay them out, square them up, and then put the plywood/OSB/builtrite on. Using the hydraulics gently lift that heavy mother up. Repeat for the second floor. Now call a crane in to swing the rafters in place. Yes, you could use the lift to put them up, but we are talking about building quickly, and it's more efficent to spend $150.00 to swing them in place then to use the forklift to put them into place. Once the rafters are up, use the boom of the fork lift to put the plywood exactly where it needs to be so all you have to do is slide it off and nail it down, no lifting. I've been doing this for the last 9 years and no one has ever returned a forklift once they try it. 25% is a conservative estimate.
*What about hiring one of those guys with portable bandsaw mills ? They do pretty good qulity cuts, and generally aren't too expensive.
*aluminum skinned sip panels. Cuts need to be clean.The crew we will be replacing have been using a makita beam saw. They are moving from the area to build in Hawaii, lucky dogs.
*
need to get recomendations on beam saws. A chain style will not work clean enough for the materials I have to cut on an upcoming project.
saw an add for the big foot based on the good ole skill 77's
any users of this or have suggestins or problems with this or others like it. A friend lent me an old makita and it was ok but the blade was on the "wrong" side.