I read a JLC article recently where the author used a handheld circular saw with a dado blade to cut checkouts into rafters.
Neat gizmo I thought. I just spent a day doing a squidzillion cuts into 8 X 8 posts for checked in fence rails. I have another 2 days to go. Got to thinking such a tool would save me a heap of work.
So, where do I find such a thing?
Thanks for any help.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
Replies
If I remember right, the tool in that photo was described as a "custom built" dado cutter. So get to work modifying one of your old Skil 77's, and you'll be in business in no time...lol.
Bob
Modify an old 77??
LOL, do you want to know how long it took for me to find one 77?
Lets just say I wont be making any modifications to it. If I find another I would be so happy I doubt I could modify that one either.
Tim,
Thanks for the link. I will have a look and see if I can get my head around it and maybe get a clever mate to make one for a sidewinder. Cant hurt a wormdrive, just cant do it........
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
http://tinyurl.com/4o3vm
Can't Amazon ship ti NZ?
Jon Blakemore
The problem is that it will run very very fast, for a very, very short time.
240 volt.
A minor problem...
Jon Blakemore
Jon
Thats exactly what I have now. We are all 240 volts. I emailed Skil once and was told they make a 240 volt 7 1/4 only.
Cool I said, send me one.
'No' they replied..........'we only send to a dealer'.
Bugger.
So, I called all over the country. Bosch is the owner/importer now.
Cool I said, send me one.
'No', was the reply, 'we dont import them any more, no demand.'
Uh......hello........
Bugger.
I tried getting an aquaintance to get his Dad in Canada to order one, then aquaintance would bring it back when he went over for a visit. 'Dad' ordered and got a delivery of a 110 volt. Gggggrrrrrr
So, had all but given up when I saw in a 2nd hand shop, a near mint cond 240 volt 7 1/4 for the bargain price of $180. YAHOOOOO! couldnt get my money out fast enough.
A mate in the US sent me a tube of gear oil, did the change and all be good.
I loves my wormdrive. :-)
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
Other than the difficulty getting the tools to match your power, would you say that the higher voltage gives you better tools?
Jon Blakemore
Jon,
I dont think so. We have our share of cheap POS tools that would be that way no matter what the voltage is.
Our 'official' voltage is 240, in reality it fluctuates and is more like 220's to 230's.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
Edited 9/20/2004 3:15 pm ET by AJinNZ
25 years ago I worked alongside an Australian carpenter who always used a worm drive, the 8-1/4" Skil model 7560 IIRC. I am pretty sure I recall him saying how he used them in Oz, too. 50Hz, 240V. Are they no longer sold in NZ?
Bill
Use a router with a jig that sets the width of the cut. A scrap of ply and some 1x2 will work.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Ed,
The checkouts in this case are 6" wide and 2" deep. A router would work but would need several passes to do it. I figgured the time spent adjusting the depth and taking another swipe would be slower than multiple saw cuts. I did wonder though. On a smaller job it would likely be worth it.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
I know the author of that article. If you want, I can email you his email when I get home to my computer or have him email you. Let me know. The other thing is that you can post this question over at Joe Fusco's forum and John will answer you there. Joe's forum is http://www.josephfusco.org/phpbb/portal.php There is a thread under the Roof Framing section where rafter cutting tools are talked about. John and a roof cutter from Maui have pics of their tools. The dado saws are pretty cool.
When I talked to him about the dado saw, I think he said that it was about $1000 (including the saw and blades I think) to make that setup. If you are doing a lot of roof cutting, it may be worth it. We started cutting rafters the way John describes it and it is a huge time saver, but most of our roofs are over 6-12 so it's not worth getting dado saw for us.
by the way, I'm not a name dropper . . . .really :-)