I find I am installing a lot of laminent flooring and need a power tool to help me do the prep work. All the door jams need to be cut 3/8″ above the existing floor to accommodate the laminent. I thought about a grinder with the guard removed and a 5 1/4″ blade, but man-o-man it looks like a wicked finger chompin machine. Any other suggestions?
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Roughcut,
Save your fingers and go to http://www.craintools.com/.
KK
Sounds like Crain Tools was what I was looking for. They have distributor in Minnesota so I will check them out. Thanks.
A lot like every day, or a lot like one house?
If it's not a career, those pull saws work great for this.
You need something to lay on the floor the height of the cut you want. Just lay the saw on top, bend the handle up and cut.
Joe H
And if he does a lot of general work then a Fein Multimaster.
Yeah, a neat tool that does more than jambs. And you can spend another small fortune on attachments.
Joe H
I looked up the Fein Multimaster but do not see how it would help me out with the jambs. Have you used it for that before? FYI, I am doing more and more house with laminant flooring, so crawling around on the floor at the weird angles the hand saw requires just isn' t any fun any more.
The fein is too slow and does not cut deep enough..I have used it and because I do not do too much I have gone back to a pull saw..alot to do?..go for the Crain.
Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
There's a little saw blade, like those blades docs use to cut casts off.
But it sounds like you have a need for a dedicated use tool. The Fein isn't that.
Joe H
My boss has the crane jamb saw, I have the fein. I use the crane most and the fein when the door is near an inside corner and I can't get at the casing with the crane.Smile. It could be worse. You could be me working for you.
I've seen the power sideways sidewinder saws like that Crain tools one at HD or Lowes... I have a hand jamb-saw, which I got at the same place. It's fine for occasional use.
TRy your biscut cutter with the fence removed, at least you can get the first part of the cut neat...
Bud
I did not see anyone mention the Bosch saw. It has a flushcut blade. Use it with a scrap of the laminate for proper standoff. $110 below. I have considered getting one. Anyone have any experience with it?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004SUP4/qid=1076116924/br=1-12/ref=br_lf_hi_12//102-6135770-4383306?v=glance&s=hi&n=228264
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I love the Bosch saw. It's great for cutting of shims in door ans windows as well!
The Bosch takes a little practice, but makes fast work of those tight spots.
I've got the Bosch. It doesn't see much action but when it does see the light of day it makes those strange little head scratchin ordeals much more pleasant. And it works great for under cutting jambs. I bought the full kit with the little miter setup.
Agreed. Power jamb saw--and don't look back:) There are several types with Crain and Roberts being the two leaders. Great for cuttin' under fireplace hearths too if you have the right blade.
Ken Fisher
To veer off a bit:
The laminate I've installed (on two occasions) is glueless with the locking feature. Has to be tilted in and down. I've yet to figure out how to do that through doorways. Anyone had experience with this?
Trim most of the latching edge off the groove. Put a little yellow glue in the bottom of the groove and tap (beat) the piece that goes under the jambs into it.
Capeesh?
Little glue, not much. Gentle trim, just enuff so it'll go together. Cut some strips an inch wide to latch to the back side so you don't destroy it whilst beating it together.
Works, It's a pain in the azz & you gotta plan ahead. It's not as big a pain as the old glueit style. And you have to block at the wall so it doesn't move the whole sheet as you bang on it.
Joe H
I get it, Joe; thanks. Seems obvious now that you say it.
If the jambs are undercut and you have the proper gap around the perimeter of the laminate, you can actually slide the assembled flooring one way, snap the next piece in, and then slide it back into place. Just slide flooring the opposite way for other side of door. If you notch the laminate fairly precise, you should not have an exposed gap by the jamb. This works best on smaller rooms as the laminate is not to heavy to slide. Probably not practical on large floors. You can also remove the jambs but it's very labor-intensive. Of course the door casing is alway removed for the snap-lok.
Edited 2/15/2004 3:42:17 PM ET by Duey
They do have power jamb saws. My mom had somebody put in one of those laminate floorings and they used it (we both had the flu, or some other ungodly disease). It made short work of it, though they were flooring guys, and knew what to do. They also have normal jamb saws(arm-powered)
get the Crain and don;t look back.
Anything less is a joke.
It'll also cut the botom of baseboards with no effort when you ru into a remodel where the base is better off left in place ... just zip your way around the room.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
In a pinch a sawz-all w/12" metal cutting blade works great for jambs. I do it all the
time and with a little practice I get perfect results. I wouldn't want to do baseboard
using this technique . The crain saw would be the way to go for that but then your
stuck at the inside corners and that's where the fein multimaster would come into
play.