Best saw for trim ? I don’t have room in my shop for a table saw, so I end up using a jig saw for almost everything I build . Like 12′ cornices I then upholster. Had to rip a 12′ board 1”1/2 and its a bit wavy, there has to be a better way.What do you suggest ?
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http://www.eurekazone.com
It's been discussed to death here and elsewhere, but FWIW, I'm a big fan and have several of their systems. If you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.
HTH
PaulB
The best for a a clean straight cut and with no dust and very safely would be the TS from festool. If you do it often then you can get a 12' guide rail or you can get shorter lengths and connect them. You can see the saw in person at any woodcraft or others that are listed on the website or for web sales, call bob marino he know everything about the tools and will answer your call at literally any time of day. They are the same cost anywhere, so don't shop for price, shop for quality service.
http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=3&prodid=561174
http://www.bobmarinosbesttools.com/
The Festool saw with its zero-clearance guide rail is so precise, you don't even need the extended length guides. I have marked 8 foot sheets of plywood and have just repositioned my 55-inch guide rail along the pencil line on plywood and continued the cut. It works great, realize though, I'm not knocking the longer rail, it'd be even easier with that. I just don't have one.
I have two 55's that I join, thus far, I have not wanted to pay for the longer ones, they are pretty expensive. I also like the smaller length for transporting and storage.
Skill saw with a crosscut guide. Take a piece of scrap 3/4" ply and glue a piece of 1/4"MDF or ply to the bottom extending out past the width of your saw. Set the edge of the saw against the ply and cut the MDF. When you want to crosscut, just line the MDF edge where you want to cut, clamp, and a you get a square edge. You can make a rip guide the same way, just use longer pieces.
BTW, make sure that the 3/4" extends out past the motor so's you have room to clamp. Might want to get a friend with a TS to rip the ply so you get a square edge. Always mark your cuts with some kind of good square. If you're making long cuts, get a sheetrock square. Check several with a framing square till you find a good one.
All three previous posts are suggesting the same thing: a circular saw guide. The third one is one you build yourself, and will work very well if you take a little care in setting it up. The other two are the same thing, but different brands and prices. The festool is a little higher quality with a much higher cost. The eurekazone tool will give excellent results.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
If you don't have a circ already, the costs are about the same. If you buy an expensive circ like a hilti, I think the festool is less.
You say you don't have room for a table saw... Are you thinking about one of those heavy cast iron monsters in a dedicated workshop? If so, please note that there is another group of table saws called "Contractor Saws". These are mounted on collapsable bases that will roll.
If you have limited requirements - like I do - look at the Ryobi saw at Home Depot. Fine Homebuilding gave it great reviews (Best Value!) and it is very easy to put up and take down - also only $200.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
Good point paul. That Ryobi is a decent saw for a good price, especially for casual use."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
You say you don't have room for a table saw... Are you thinking about one of those heavy cast iron monsters in a dedicated workshop? If so, please note that there is another group of table saws called "Contractor Saws". These are mounted on collapsable bases that will roll.
Not to nitpick you Paul, but the saws you're referring to are more often referred to as jobsite tablesaws or portable tablesaws. If Susan were to Google "contractor saws" she would end up looking at something more like this:
View Image
Not trying to pick you apart Paul, just trying to help Susan see her options.
View Image
Not nitpicking at all - thanks for the correction! Jobsite saw was what i was trying to say, thank you for catching that.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
circular saw with a good straight edge, rip guide and cross cut guide will do most everything a table saw can do ... some even safer ... and can even do more.
ripping 4x8 sheets of ply come to mind.
way easier for one person ... especially diy ... laying on a set of horses.
depending what U intend to cut ... some never even cut as thick as a 2x ...
a "panel saw" ... or smaller circular saw may be ideal.
they're made perfect for cutting 3/4" thick materials.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
For a nominal fee, two local building suppliers will cut anything I buy into any size I specify.
Another one does it for free.
Gord
"Best saw" kinda depends on what you're gonna be doing with it and your budget. A circular saw with an edge guide (like an EZ-Guide or a home made one) is great for ripping or crosscutting sheet goods. The same saw, with a ripping guide (usually included with the new saw) is good for ripping 1-by stuff like you mention.
But you specify trim. That to me means a lot of crosscutting, miters and bevels. That means a miter saw. Edge guides just don't work well for this type of work. If you are doing a lot of trim, getting a decent miter saw will be like the sun coming up. You'll wonder how you lived without it.
There are two tools you would have to fight My Lovely Assistant for -- the miter saw and the framing nailer. ;-)
If it came down to getting one good saw, I'd get a nice miter saw and a cheap circular saw (but get a good fine tooth blade for it) and make some edge guides. Depending on how much/how hard you will be using the saw, you may be able to get away with one of the cheaper brands of miter saws.
Thay way, you put your money where accuracy counts the most.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
>>Like 12' cornices I then upholster. Had to rip a 12' board 1''1/2 and its a bit wavy,....<<
By your description I assume there is at least some padding underneath of the finish upholstery material? So the cut does not have to be absolutely perfect?
If this is the case, a shooting board teamed with a circular saw as described by others will work fine.
A shooting board makes your life easier as there is no measuring involved since the edge of the board = edge of the cut. Potential problem is that you will have to store it somewhere.
A simple metal straight edge might work for you - smaller to store - more hassle to use. Using a straight edge in long lengths usually requires anchoring in the middle of the run to avoid bowing during the cut.
I have a 1/8" x 2" x 96" aluminum straight edge which I use for some cuts. I bored holes every foot or so down the length to install "anchor" screws" when in use - just a few Piffin screws will do it. I also have several shorter lengths which generally can be secured just with clamps. The saw is guided by running the foot of the saw along the straight edge.
Problem with a straightedge is that you must "do the math" for every cut to allow for the width of the saw foot.
In your case, the resulting screw holes would not make any difference since the wood will be covered by the upholstery material.
In any event, I suspect the "wavy" cut on the 1-1/2" x 12' board you describe was probably caused more by the jig saw blade wandering off plumb than by failure to follow your visible cut line. As a general rule, jig saws are not very good at long rip cuts. A circular saw will at least eliminate the wandering.
I think you will find that many of us here have all sorts of tools to produce good straight cuts that will be visible - but I am not sure you need that level of precision.
You may find that just buying a good circular saw with a good sight line to the blade will solve your problem and produce "straight enough" cuts with no guide system at all. Good quality, sharp blades will help.
Practice. Experiment.
Good luck!
Jim
You'll never regret getting either the EZ Smart setup or the Festool kit, but there are lower cost alternatives in straightedge guide arrangements. Try making your own, first.
55" and double that, or 110", are the two common sizes for working with 48 x 96 sheet goods.
Making your own guides without a tablesaw puts you into a sort of catch-22 position. You can't cut laser straight without a guide, so you cannot make guide components unless you can buy straight parts as-is.
Here is the old way of doing it.
View Image
Cool picture, I love that one ! And thanks to all who replied.
I make rip guides all the time just by using tempered Masonite as the base and the factory edge of some 3/8" ply as the saw fence. I make the masonite base out of two 50" pieces so it's a bit longer than an 8' sheet. This is made wide to start, and is ripped to exact width on the first use. Having the saw fence 8' long is not a problem since the saw foot allows you to start/finish with the blade at the fence.
Probably not dead-on laser accurate, but good enough for gov't work, as they say!
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA