Help picking a saw

[Sephiroth]

I need a saw and do not know the difference in them, I will be cutting wood and also installing running board in the home, so it would need to do some angle cutting, also I am installing a shower thing with sliding doors and I tried to cut the frame with my jig saw and the cut is rough and not smooth, the metel is alum. What would be a good do it all saw if their is such a thing?

[Jeff Weston]

For cutting angles you'll need a mitre saw. I just picked up a compound mitre saw from Sears on sale for $129. You can easily spend $500 on these things though you'll probably not see the need for what you're doing. Make sure you calibrate the saw before making the cuts!!!

I'm not sure what you're trying to do with the shower. I'm not sure if the mitre saw would be able to cut the aluminum frame or if you'd need a chopsaw. Hmmm...

[TObject]

Assuming we are talking about saws operated by hand.

There are two general wood cutting saws: for cutting parallel with the wood fibers, and for cutting perpendicular with the wood fibers. And then there are universal saws that have both kinds of teeth mixed.

In my projects I generally find myself using the saw that cuts across the grain much more often. But I haven't done any wood projects in a long while. I just have a universal saw in the house for occasional use.

[Darrell C]

For simple cross-cuts in wood, a decent worm-drive skill saw is hard to beat. For more accurate cross cuts (such as when I used to build kitchen cabinets), you can get a bench mounted chop saw. Simple wood chop saws will handle miter cuts, more complex saws will handle compound miter cuts.

If you rarely need to cut metal, I'd be tempted to just cut that piece of Al with a hacksaw, file it smooth, and be done (not sure what you're cutting, or if that's a feasable option). You can get metal blades for some wood chop saws, or get a dedicated metal chop saw.

You can rip wood (cutting lenthwise...with the grain) with a skill saw with the proper blade, but the best tool for ripping wood is a table saw. It all depends how much you're going to use the tools in the future to justify the expense.

[Sephiroth]

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/...s/130543_4.jpg


What about this, if I need to cut any metel do I just change blades?

[TObject]

Don't cut the fingers with that thing, please.

[Darrell C]

Originally posted by Sephiroth
http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/...s/130543_4.jpg


What about this, if I need to cut any metel do I just change blades?

My personal opinion is: don't cut metal on a table saw...even if you swap blades to an appropriate blade. There is a reason most metal cutting devices (chop saw, band saw, etc) hold the workpiece securely and lower the cutting device into the material. With a table saw, your feeding the material into a fixed blade. Ok concept for wood, but not for metal. Again, just MHO.

I've experienced a "kickback" before on a 3hp tablesaw cutting oak...it was not a pleasant experience. Cutting wood and metal are really two different animals.

[Jeff Weston]

Don,

What kind of "running board" are you talking about? Are you talking about base board at the bottom of the floor where it meets the wall? If so, buy a power mitre saw. With that, an angle finder and some wood filler you should be able to do a bang-up job.

If you just want to cut some aluminum nice and square use a hacksaw with one of those plastic mitre boxes made by Stanley that you can get at Home Depot.

Like Darrell said, I don't see a table saw in the cards for what you're doing. What are you doing?

If you describe your projects better you'll get better advice on which tool to use.

Good luck!

[Sephiroth]

Originally posted by Jeff Weston
Don,

What kind of "running board" are you talking about? Are you talking about base board at the bottom of the floor where it meets the wall? If so, buy a power mitre saw. With that, an angle finder and some wood filler you should be able to do a bang-up job.

If you just want to cut some aluminum nice and square use a hacksaw with one of those plastic mitre boxes made by Stanley that you can get at Home Depot.

Like Darrell said, I don't see a table saw in the cards for what you're doing. What are you doing?

If you describe your projects better you'll get better advice on which tool to use.

Good luck!

Yes thats it base board, I also want to replace some lumber in the garage and thought the table saw wood do the trick, also it kinda looks cool.

[Jeff Weston]

base board = mitre saw

table saw + newbie = lost fingers!

[Sephiroth]

Originally posted by Jeff Weston
base board = mitre saw

table saw + newbie = lost fingers!

[TObject]

http://www.jeepbbs.net/tobject/pictures/Jokes/saw.jpg

[Paradiddle]

Don - I'm pretty sure Home Depot rents chop saws (powered mitre saw) - just rent one, do your baseboards, and go from there.

If HD doesn't sell a metal chop saw, then I'm sure the local equipment rental yard will.

Do NOT use a table saw - as everyone else has been saying.

Jeff

[Sephiroth]

Originally posted by Paradiddle
Don - I'm pretty sure Home Depot rents chop saws (powered mitre saw) - just rent one, do your baseboards, and go from there.

If HD doesn't sell a metal chop saw, then I'm sure the local equipment rental yard will.

Do NOT use a table saw - as everyone else has been saying.

Jeff

Ok that sounds like a good idea.