Non boaty power saw question

[RJJ]

Hello, non-boaty question here but confident someone can kindly help.

I want to extend my repertoire of home DIY into fitting e.g. shelves, custom-made cupboards, coving and doorframe. I am a bit bewildered by table saws, skillsaws, mitre saws. If I was to start with one of the above, which would it be?

Thanks

 

[LadyInBed]

None! A Chinese draw saw would be my starter of choice
Or similar
Tri-cut Pull Saw 240mm (9 1/2") | Toolstation

 

[thinwater]

Skillsaw. Add a rip fence, speed square, and learn to clamp on guides.

Then a table saw and/or miter saw, depending on what you are doing.

Actually, a variety of handsaws first. You will still need them.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

For that sort of carpentry, you can’t beat a compound mitre saw.

 

[Graham376]

For that sort of carpentry, you can’t beat a compound mitre saw.

Compound mitre saw? I have one and they won't crosscut much more than 12" wide material. Can't think where the compound feature would fit in or, how you would make covings or rabbet a door frame on it.

These days for sheet goods I find the track saw easier to use and with an MFT type bench top, more accurate than the cabinet saw, which also takes up a lot of space and handling to pass 8 x 4 sheets across. The OP's question covers many things - cabinet or track saw for the cupboards, covings and door frames can be done on cabinet saw but may need router or router table if fancy. Mitre saw or band saw not needed for those items.

 

[KevinV]

I have a lovely compound mitre saw which sees a lot of use because it's quick, and more precise than I can manage with a handsaw.

The tablesaw sees sporadic bursts of heavy use, ripping lengths of stuff down to size mostly, which I simply couldn't do by hand. It saves a lot of timber, money and planning.

The skill saw sees the least use, mostly sheet materials that I could cut by hand if I didn't have it.

If I had to choose one it'd be the table saw, because it adds an ability, whereas the others add speed.

 

[The Q]

Definitely a pull saw for accurate hand cutting.
For all round general use on straight cuts, especially sheet stuff, I like the Bosch nanoblade saw, which is a mini chain saw, but in a jigsaw like format.. blades aren't cheap though...

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have a compound mitre saw, jigsaw and circular saw but no track saw, does all I want to do. I do have a pull saw but don't get on with it - must get round to getting a decent tenon saw though...

 

[Rappey]

For that sort of carpentry, you can’t beat a compound mitre saw.

Sliding compound mitre saw . Would also be my first choice. I have 3.
I also have a table saw, mini saw , sabre saw, jig saw ,circular saw etc .
Skilsaw is a brand name and not a type of saw. Skil invented the circular saw and call it a circular saw.

When I was poor some 30 years ago and started to fit out my boat interior I owned a hand plane, random orbital sander , cheap router and jigsaw. I clamped a jigsaw upside down in a workmate with a fence to rip down wood !

Now I have all the tools I still struggle to come up with the accuracy and quality I achieved back then !

 

[Stemar]

I have a table saw and a circular saw with a home brew track and a table saw. I use the table saw far more, as it's there and it's convenient for most cuts, but for long cuts, you can't beat a circular saw with a track unless your table is huge. If I were starting again on a limited budget, I'd go for the biggest circular saw I could afford/manage and look at the videos on YT on how to build my own table for it.

That'll give you both for now, and you can get a proper table saw with the toys to help you make accurate mitres later, when you've got a better idea what you need, as there's no better way to find out what you need than to have something that's OK, but you think "I wish it would do X". If you find you need X regularly, it's worth spending money on. Doing mitres on a budget table saw gets disappointing results in my experience, but I don't do a lot of them, so have one of these, which gives good results.

 

[Bouba]

I would only go cordless...most people already have a battery powered drill...so you have the battery and charger already...then go online to see the rest of the brand’s compatible range

 

[dansaskip]

You can do it all with handsaws - preferably good Japanese pull saws. Just think, no electricity usage, useful in these days of high energy prices and the exercise will keep you warm and I dare say fitter.

 

[Lomax]

I'd go with a plunging track saw, since it can do any type of cut apart from curved ones and takes little space when not in use. That and a jigsaw is all I need, though I'd put a multitool as #3 on the list.

 

[PCUK]

Without doubt, a flip-over saw which includes a table saw and chop saw in one unit.

 

[doug748]

As Stemar has suggested a handraulic job is good. Because you go slowly you will scrap less stuff as well - things like picture frames can easily fuddle you:




Apart from that I would get a table saw but only if you can afford a good one. Then a skill saw. Take care they are all wicked things

.

 

[Graham376]

Not mentioned is how much space does the OP have for working and what materials he intends using? My cabinet saw's footprint is roughly 1.5m x 1m but has a wheel kit so I can move it around. To pass a full sheet of plywood lengthwise through that or a bench mounted table saw, needs 16 ft plus working room and it's heavy work single handed. Once split then good accurate cross cuts are easy with a sled. OTOH, cutting the same sheet with a track saw, only takes up the size of the sheet plus a bit of working room so, half the space needed. You take the saw to the sheet, rather than the sheet to the saw and worth looking at some of Peter Millard's Youtube videos. Having cabinet, track, band and mitre saws, as well as the usual jig saws and hand saws, the one used most and I find most versatile is the cabinet saw.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

You can do it all with handsaws - preferably good Japanese pull saws. Just think, no electricity usage, useful in these days of high energy prices and the exercise will keep you warm and I dare say fitter.

You can, obviously in a bygone era people did. Nowadays you don’t have to. if you’ve got a bit of wood you want to play with, fair dos. I’ve got a 4000 sq ft house to renovate. I use hand saws to cut plasterboard, very rarely anything else.

 

[Rappey]

You can do it all with handsaws

But your not going to match the finish when trying to trim 0.5mm off a large plank compared to a powered saw ?
You would be there all day cutting along the grain of a large hardwood plank, multiple times
But yes it could all be done by hand.

 

[Poignard]

But your not going to match the finish when trying to trim 0.5mm off a large plank compared to a powered saw ?
You would be there all day cutting along the grain of a large hardwood plank, multiple times
But yes it could all be done by hand.

If I needed to take 0.5mm off an edge, I'd use a plane.

Or is 0.5mm a typo? ?

 

[Rappey]

Or is 0.5mm a typo? ?

I meant 0.5mm or ½mm. Unbelievely easy with an electric saw.