Mitre saw experiences

[Rob]

Decided that I needed to get on with those fiddly bits of wood, plinths and coving, to finish off my kitchen. Hired a DeWalt DW707 for the weekend for =A332.

Impressed with all the different things that it can do. Sadly, it still seems impossible to cut the chipboard plinths without little bits of veneer chipping off from the saw line.

Experimented with moving the saw trough the "wood" at different speeds. Maybe there was an improvement, maybe not. It felt more like random luck. Next, I scored a line through the veneer using a stanley knife. The problem was in trying to line up the scored line exactly with the face of the saw blade. No real improvement.

Are there different types of blade that can be used. The one that came with the saw has fairly big teeth and I wondered if there was a more chipboard specific blade.

Perhaps it's the quality of the chipboard, it's from B&Q :(

I might actualy by a mitre saw. Would anyone recommend the DW707 or should I go for extra features? Any other makes that I should consider?

Thanks.

[Matthew]

Rob,

I use the

Challenge Xtreme Cross Pull Mitre Saw with Laser

only =A389 and Ive nearly finished all the skirting and coving around the house, its easily paid for itself even if it now breaks.

My experience lately is that some of these cheaper manufacturers arent that bad and if you cost the tool into the job as a disposable then they are ideal.

To stop chips occuring put a length of masking tape along the line to be cut. Used this for formica before and it works well.

Matthew

[Clive Dive]

Cut it from the reverse side?...just a thought

[andy hall]

Several things here:

- It could be that the blade was on the blunt side.

- It could be that it had too few teeth - better results can be had for this application with a blade with a larger number. If you're going to buy a saw then have a look at blades from Freud and CMT. It's worth paying for a decent blade.

- Board quality *might* have an effect, but the first two points are the more likely.

- Scoring can help.

I looked long and hard and sliding mitre saws a bit over a year ago. This involved looking at a lot of reviews and in tool stores both here and in the U.S.

Final contenders came down to

- Elektra Beckum (made by Metabo) - very quiet induction motor

- DeWalt DW708

- Makita LS1013

The Makita had the best reviews and in the flesh the slide mechanism was a lot smoother than the other two. That was the one I went with.

You may be able to improve results by applying masking tape to the board and cutting through it. Another thing is to plunge the saw with the blade at the front and push gently backwards.

This can achieve pretty good but not perfect results. I cut veneered boards on my table saw and for this there is a separate scoring blade located in fromt of the main blade. This rotates in the opposite direction and is a fraction of a mm wider than the main blade. It scores the work before the main blade cuts and eliminates chip out completely.

[AlexW]

Yes. I have a DW707 and like it because its accurate, compact, robust and not too heavy.

I fannied around with cheaper ones but the all ended up at the B&Q returns counter because they were naff in one way or another ... others have had better experiences I might add. See

and for comments.

The one thing you cannot do with a DW707 is trenching as the slide bars do not remain horizontal during the plunge action. It also has 3 (yes 3) dust ports which is a little complex to connect up, but you get better than average extraction from just 2 of them!

The slide action is not as long as some of the 254 mm jobs but it will do a respectable 270mm by 60mm at 90 deg.

diytools.com had them at around £240 last time I looked, which is a pretty good price.

I noticed that one of my local timber merchants uses them too.

HTH,

Alex.

PS: the other one I really liked the look of was the Electra Beckum KGS255 which as, a similar size, but a bit pricier at the time.

[Mark]

I would say that these would be much too expensive for the average DIY'er. One doesn't need to cut mitre joints that often, does one?

Mark.

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt/Lord Hall, thinks expensive mean the best. Deluded I know, but most don't take too much notice of him.

[andy hall]

Who is the "average DIYer"?

You are making several assumptions?:

- DIY (even "average" DIY - whatever that is) equates to doing things on the cheap. For some people, the purchase price in the =A3400 range may be beyond their budget - for others it is not.

- DIY equates to poor quality. There is a noticable difference in result between a SCMS in this category when compared with the =A3120 Chinese specials. It then becomes a return on investment issue.

- There are a lot more applications for an SCMS than just cutting mitre joints. This is a very versatile type of machine and a good one is able to do a lot. I use mine during virtually every woodworking session.

[andy hall]

I've no idea what Matt thinks.

I think that tools should be chosen primarily to fit with the desired outcome in terms of the desired quality of work and means to achieve it as the first objective.

Often, but not always, that implies that a better quality tool allows the user to achieve better quality results possibly quicker and usually in a more comfortable and pleasant way.

Usually better quality tools do cost more money. They also come with proper support and spares arrangements for a long period of time and problems, which are generally rare, can easily be addressed by the manufacturer, a service agent or in the final analysis with a very arguable case in statutory consumer law.

Purchase price is another factor in decisions. For some people that is an important, or even the primary factor; for others it is not.

However, most people are intelligent enough to realise that there are trade offs between purchase price, quality of product and support as well as an impact on the outcome and/or ease and pleasure of use of the tool.

It would appear that you have difficulty with this aspect of normal commercial economics and would suggest that any delusions that something cheap must be a bargain lie with your good self.

I hope that at least you find your tool pleasurable in use.

[Doctor Drivel]

What does Lord Hall think then. Take it away Matt.....

Some sense here.

A feelgood factor now. having the Makita manual under your pillow must give a warm feel too.

Usually, but always.

Wow.

We know. One here spent a fortune on a poorly made Makita

Most people want value for money.

Most are aware of price/performance.

Matt, your idea of normal economics is buy the most expensive designer label.

My Kress is wonderful to use; better than a Makita. The reciprocating saw I have not used yet. I will use it on some tree branches soon. The Bosch tools I have are dogs. BTW, on the say so of the old carpenter I met on Monday, and rave reviews when doing a Google, I went to Lidl and lo-and-behold there was one 1500w Parkside circular saw left for £25. I bought it as I need a powerful circular, already having a 500w B&D saw which can't hack heavy stuff and jams occasionally. A well made piece of kit. I really like the soft start and variable speed. There is a laser, but I haven't put the batteries in yet. Nice straight powerful cuts. Do a Google and most say Parkside is mid-range quality. For £25 this is a snip. I believe it is similar to the Aldi Power Craft saw, which is similar spec and price, so every few months or so either one of them will sell the saw. Both are 3 year guaranteed.

[Jim Alexander]

I take it you didn't actually understand that either.

The blade locking lever on my Wickes/Kress jig-saw failed eventually. I looked around. The blade locking lever on the Makita I saw was.... clear plastic. That's why they need spares. Eventually selected the Erbauer and while it may well be little more than a light blue version of the orange Worx, its certainly well worth £39.99, performs well and even sports a metal blade locking lever.

Jim A

[Doctor Drivel]

Well it was drivel.

Goes to show doesn't it. All these people taken in by designer labels and price like a bunch of naive sheep. I have just bought an all metal Lidl Parkside large circular saw. Brilliant saw. Excellent quality.

[John Rumm]

The nice thing about a sliding mitre saw is that it makes a very good general purpose saw for all sorts of cross cut applications where accuracy is required - even if all you need is a decent 90 degree cut.

So the ability to tilt and swing the saw for angled cuts is nice and will let you do some things that would be difficult by other methods, however the ability to accurately dimension wood for cabinet making is a great time saver as well as gaining better accuracy and finish. (most decent saws will cut at least 12 inch wide boards, and this will cover a good deal of the cuts you will make in prepared stock.

[andy hall]

Hopefully the =A325 "snip" won't be of your fingers. Or other bits.

[Doctor Drivel]

I am too well experienced and the tool is well made. Another thing in Lidl I saw and bought. They are selling pliers: long nosed, multi, wirestrippers, water pump, and side cutters, which are the same quality and look as Stanley Dynagrip, which are from £8 to £12 each. All of these were

99p each. So I went wild and spent under £7. The store I was in still had lots left, so worth snapping up. And sets of good quality wiper blades for £1.50. That is the whole assembly not just the rubber bits.

The quality of the DIY stuff is very good, not shoddy at all. This stuff must be loss leaders, as the pliers and wiper blades must be sold at a loss.

[John Rumm]

I would do the gene pool a favour, then again probably not necessary in addition to the contraceptive personality....

It may be we have nothing to worry about anyway though:

[Doctor Drivel]

Wiv aught me barra me auld c*ck sparra. Boiled beef and carrots, boiled beef and carrots.

[andy hall]

"Test drive the Prius - the car that swings both ways".

I love it......

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, did you just make that up, or did you phone a friend.

[Mark]

Good question ;-) I'm sure there are many types of DIY'er. However almost all the DIY'ers I know do it for two reasons:

• They want to save a bit of money/they cannot afford to hire someone.

• They want the satisfaction of doing the job themselves.

Definitely.

Unless you have an unlimited budget then you have to prioritize your spending. Personally I know no-one who has bought a £400 mitre saw. I'm sure they're great, but much too pricy for DIY IMHO. I need that £400 for other things (like food etc).

I found a good hand mitre saw for £20 which did the job for me.