I want to put in a few bits of skirting and some architrave around the house over the next few weeks.
Am I better off using a Mitre saw or circular saw?
Can I get away with a =A330 model as it won't get used much?
You can set a circ saw to its maximum tilt of 45 degs but it ain't all that easy to use or guage where the cut's going to be. I wouldn't buy a saw just for that job. It's a lot easier to butt join 4" x 1" or 6" x 1" and plant a separate moulding on top. Those mitres you can do by hand with a mitre box
The £30 circular will give you a decent mitre cut but its down to how good you are at keeping the saw straight along the guide line. :-)
-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite
Have you considered a bench saw - e.g.
Regards pete
I had looked at mitre saws on screwfix. I want to cut skirting 145mm by
20mm. The spec saysNo load speed 4500rpm. Blade dia. 254mm x 2.8 x 30mm bore. Cutting capacity mitre / bevel 0 / 90=B0 135 x 60mm. Bevel index 0-45=B0. Mitre index 0-45=B0 left and right. Weight 14kg.
Am I right in assuming this won't therefore work for me?
Yep, its depth of cut is 135mm, even if you layed it flat to cut the mitre sideways it will cut 95% through the wood.
-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite
How about...
You only need to mitre for external corners, such as around a chimney breast. For this you can use a board mitre box (Emir make one, good toolshops should have them) and a hand saw.
For internal corners, you'll get a better result by coping the joints rather then mitring them. Use a coping saw to cut one board to fit against the face of the other (the other board is just cut square). This is easier to get an accurate fit with then a mitre, and it looks better if there's any shrinkage or building movement.
before I'd read this I'd popped into B&Q to price electric mitre saws but the ones which cut 145mm are pricey and I saw this same model for the exact same price so I ought it. Seems to work fine. I had also decided not to mitre the internal corners as Andy Dingley suggested in the next post. Thanks.
Fine, profiling skirting is the way to go because nine times out of ten you will find that corners are not exactly 90deg's but you still have to mitre external corners.
When I have used taurus skirting I used the coping saw method until I bought a router. Routers are the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to profiling.
-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite
I'd suggest the toolstaion =A327 kinzo mitre saw. With 6" skirting you'll need to cut it part through and turn it round to finish, but this is easy enough, and sub millimetre accuracy is easy too. Look along the blade teeth edge to line it up precisely.
Its far easier and quicker than hand sawing, and the reason I suggest it is it will also prove useful for many other jobs beside.
I would not try using a hand held circ, you just wont get the accuracy needed. Yes, have done it in a pinch, but no way can you get good results like that, just something that'll do if its out of the way.
If you want the cheapest poss option, a bit of flat wood, a few nails and a clamp. and a hand saw. Go electric, it makes it so much easier and quicker.
NT
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.