Hi All,
I thought I'd let you know what I ended up with after my question about a saw for (as far as this project is concerned) straight cutting
4x2's.It was the £30 Screwfix jobby.
It was only 30 quid and could be given to the daughter if she needs it for her tree / craft work once this project is done.
It was available locally and Screwfix is generally easier / quieter / quicker than the alternatives. I saw the same saw in B&Q for £40.
It is smaller than the sliding saws (no bits sticking out the front / back) and could be left on a fairly narrow bench and still be useable (or even on a strong shelf as it's quite light).
Being 'simples' I (and some others) thought there was a better chance it would work / wear better (than a 'cheap' sliding saw).
I'm not likely to be doing any woodwork that would justify the 'in case' need to do wider cuts or do mitres and even if I did I can't really justify over double the cost and probably double the storage space on those odds. Even if I do have need to go for a sliding mitre saw in the future I wouldn't regret the 30 quid I spent on this and sure I could find it a happy home elsewhere if space was still an issue.
So, I've probably done 50 cuts today and I'd say they pretty well all split my pencil line down the middle and are as square in all directions as my old square. ;-)
It's doesn't seem to care if it's a soft bit of wood or if it's cutting through a knot and it cuts much much faster than I could do by hand.
I used it loose on an 8'x2' bit of 1/2" ply placed across two saw horses, with the saw up towards the right hand end (it was a bit low for the machine saw but I was hand cutting ply panels there as well). This meant I could rest the long length (2.4m) [1] along the ply (and on some scrap wood at the lhs to keep it all level) and the plastic dustbin is the perfect height (-1") to support the cut length to the right.
So, maybe not the most versatile solution but perfect for the job in hand and will be easy to store.
Cheers, T i m
[1] As someone mentioned, nice to be able to cut wood the width of the bade off the end with ease. ;-)