Which Saw?

[Richard]

Hi all

Just finished laying a granite floor and need to install new skirting. Ive searched the archives and found that the best way for me will be to screw the boards to the wall due to old/not straight walls. Also read that I will need to trace the contour of the floor onto the sirting board as the floor although expertly laid (:)) is not quite level and the skirting board when laid rocks slightly!!

My questions are:

1. What saw should I buy to cut the contour of the floor down the length of the board (Electric)

and

1. Is there an easier alternative to using a coping saw to cut the inside corners. Could I use the saw purchased for question number 1 or are they different beasts?

Cheers all

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A good quality jigsaw. There was a thread recently about good buys.

If it's skirting with a moulding on top, the curve needed is likely to be too tight for a jigsaw. If it's mainly round, you can often do the bulk of the cut with an appropriate hole saw in a drill, and just finish off with the coping saw. Something like a Rotozip might do the whole job - I've not tried.

[Peter Stockdale]

Perhaps it would be easier to construct the inside corners on a forty-five degree bevel basis. Obviates the need for jigsawing and can easily be carried out accurately on a flatbed circular saw. You could also use a mitre block and tennon saw if you don't have access to a circular one.

Pete

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Trouble is as the timber shrinks - and it will - a mitre looks rather worse. If you put the 'plain' part along the longest run and scribe the shortest into that, you should minimise the effects of shrinkage.

[Stanley]

I am used to timber warping or shrinking cross grain with time. How much would a length of 12ft of skirting lose off the length as it dries?

[Richard]

I tried cutting the internal profiles lastnight with a coping saw and it came out S*!IT I practiced serveral times and It just didn't look right in that my cutting is just not accurate enough. I think this is one job I will get a chippie in for at least they seem to be a lot less expensive than plumbers and plasterers!

Thanks for the info guys.

Cheers

Richard

[Peter Stockdale]

The chippie will presumably use a power planer to sort out the rocking of the boards on the floor. Interested to hear how he deals with the corner joints.

Regards Pete

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If it's the sort of moulding where the majority of it is part of a circle (torus?) use a hole saw of the correct size - keeping it absolutely vertical - and just use the coping saw for the last little bit, but cut loose and file true with an ordinary file. Also, of course, use a tenon saw etc and a mitre box (90 degree) for the straight part.

I can get near perfect scribed joints like this, and I'd describe myself as only semi-skilled at carpentry.

[Richard]

Yes its torus. Ok so I lay the board down so I can see the scribed template and I use only half of the hole saw to cut the semi circle? My brain hurts!

Maybe that was the problem too, I never mitred the end of the other board just left it square. I'm sure I read that you could keep it square in several posts

I have a power planer which I used on my Sash windows which incidently seemed a whole lot easier than this skirting board malarkie :)

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

Cheers

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Complete the circle in the waste. Then drill it. ;-)

[Richard]

OK you've convinced me, I'll have another go at the weekend

Thanks!

Richard

[Richard]

Ok well I finally did it, took about 8 hours to do my hallway. I used my electric planer to profile the boards into the floor and used a coping saw to do the radiused part. I fixed with screws. Overall looks a good job however the internal corners were not 90% and a bit of caulk was required. Its as good as I could get it. Architrave next!

Thanks everyone.

Cheers

Richard