Low Noise saw (any saw ;)...)

Hi All, I'm a part time paint contractor and I'm thinking of including a laminate flooring in my services (I paint mostly condos). I have layed a couple of laminate floors myself but I used circular saw for cutting the laminate. Now, that would work if I work during regular hours, but condo corporations don't allow high noise after 5 p.m. and during the weekends, which is the time when I paint mostly. So, one option will be to do all the prep work in the evening (carpet removal, vaccuming, subfloor laying) and to hire someone to work on the laminate during the day. Or, to lay the laminate after hours using some low noise saw. I found some good looking Mastercraft mitre hand saw and it looks like that's the best option, but I still think that it must be some other power saw on the market that is not noisy. I thought to put the power saw in the bathroom, but noise is too strong even then. Any idea which low noise saw can be used for laminate besides hand saw?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
ddt_toronto
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Only type of portable power saw that I can think of that would be suitable is a chop saw and they're not known for their quietness. There's usually other options of interest than noise. Cutting laminates for floors needs usually needs an exact 90°. Only other option I can think of is a handsaw for the initial cut and then some type of professional cut off box that uses a shear to cut the last 1/4" of material to size. There's a few high end sheer cutters of that type are used in picture making, maybe there's some that cut at 90°.

Reply to
Upscale

Most portable electric saws use universal motors. That is a big noise maker by it self. Then add a blade it the sound magnifies. Bosch makes a different type of miter saw that might be quieter. Take a look here.

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Reply to
Leon

I wonder if you could put a router variable speed control on it to dampen the sound.

Other wise, you may want to try a jig saw or battery operated mini-circular saw with a jig to keep it cutting straight. Jig saws are pretty quiet.

Reply to
FriscoSoxFan

How about one of those battery powered circular saws and a good cross cut jig of some sort. You'll still have the sound of the teeth hitting the wood, but the motor noise should be much lower than a tablesaw.

Chuck

Reply to
Woodchuck34

A decent belt-drive contractor's saw with a capacitor-start motor has very low motor noise. It's those little ones with the universal motors that generate all the noise. The actual cutting noise contribution will be the same. A slow going cross-cut with a quality, fine-toothed carbide blade shouldn't be too loud.

I've used one of those battery drive circular saws and while they are quieter that their AC counterparts, they are still louder than a capacitor-start motor on a belt-drive stationary saw.

Tim Ellestad

Reply to
Ellestad

If low noise is critical, I'd go with the manual miter box. I've got a Craftsman that has done a wonderful job. It has a wooden base that I modified slightly and will clamp tightly in a Workmate bench. It has a "captive" blade so that once set, even a monkey could make precise cuts. Something like:

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(sorry about long url, it's a Craftsman Full Range Compounding Miter Box, Sears item #00936343000 Mfr. model #36343 )

Reply to
Dan Major

Horizontal Bandsaw

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guy had a small one at a job site a few years ago. Don't remember the name but it was easily carried by one person.

Normally used for metalwork.

Quiet compared to any circular saw.

Reply to
L M

Try a Japanese style saw. They're quieter than any power saw and quieter than Western saws. They cut about 3 t imes quicker with one third the effort of a Western saw, too. $26 gets a good one for you from

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. 1-800-537-7820 Asl for the hardwood razor saw. You saw the ad in Fine Woodworking for $25.95 post paid!

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Ditto on that. They are excellent - a bit more fragile than 'Western' saws but a lovely fast smooth cut.

Apart from that I was going to suggest a scrollsaw - quiet, but not necessarily fast or straight lines...

Reply to
PC Paul

It's going to be kind of difficult to cut an 8' long laminate board in half with most scroll saws I've seen. :) Otherwise I would have suggested a small bandsaw. I used to get away with running my bandsaw in my basement shop when the kids were asleep; it was about the only (powered) saw I could get away with that. Even now, it's the only one of my saws I don't usually wear ear protection for. Well, the mitre saw I don't, but it's usually only a quick cut or two.

Cl>> >>

Reply to
Clint

Grizzly has those too.

Low cost solution. I used one for metal work. But they came in handy for cutting many other materials. Just buy the right kind of blades.

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?itemnumber=G8692&This is the one I used for many years as a general cut off saw. Mostly for metal but almost anything else you could think of too. Just because it was there in the shop.

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Reply to
Lee Michaels

Yep, did a lot of work that way when I was starting out. A Japanese pull saw (Dozuki) with a nice thin kerf makes it easy, if not quite as fast as a power saw.

Reply to
Prometheus

A query about all these suggestions of hand saws. The OP was talking about doing flooring with a quiet saw. Can hand saws, even Dozuki hand saws cut a floor board so straight at 90° and so finely finished that it's going to mate perfectly with an adjacent board? I've got to be honest here, I'm really sceptical.

Reply to
Upscale

"Upscale" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com:

Dozuki's and other "free" hand saws take some getting used to for proper technique. The Craftsman saw I mentioned has a "captive" blade; there are four vertical posts, and a guide on the saw fits over the blades and onto the posts. Mine came with lots of hold-down and stop-block clamps. When I first got mine, I made a jig that would allow me to do resawing. *THAT* will make you break out in a sweat!

Reply to
Dan Major

Seems the best way to me, if pricey. Cut nearly to length with a hand miter saw, then shave to exact length with the Pootatuck Lion Miter Trimmer. It does do squaring. The clones out there may also do squaring. I think Grizzly distributes one.

Reply to
Charlie Self

Seems the best way to me, if pricey. Cut nearly to length with a hand miter saw, then shave to exact length with the Pootatuck Lion Miter Trimmer. It does do squaring. The clones out there may also do squaring. I think Grizzly distributes one.

They would work with wood, but that laminate is pretty tough stuff. It will kill a carbide blade in short order. Do you think a trimmer can handle it?

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Thanks guys for all your replys. I'm thinking of testing this Bosch power hand saw (I didn't even know that something like this exists):

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Reply to
ddt_toronto

5/8". That's about 4" at 90°. There's flooring that's wider than that. Not saying it won't do what you'd need, but I'd examine one very closely.
Reply to
Upscale

I'd guess the trimmer will handle it, but sharpening the cutters might become a career. Still, it will do the job, I'm reasonably sure.

Reply to
Charlie Self

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