Reciprocating saws

I've got a (very) rough & ready Titan el cheapo recip saw which I only really use as a tool of mass destruction.

I'm increasingly having to cut half laps in 3 x 3 posts and doing it by hand gives accurate results - but is bloody hard work.

Tried my Makita jigsaw with extra long blade, but even on a tool of that quality the blade wanders.

So, I'm thinking of laying out for a quality (Makita/Bosch) recip saw & the right blades.

Anyone got any experience of a good quality machine? Is it possible to get accurate cuts?

Reply to
The Medway Handyman
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I'd use a circular saw set to the correct depth, do several runs across the waste and chisel it out. You should get a near perfect job with a bit of practice.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

....

You are joking? As you said, they are weapons of destruction, getting a clean cut on a fence post is difficult with them when cutting the post in half, getting a decent lap joint would be harder. I had a Dewalt, and I dont think it is any better than a cheap one, they just jump about and wander at will.

My chain saw gave pretty accurate cuts on fence posts the few times I tried it, so maybe one of the small chainsaws would be more suitable, as well as being useful in other areas.

Soemthing like this would be good for loads of things:

Reply to
A.Lee

+1
Reply to
stuart noble

+2
Reply to
Huge

No, never used a decent recip saw.

That answers my question - thanks.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

I have tried that - I think I might need to make up a jig though.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Have you got a SCMS that can trench cut?

Reply to
John Rumm

What about a Bosch GOP 250 CE multitool with a plunge cut blade?

Reply to
Stephen H

Make up a set square from wood to act as a guide? You'd need to do some calcs to work out the offset from the blade - but you could write them on it to save having to remember. Clamp it to the post - then it's only the two outside cuts that have to be square.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I have, but it won't cope with a 4 x 4 post unless you use a sub fence.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Used by DG installers to cut through the old wooden fames. The one I spoke to couldn't think of another use for it.

Reply to
stuart noble

No calcs necessary: just make the jig and use it to cut a small amount off a spare piece of wood. Measure the distance from jig edge to cut edge and write on jig for future reference. I did this only a couple of weeks ago - had some spare self-adhesive foam strips which I put on the underside so the jig stayed in place under hand pressure, no clamp necessary.

Reply to
Tony Bryer

My beech hedge had been allowed to run away at the top over a couple of years and I was struggling to find a way of dealing quickly with

15mm + diameter growth. Aldi/Lidl had these at the appropriate moment and it was the tool to use.

Equally I've not found another use for it !

Rob

Reply to
robgraham

Or one of the cheap sliding compound mitre saws.

Reply to
Andrew May

Mine is a ply set square (i.e. an upside down "T") and, by using it once and trimming the right hand part of the "T" bit, that effectively becomes the jig (mine is about 100mm IIRC, but I don't need to know that). Easy to do but impossible to explain :-)

Reply to
stuart noble

I sort of assumed he might be making the joints in posts already installed.

Is getting a cheap sliding saw for this sort of thing make sure it cuts deep enough.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

As Dave pointed out in his reply to my suggestion of this above, 4x4 posts need a big SMCS... That puts you into the 12" blade saws like the Makita LS1214. Lovely bit of kit, but 'kin pricey unless you can find a decent ebay one like I did, and quite a monster to lug about with you.

Short sawboard with the addition of a square fence on the underside would seem to be a workable solution.

Reply to
John Rumm

I have actually used mine for this application... certainly for making the long rip cut rather than the cross cuts (can't remember if I did use it for those or not).

When I did this newel post joint to the string:

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needed a 9" tall half lap on the outside of a 4x4 post. Took out a small section at one end, and then used the recip saw to cut down the long half lap.

(if I were going to try this, I would suggest using one with a pendulum action since it should result is less drift on the return stroke)

Reply to
John Rumm

I have found plenty of uses for them over time...

Cutting a long half lap. Cutting a 6' long "squint" on the bottom of a joist Cutting roots around tree stumps to aid removal Metal cutting things flush to surfaces Cutting the flitch plate (8mm x 220mm mild steel) in flitch beams Lopping bits of trees while up a ladder in cases were lugging the chainsaw up there would be difficult.

Reply to
John Rumm

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