Printable View
I am looking to try my hand at furniture with live edge/slab tops and have only an average car to transport what I buy. I'm hoping to find some 15" wide tops and would like to cut 10' lengths down to 4' or 5'. So the question is what cordless tool is best to buy (don't you dare suggest I cut it by hand.) Choices are circular saw and saber saw. My experience with cordless is limited to drills. Am I concerned about nothing? Can any tool easily handle one cut through 1-1/2" or 2" stock?
Thanks
All of the brand name battery op circular saws work pretty well and would probably do the trick. I happen to have a collection of Makita 18 volt saws and would take the 7 1/4 circular saw and my reciprocating saw to cut slabs. The reciprocating just incase the circular saw didn't cut deep enough.
Is a roof rack out of the question? I don't know about how much weight the slabs will be or how many you will be carrying so that option could be out of the question. I think any one of the cordless circular saws will work fine. However trying to get a good cut could prove to be a challenge. Wood that large would be a little difficult to deal with unless you can support it well. I've watched people cut plywood in Lowes parking lot and struggle. I think you could do it but I would try to plan out every detail so you are well prepared.
I don't know about where you live, but almost all wood places here will do 1 "non-accurate" cut for free. If not, they should do it for a nominal fee. Can't hurt to ask.
To answer your question, any modern 7-1/2" circular saw will do it as mentioned. I'd buy the brand that matches your drills assuming they are "good" drills. That way you can swap batteries. I don't think many sabre saws will do well cutting that 2" thick board.
I have a collection of handsaws that are cordless. :)
I would hand cut with a timber saw. Not a proper wood working saw. How about a chainsaw? or bow saw.
Chainsaw for speed, if you have one. With a cordless circular saw you might have to cut from both sides, but that wouldn't be terrible. When people come here to buy lumber I will cut it to shorter lengths for them free of charge.
Zach
I would get a jigsaw/sabersaw.
Both circular and jigsaw will be able to cut the slab. Jigsaw will be more portable, easy to use in tricky setup, easy to use freehand, and would be safer in less ideal situations.
All said, ask the shop if they would cut the slab for you, most would.
A circular saw can be used with a straight edge of some sort to provide a nice finished cut for whatever your project will eventually require. A sabre/jig/sawzall will be a more jagged cut that most people will eventually want to clean up. Why not just do it initially with the circ saw?
I use cordless Dewalt circular saws every day, sometimes all day, and would have no trouble recommending one. Makita and Milwaukee also has some nice tools. Just get one that fits the rest of your (planned?) collection.
I'd add that slabs are never flat, and always require a lot of attention to get there. I use a cordless hand planer (Dewalt) for that rough work and it uses the same batteries as my saw. Can fill a 35gal trash barrel with shavings from it and a flexvolt battery barely notices.
One of the local suppliers I use takes care of this with a small battery operated chain saw. I only had to ask for that once when I was waiting for my new vehicle and had to use my spouse's car which doesn't have a hitch receiver. Otherwise, I prefer my small utility trailer for transporting material.
Battery circular saw easily the best choice. Much more useful than jig saw
I use a Dewalt cordless circular saw for cutting such things. Up to 2", no problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat Barry
But places I've bought wood all will make a cut. Even the steel suppliers will make one cut for free if you as. (Handy since steel can come in 40' lengths and my biggest trailer is 18'.) But even a second cut is cheap. I have been known to take a hacksaw or a cordless sawzall for things like steel rebar where they couldn't/wouldn't cut it.
If you are looking for a near final cut, it seems to me that any good cordless track saw with sufficient cut depth would work VERY well.
If you're OK with a somewhat rough cut that will be cleaned up later, then any cordless circular saw with sufficient cut depth will work well. I might suggest using some kind of clamped down guide (plywood, aluminum extrusion, ....)
If you're just doing a very rough cut for carrying home, then I would think either a cordless reciprocating saw or a chainsaw (following a pre-defined line) would be easiest, but would certainly need cleaning up.
I use a Ridgid Octane Recip saw w/9amp battery. I use 9" carbide pruning blades if the wood is clean, and 9" Lenox carbide blade if the wood is suspect. If the wood is clean and 6/4 or less I use a Ridgid cordless circular saw with a Diablo 7x24 blade. But for speed it's the recip saw.
That and a large Speed Square, tape measure, metal vice plates, and thick bungee cords for keeping the cut boards together.
I have this stuff in a box that goes to sawmills and lumber yards. Great for cutting up old furniture and cabinets found on trash days too.
Circular saw may not to to depth on thicker slabs. I would use a chainsaw.
Don't, however, discount a handsaw. An Irwin pull saw has an $18 replaceable blade, and goes surprisingly quickly through a 2" x 24" slab. I've done it many times.
The trick to all of this is having a good way to support the slab while you cut it in the parking lot. I would make a couple low saw horses. Without reasonable support, you'll ruin blades or bind the cut.