Home DIY

Never underestimate the difference that going very slowly and carefully makes when sawing by hand. I don’t do much fine joinery but marking up accurately and taking your time with a good sharp pullsaw can yield perfectly good results (especially versus time lost going to buy a new tool).

That said, either chop saw or circular saw with a square or guide of some sort - you can just clamp a straight piece of wood to run the saw against for example.

Which chopsaw or circular saw comes down to budget, and potential scope of use etc.

Never underestimate the difference that going very slowly and carefully makes when sawing by hand. I don’t do much fine joinery but marking up accurately and taking your time with a good sharp pullsaw can yield perfectly good results (especially versus time lost going to buy a new tool).

This is why I got them in the first place but I'm the most impatient person in the world so it was a losing battle to begin with. I get good results here and there on small projects but now I have even less time with a toddler who FUCKING LOVES hand tools. He doesn't like the noise of the hoover so my theory is...

I get different definitions of chop saw depending where I look - is there a specific model? Budget 200-300ish? If that won't fit the bill then maybe a circular saw.

Unscrew the grub screw completely, it might still be holding the bracket even though you have unscrewed it a bit. There's not much to it, if that grub screw comes out then you should be able to remove the accessory before removing the plate behind.

You can get a decent, small chop saw for your budget. But they do take up space.

This one is a good saw, is compact and comes with a decent blade.

Search for Skill Saw, you should see some around the £80 mark. Then get a straight bit of wood and 2 clamps, run the saw along the clamps.

Ideally I would have you ordering a smaller track saw from somewhere like Rutlands :-

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-tools-bench-circular-saws-plunge-saws-110mm-plunge-cut-saw-with-1000mm-guide-rail-rutlands+xt3510

https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-gcm-8-sjl-216mm-electric-single-bevel-sliding-compound-mitre-saw-240v/18086
That’d be my shout. Can do 300mm long cuts (good for floorboards etc), is relatively lightweight as compact, and I like the dust extraction from 2 points. I have a much larger Bosch and I regret getting something that is such a pain to lug about. I’ll probably sell it and buy the above at some stage tbh.

Having got a very cheap router from Rutlands, I can’t say I’d give them a singing recommendation. Just buy a proper tool.

Unscrew the grub screw completely, it might still be holding the bracket even though you have unscrewed it a bit.

They just spin in their sockets yet gravity will not drop them out. Infuriating.

Have you tried getting something to lever it off? You could even try a pry bar or similar as long as you have a piece of card or thin ply between it and the tiles.

Concerned about prying out the entire thing and ending up with broken tiles.

Reckon hack sawing the accessory to bits might be less risky on the assumption a direct replacement or three could be sourced. Hah.

The tile should be ok if you protect it but can understand why you'd be reluctant. The other option is a set of grips on the accessory and give it a good tug. In all likelihood the tile has been drilled with a diamond bit then the wall behind it drilled and plugged so you should be able to pull it off the wall.

I've no idea about the quality of anything other than Festool these days so you are right to point out the cheap Rutlands stuff might be crap.

I bought the Kapex when it was first released but like your experience of the big Bosch I've found it very heavy. It's also a difficult shape to manoeuvre. The smaller mitre saws never seem to be all that worthwhile in the quality of results once you've got used to the Kapex though.

I know you pretty much recommended the pull saw in the first place and that's what I would use if it's all I had. I do have a lot of experience with a pull saw though so the results are pretty reliable. For some reason I had assumed they wanted to rip the oak into lengths.

I really enjoyed using the Kapex, but it’s just insane money. My mate has that Bosch and rates it. I’ve used small dewalt ones that seem totally alright as well. Never had to do anything super accurate with them though.
I bought a Rutlands palm router when it was on sale - £75~ for the router, a set of cutters, trimming and plunge bases. Pennies for all of that, but it’s the loudest tool I own, is frustratingly inaccurate (not glaringly bad, but enough to be annoying). I also had to change the flex on it, because it cane supplied with a hilariously short cable. On the plus side, if I do buy the Makita, the bases will fit it. I’d almost certainly go cordless as well. But my main point is that I’m annoyed any time I use it, and I should have just spent the extra on the makita. Rant over.

Thanks all. Just coming back to this now. My son insisted on hand tools so I spent all afternoon sawing the straightest lines I could muster while he watched, eyes inches from the teeth.

Walls are pissed. I measured far corners and near corners of alcove. Not the bit in between. They all fit but the border looks like a lava lamp. Same thing as the last house - had forgotten why I don't like making shelves.

Going to have a clear out and see if I can make a small workshop for stuff that doesn't rely on shit plaster. I made a lovely table we get tons of use out of a couple of years ago by hand. Would like to dabble at more stuff as boyo gets older/gets easier.

As long as you can't tell from looking at them from the front on that probably won't matter too much.

Especially if they're bookshelves.

Accuracy of ANY mitre saw, and any other tool you care to mention really, is dependant on how much time you spend setting it up. The fence is the most critical part of any mitre saw set up and can easily be checked by doing a 5 step cut, do a 90 degree cut then place the cut edge against the fence and repeat. Do this another 3 times and check the final cut edge for square. If the final cut edge is square then you can guarantee that fence is perfect if not then it needs adjusting. Cut quality etc is down to the blade, not the saw. Of course the more time you spend setting up a tool, the more you have to check and maintain it. That's why I've got a big mitre saw (Bosch GCM 12 GDL) that tends to stay in my workshop unless I need very accurate cutting or large capacity and a little 216mm metabo one that I use as a beater.

What you say about the Rutland's stuff is true for festool in my experience. I know so many guys who've paid a fortune for the fancy grey and green boxes then after a while it craps out on them, this keeps happening until they're out if warranty then they have to pay a FORTUNE for servicing or buy a new unit. AVE did teardown on a festool tracksaw that highlights some of the less than stellar build quality of their premium priced tools.

https://youtu.be/oezp-_DcUgg

I have a large amount of Festool which I've been buying and using professionally over the last 15 years. I have my gripes but I've never had to send one for repair. I am a bit more joiner than carpenter though.

Which is why I bought the Mafell track saw 😉
That tear down is annoying as fuck tho. Can’t bodge something apart then be surprised when it doesn’t run quietly. I don’t own any festool gear, but have used it a lot. To compare it to Rutlands is a bit ridiculous - they’re opposite ends of the spectrum, regardless if you’re a fan or not. I’m not really a Festool apologist, Makita/Bosch/dewalt do the job well enough for a lot less cash (with a degree of mixing and matching).
Deffo agree with setting up a mitre saw - spent a good while getting the fence on mine right, and will likely do it again if we actually move somewhere that I can have it set up as a bench saw.

The only time I’ve seen people having issues with Festool was in Amsterdam where everyone uses it for everything, and they’d succumb to the abuse and misuse of general site work/workers. They’re definitely a high end/fine finish brand rather than rugged workhorse brand in my eyes.

To compare it to Rutlands is a bit ridiculous

Very true. It might not have come across the way I intended, the point I was trying to make was that even very expensive tools can be shite.

I've owned festool in the past but found it very a frustrating experience. IMO the only thing about festool that justifies the price tag is the theft replacement scheme.

There'll be something like this attached to the wall that the grub screw will cinch up to

Thanks all.

Oh for sure. Also, the most expensive tools may well not have the right balance of attributes to suit everyone. Eg - very high accuracy at the expense of durability or robustness. Or you can be paying for features beyond your needs.

We've got a mix of all sorts in our workshop. I try not to work on site much so all the boxes fitting together and brand loyalty doesn't really bother me. I just nerd-out on each tool and buy the best (value), regardless of brand. Mafell plunge saw (with cheaper Bosch tracks and clamps - pro tip), Dewalt mini router, huge 3 phase lump of cast steel from the 70s for a pillar drill, Mirka 24v sander etc.

huge 3 phase lump of cast steel from the 70s for a pillar drill

This makes the incident you mentioned in the knife thread all the more worrying!