Victor is using a hand saw which the metal will deflect when the blade hits it. I can tell you from past carelessness if you hit a T square with a circular saw blade, especially a carbide tipped one, you will hear it before you realize you have destroyed it. I didn't hit a T square but I've hit steel and seen someone run a saw into their cast iron table saw using it like a saw horse and that blade does a good job at ruining the edge of the table... A circular saw will not stop at a thin piece of metal.
For your project to keep it from skyrocketing the cost you might consider a mid range electric circular saw. There will be a big difference in cutting power. I have the Dewalt version of that 18 volt saw and remember it only has a 6.5 inch blade. And with an 18 tooth blade like I use it's nice for occasional cuts but I don't think it's so handy in your case. I picked up one of those hundred dollar table saws for convenience. I have a nice big cast iron model for the shop and love it. But since I have to get involved in repairs at times that are far from my shop carrying a 400 pound saw along doesn't excite me. Just remember one of these saws is a quick fix and carries its own liabilities. For a piece of flooring you'd be fine. The wood is narrow and light in weight. Go beyond that to say a sheet of plywood and you'll bounce the wood all over the place and never cut a straight line. I know you are looking for the least expensive way to finish one job right now. And in that mind set a little Delta model would do the job for you. Just keep in mind what others have said already. You can't upgrade one of these guys. The fence may reach 24 inches in length but more like 16. You can't put a dado blade on them because the arbor is too short. The miter gauge is cute but worthless for crosscutting. But the nice thing is you can pick it up and put it on a shelf when you're done. Beyond all that it's your decision. ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Howell To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2008 6:11 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] cutting straight lines Thanks, that is an interesting idea for sure. Unfortunately a hand saw would take a bit with as hard as this stuff is, but your obviously more of a man than I. grin You must have arms the size of most folks legs to be cutting most of this stuff by hand. grin. The piece of metal I have isn't a T, but it's kind of the same idea, but I'll check into these, it might prove to be a better solution. On Jun 15, 2008, at 12:20 AM, Victor Gouveia wrote: > Hi Scott, > > I bought a four foot T-square, made of steel, and it serves that same > purpose, as a straight edge guide to cut material with. > > It makes for an excellent straight edge to score the work with also. > > The good thing is, as a cutting guide, and because it's made of > steel, the > saw would rather go through any wood, as it's softer to cut through > than the > steel, so it makes for an ideal cutting guide. > > I got the suggestion from Don Patterson on the Blind Handy Man Show. > He was > reading a letter I had sent into the show, and Don suggested the steel > straight edge. > > Granted, I use old elbow grease to cut any wood I need to saw > through, not a > power tool, so I don't know how the straight edge would handle a > power saw > of some kind. > > In any case, I believe that the T-squares will go up to lengths of > around > five or six feet, depending on where you get it, but, once clamped > to the > stock that needs to be cut, it's a great tool. > > Even for cutting dry wall, and making sure you score it straight. > > Victor > Co-moderator > Blind Movie Buffs List > Guidedogs List > > > Scott Howell [EMAIL PROTECTED] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
