best POWER tool to cut these notches?

Siliconslave

Siliconslave

Siliconslave

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I've got a pagoda build to do next week and instead of doing it all by hand I've got signoff from SWMBO for a powertool to cut my fingers off down on time & effort.

I'm using pressure treated softwood and need to make the following cuts:

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8 of the 45degree cuts in 100x100mm timber for braces
8 of the L shaped cuts, 50mm deep, by 150 high into 100x100mm vertical posts
15 notches sized 50x50x50 into 150x50mm rafters
7 30 degree (ish) slants on the front of the rafters

basic design is as follows:

5Tg8KCk.png


I have a workbench, clamps, set square, hand saws, chisel set and a few other bits but wondering about getting one of the following:

  • A mitre saw (although i'm not sure i can get one that'll cut the 100x100, even part way through due to clearance.
  • A hand held circular saw - again won't do the deep cuts, but can make them easier
  • Reciprocating saw - should do all the cuts but pretty easy to mess it up as its hand held
  • Oscillating multitool - would make cutting the 50x50x50 notches much easier, but pretty useless on the rest of it :(

what do you recommend?
 
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The notches can be done with the circular saw if it has a blade depth of 50mm.
Cut each depth and then give a firm tap with a hammer and it should knock out. Then tidy up after with a bit of sanding.

Do you have a wood chisel?
 
I would clamp the notched beams together and use a circular saw to cut the notches (with extra cuts between the faces) then use a chisel to tidy it up and remove the waste. All the other cuts I'd probably do by hand honestly.

The braces I'd do with a mitre chop saw. I'd try and set a jig up to get repeatable cuts.
 
PlacidCasual said:
I would clamp the notched beams together and use a circular saw to cut the notches (with extra cuts between the faces) then use a chisel to tidy it up and remove the waste. All the other cuts I'd probably do by hand honestly.

The braces I'd do with a mitre chop saw. I'd try and set a jig up to get repeatable cuts.
Click to expand...

I'd go for this.
A mitre saw would be best for the 45 degree cuts but if you're only allowed 1 new tool, you could probably manage them with the same circular saw method.

edit: actually no, just noticed the wood for the 45 degree cuts is bigger than I thought, doubt you'd get a circular saw which cuts deep enough for that.
 
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A sliding mitre saw is probably going to be your best bet.

100x100mm is 4x4in, right? I've got an el cheapo non-sliding 10" mitre saw and cut 4x4s on it, it'll cut anything up to 6".
 
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Good Jigsaw?
You will get a lot more use out of one of these than say a circular saw or even a chopsaw
Ideal World buy all 3 :D
 
So i've gone and ordered a circular saw and a jigsaw.

Couldn't see a (reasonable) jigsaw that would cut 100mm, nor a chop/mitre saw that would take the 100mm so i think the combination should cover most of the difficult cuts, or at least start them so i can finish them off by hand.

New toys incoming :D
 
Would a table/band saw not have been better especially for the 170mm deep notched bit?

(Not sure, as I don't own one, but in my head it seems perfect for this)
 
sure you could get either with that sort of depth cut, but the concern would be the cost - a table saw with a dado blade would make life a load easier, but the blades alone are about £80 so i'd struggle to justify one :(
 
I'm not convinced you can sit that large a bit of wood under the blade, certainly the 150mm notches would have to be done on the side... I may be wrong, but i think the flexibility of the hand held outweighs the lack of precision in this case.
 
darreny said:
I'm lost why you can't do a 100x100 on a sliding mitre? It would allow you to do everything except the 170mm cut with the grain
Click to expand...

Most mitre saws wont cut that depth. Taking B&Q as an example, they only have 1 saw which has an official cutting depth more than 100mm and that's the £670 DeWalt.
 
If it were me (and it was back in the summer) I'd do away with the 170 x 50mm notching as they're not really necessary with the angles braces there. Then I'd get a sliding mitre saw.

I made the below pergoda over the summer using a £70 sliding mitre saw I got from Lidl about 3 years ago.

Cutting the posts was simply a case of cutting as much as possible then rotating the post and finishing the cut.

The notching was easy, set the depth of the cut, the trench out the area to be notched, removed the wood, clean up with a chisel and Bob's your uncle notches.

20160804_103054_zps0iklpvf0.jpg
 
i've got quite a long (3600mm) span across the front as i'm replacing a rotten old pagoda so wanted to go overboard with the front and middle beam supports, thus the top notches, just means its that little bit more secure :)
 
Fair enough. Thinking about it, you could still do the 170 x 50mm using the sliding mitre. Set your cut depth to 50mm then start at the 170 mm point, trench all the way to the end, remove the waste, tidy with a chisel :)
 
Sip do a 12" with a 102mm cut for £250 at tool station. 170mm is a lot of passes with a 2.8mm or 3.2mm blade. Could always hire a router for the notches and clamp them togegher
 
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