What saws for what?

I am totally scared of circular saws as well.  I don't think it's irrational.  I want to learn to use one, but haven't gotten over my fear.  I think the circular saw and table saw are great for doing long cuts like ripping boards.  I want to get a table saw, I think I prefer having the saw stationary and the wood moving instead of the saw moving.  It feels less scary.

Now I'm a total newbie, but highly recommend the compound sliding miter saw.  It is so easy to use and can cut most things that are within the width it can handle.  For instance, my 10" sliding one can cut something up to 12" wide.  I believe the 12" sliding can cut up to 14".  If the wood is too wide, or thick, you can make the cut up to the point it can handle, then stop and flip the board. 

It can cut MDF, and a lot of molding's are made from MDF.  It can even cut some types of metal, but you need different blades for different things. 

For long cuts I bed the circular saw would be a better choice than the jig saw.  It's hard to go super straight with the jig saw, I have never tried using a guide though.  I like the jig saw for small cuts like notching out things.  The biggest problem I run into with the jig saw is on a long cut as you get further along the wood starts vibrating.  I don't have a great work table and that is half the problem, I imagine if I could clamp both sides down to a table with a gap in the middle, it would help solve this problem, but don't know. 

Wish I knew more, and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning too.

Thanks for the reply Maria!  Glad to know I am not alone in my fear of the circular saw!    I am definitely getting a compound miter saw; we have tons here on craigslist.  I'll research a little more to see if I can stick with that and a jigsaw for other cuts.  Thanks!

Maureen, I detest any saw except the miter saw! They are amazing. It's a sewing machine compared to hand sewing, a kitchen aid compared to a hand mixer, a microwave compared to a campfire.

Maureen said:

So my projects so far I have borrowed a friend's jigsaw, used my cheap hand saw and miter box, or had the store cut my boards.  I am wondering what saw types are best!  I definitely plan on getting a compound miter saw in the future, because I want to put up more molding in my house.  I know I can use that to cut boards.  But as far as MDF?  I am scared of circular saws (is that irrational?) and was wondering if I can cut it with just a jigsaw and guide?  Would that be too rough?  Does MDF even "sand" well?  I'm whatever comes before beginner level & need advice!    Thanks!!

MDF is basically compressed sawdust (combined with resin/glue/other chemicals to bond it), so it sands pretty well.  Wear a mask - MDF often contains formaldehyde, which you don't want to breathe.

Circular saws will give you a straighter cut than a jigsaw, but once you have your mitre saw you probably won't need a circular saw that often.  A good mitre saw is expensive (but cheaper than a few pieces of C&B furniture).

If you do end up needing to make "rip" cuts (i.e. do long cuts up the length of a board) then using a home-made saw board as a guide will make it easier and more accurate (and therefore safer!).  Here's how to build one: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com.....uide-1640/.  

Much cheaper and MUCH safer than a table saw!  I wouldn't recommend going anywhere near a table saw until you're (very) comfortable with mitre/circular saws.

Hope that helps,

Sam

I absolutely hate sanding MDF, for the reasons mentioned.  It's a mess and no fun. You also can't really get a straight edge that way. The circular saw with a plywood blade is hard to beat for cutting any sheet goods.  You get a straight cut that needs minimal attention afterward.

The table saw is a pretty advanced tool, and it's the tool most likely to cause a serious injury. I have one and use it for certain tasks where it's the only viable solution, like cutting plywood doors to final size, but I always try to see if there's another, better option. Also, a table saw big enough for dealing with whole sheets of plywood is very expensive and takes a lot of space. On the upside, even a really great table saw is cheaper than a new set of kitchen cabinets, and a table saw with a pocket hole jig is all you really need.

For cutting real wood to length, even very precise length, hand saws are actually pretty excellent.  I built a set of drawers that way, and the lengths have to be precise matches there or the drawers don't work. Most stores are now carrying an inexpensive saw from Irwin for under $20, and I've heard decent things about it.  I bought a better used saw for my work, because I didn't know about the cheaper Irwin, and it's caused my compound mitre saw to sit idle for the last year.

For long straight cuts use the circular saw with a guide.  I know it is a bit intimidating, but it isn't as bad as it looks.  If you are shopping for one, you can find lighter wieght cordless options that are easier to hold.  I recently assisted a Power Tools 101 class at the community college.  There were over twenty women trying out tools and they all really liked the cordless circular saw and compound miter saw.  I even saw a lady over 70 years old working with it.

The jig saw is best for cuts that need curves or small cuts inside of a bigger board.  I used one to cut a hole in a door for a pet door.  The problem with obtaining straight cuts is that the blade is really small and reacts to your hand movements very quickly.  The blade is also not rigid.  Since it isn't rigid, you could think you are just fine and then find that the blade was bent and the back of the board is a mess.  That said, I did use my jig saw before I had many tools.  Of course, now I use it primarily for detail work.

Hi,

The table saw I got has the over-blade guard and the spring-loaded anti kickback...but the problem I'm having with these is that the anti-kickback pawls left huge gouges down the wood, and the over-blade cover makes it impossible for me to see what I am doing (which is only important when I'm cutting something too big to use the fence with, so I'm following a line).  My solution so far: make my husband cut it.  But I'd sure like to not have table saw fears.  Any thoughts on how to adjust things so that my safety tools actually work instead of hinder?

I would add two things to the list of ways to avoid kickback. 

1) Never, ever, let the piece being cut from the larger starting board be in contact with the blade and the fence at the same time. ie if the cutoff piece is left of the blade, the fence needs to be on the right of the blade.

2) Featherboards are very useful.  Just make sure if you use one the the part of the board in contact with the the blade.has already exited the  featherboard

Failure in either case can cause the board to get pinched and that is usually step one in a kickback.