How can I make this cut?

[jonny round boy]

I need to make identical cuts in 20-odd decking rail posts. The posts are 75x75mm (3"x3"), and I need to make a cut 21-22mm deep, 240mm along the length:

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I could cut them with the Kapex, using the depth-limiting function. If it was a one-off I would, but for the 20-something I need to do it would take an age.

I could rout them, but again time is the issue.

Ideally I could do them quickly & simply on a well-set up bandsaw, but I don't have one. I can't use my jigsaw as it's just not good enough.

Is there a way of making this cut another way that I've missed? Apart from buying more tools, obviously! [tongue]

 

[ajones]

You could do the bulk of it on a table saw if you have one

 

[jonny round boy]

You could do the bulk of it on a table saw if you have one

Nope, don't have one...

Ideally I want to remove the waste as a solid block, rather than turn it all into sawdust. I've just been looking at the very long Festool jigsaw blades - I could maybe mount my crappy old jigsaw upside down in a table, and try that. I'd need to shim it to get it to sit at 90 degrees (it's very worn & won't stay put!) but I think that may be the best bet.

Or find 300 quid from somewhere & buy a Carvex...

 

[dng]

Hi

I Had to make cuts kind of like this for a bulkhead detail.  What I did was I lined up all my 2x4's, in your case it would be your posts.  I clamped them all together and then clamped everything on my mft/3.  make sure that all your posts are all lying on the same plane, that is one is not higher than the other.  I then ran the ts 55 across the 240mm cut line, at 21-22mm deep.   After that I took one piece at a time and cut the rest out length wise with a miter saw, but I used stops so that i could repeat the cuts consistently.  I put one stop on the saw fence, and I built another one at the other end of the 2x4 made out of scrap wood.  

You could probably do this with a router but I did not have one at the time.

 

[waho6o9]

Clamp them together crosscut, clamp them vertical, build supports and cut. Finish with Kapex.  Practice on scrap and good luck.

 

[nickao]

With the tools you have I would just use the Kapex. Just make a bunch of cuts left to right and then take off the tabs with a chisel. I bet 5 minutes per post once you get going.

 

[waynelang2001]

If all i had was a router, kapex and jigsaw i would make the cross cut with the kapex.........then cut out the rest with the jigsaw making sure to leave enough to make a nice jig to run the router on to clean up the jigsaw cut. that way you take a nice peice of stock and just have maybe a millimeter or 2 to router out.

 

[Tim Sproul]

If you make an accurate stop and clamp sticks together, you can save some time.  Use the Kapex and cut 3-4 at a time

---edit---

The quickest way to an accurate stop is to cut a piece of engineered material square and to the appropriate dimension.  In your case, something like an 8x8 piece would work well..

 

[erikfsn]

If you have a sawzall it will make that cut. The cut will be prettier if you start it with a circular saw.

 

[Barry]

I'm assuming you have a circ saw of some sort, possibly a ts 55 with this suggestion.

Put 10 at a time of the post on your work stable with the ends even and using a guide rail/straight edge  define you shoulder cut.  With that done you would use the same saw set to max dept to cut from both sides.  Finish with handsaw and clean up with a sharp chisel.  Entire operation should only take about 1 1/2 hours.

If it has to be absolutely perfect you would only cut shallow cuts on the sides to guide a long jigsaw blade followed by a large purpose built base for your router.

HTH

 

[image132]

I agree. I had to do something similar a while ago. Got the TS55 to do the main cut on the MFT, using the guide on the side of the saw to tell you where the blade ends. Then I took a handsaw with the top thing chipped off (I find it becomes a lot more useful like this) so that it can fit flush up against the main piece of wood to finish the job, if you want you can use a jigsaw I guess. I just trust my hand over a "hard to see where you are cutting jigsaw". Then used a hand sanding block to sand it perfect.

I don't know I'm bad at explaining things :/ hope it helps.

 

[jmbfestool]

With the tools you have I would just use the Kapex. Just make a bunch of cuts left to right and then take off the tabs with a chisel. I bet 5 minutes per post once you get going.

I would do the same  do a lot of cuts and then use a hammer and tap them off or use a chisel if you have large spaces between the cutts and then keep kapex fully down on the depth stop and move the timber side to side  cleaning it all off.  

Using your circular saw isnt the quickest I think because it struggles cus ur going with the grain and it doesn't go right through unless you have a large circular saw and isnt as easy getting them bang on when you come from the other side.

Really band saw is the best way forward but really come on I cant believe you don't own a portable bench saw. What do you use when you want to rip down like smaller timber like skirting or architrave?!?! So much quicker and easier and better with a bench saw I thought it would be a must carpenters tool. I take it you don't do much work which justifies a bench saw then.  

I got a cheap one I can pull it with the lead its that light and its really powerfull it almost jumps when it starts and stops but becuase its cheap and light I dont care and just bang timber through on site. I wouldn't bother with an expensive one because if the job requires a good cut and prefect you would use the TS55 guide rail.

JMB

 

[bjackson3]

Circular Saw.  Mark your cut with a square, set the depth of the crosscut on your saw and make all of your crosscuts.  Then reset the saw to the full depth and cut the rips from both sides of the board stopping at the cross cut.  Now take your jigsaw out and finish up the little piece that is left in between the two rip cuts. Actually really simple, I do it all of the time.  You can also do the repetitive cuts on the Kapex and finish with a hammer and chisel but for twenty some posts I'd do it with a circular saw.

 

[jmbfestool]

If all i had was a router, kapex and jigsaw i would make the cross cut with the kapex.........then cut out the rest with the jigsaw making sure to leave enough to make a nice jig to run the router on to clean up the jigsaw cut. that way you take a nice peice of stock and just have maybe a millimeter or 2 to router out.

You can tell your a workshop joiner. Going bit overboard using a router to cut decking lol  Making a jig lol by the time you made the jig you properly would of cut half of them any way or even all of them.

Jonny round boy are you cutting them like that so you can fix them on the joist or something like that so they need to be cut parallel because it easier to get the post plumb.  

 

[nickao]

Well I have made 100's of decks and I have used a router. But as you say for this application I could cut those up in the time someone made a jig just by cutting slits and popping out the pieces with a chisel, sawzall, jigsaw,etc(I would just use a 2" chisel). If you do it right there will be no need for a router to clean up anything.

 

[jmbfestool]

You could do the bulk of it on a table saw if you have one

Nope, don't have one...

Ideally I want to remove the waste as a solid block, rather than turn it all into sawdust. I've just been looking at the very long Festool jigsaw blades - I could maybe mount my crappy old jigsaw upside down in a table, and try that. I'd need to shim it to get it to sit at 90 degrees (it's very worn & won't stay put!) but I think that may be the best bet.

Or find 300 quid from somewhere & buy a Carvex...

I wouldnt use jigsaw it wont be straight even the carvex wont be straight im sure of it

 

[jmbfestool]

Well I have made 100's of decks and I have used a router. But as you say for this application I could cut those up in the time someone made a jig just by cutting slits and popping out the pieces with a chisel, sawzall, jigsaw,etc(I would just use a 2" chisel). If you do it right there will be no need for a router to clean up anything.

Well 2'' or bigger! lol I got one its like a shovel. lol

 

[nickao]

Now that's definitely not true! I have cut  4" wide trellis tops with the current Festool jigsaw and got perfectly square cuts.

Yeah we collect some crazy tools over the years don't we!

 

[jmbfestool]

Now that's definitely not true! I have cut  4" wide trellis tops with the current Festool jigsaw and got perfectly square cuts.

Yeah we collect some crazy tools over the years don't we!

What going with the grain 240mm long? Im sure once you get to the end of that distance its not going to be bang on.   And if I think these post are having these notches out so he can fix them to the joist or wall or what not you want them bang on so they will self plum or you end up chiselling or packing to get it plum and twisted if its not cut square.

Should tell us what he is using them for so their might be another method and you might not need to notch them like that.

Well I have some 100mm x 100mm (4''x4'') timber down bottom garden ill take take that down to my house tomoro and video doing the cut with the a Kapex and Chisel and hammer. ill rip it down to 75x75 first and see how long it take me to do 1.  Im not using the full lengths I got cus I want them so only using short piece.

 

[nickao]

I can say after going to see decks after 5 years and more(we had a lifetime warranty) that notching a 4" x 4" railing post is NOT the way to go. 6" by 6" posts took it better, but those were few and far between.

The posts where we blocked them into the framing below(no notch) and bolted through the framing ALWAYS held up.

At least 20% of the notched post had stress fractures at the notch point(sometimes they went 10" or more up the post) and the posts would get loose and look like crap. So we stopped doing the notched posts and just charged more, it became a selling point. It takes more time, but is so much better. It's stronger and better looking.

If I tossed my son(who needs a good tossing now and again) through the rail post a notched one would snap off. If it were bolted below into the framing with no notch he would break bones, the post is not moving.

So if that is the application maybe he should reconsider the design.