Thread: Frame making tool selection help, please

Darren

Assumng that you are buying dressed timber, I'm thinking that you will need:

• a mitre saw and proper stand for the cross cuts and the 45° cuts – a Makita LS0714 or LS1013 both have the cutting capacity you're after — I mention these two models to give you an idea of the size of saw to look for

• a small shaper or large table mounted router plus power feeder to cut the 45° champher along the sticks — personally I don't fancy passing 10' to 12' lengths of wood past a router bit by hand, hence the power feeder

• a decent air (requires a compressor) or electric stapler

• a flat surface on which to assemble the frames

you should be able to get a reasonable mitre saw at the big B, but I'm not so sure about the stand – you may need to go to a specialist power tool retailer

I'd go to Carbatec at Auburn and/or Hare and Forbes at Parramatta for the shaper / power feeder combo — small shapers can use standard 1/2" shank router bits

you'll have to go to a specialist power tool retailer for the stapler


ian

Hi Ian,

Thanks for your reply.

Re the mitre saw: Did you mention Makita as they are a reasonable quality brand? I had a look at both of these models you mentioned at Bunnings and they looked good. Does the smaller blade of the LS0714 give a cleaner cut than the LS1013, if not I am thinking I should just pay the extra $150 and get the LS1013, correct?

About doing the 45° champher did you suggest a table mount router over a table saw as the router gives a cleaner more accurate finish?

Also about the lengths 10' - 12' is the absolute max I would do, mostly it will be in the <6' size range so a power feed may be overkill.

Thanks,
Darren

A Tenon saw , mitre box, vice and a pencil & ruler.

Just as likely to be almost as fast by hand than using machinery

Darren

Originally Posted by framed

Re the mitre saw: Did you mention Makita as they are a reasonable quality brand?

I mentioned Makita for three reasons
1) Makita make a number of different sized mitre saws so it's possible to compare the ability of different models without also having to discuss the merits of different brands
2) at the time I posted I had a copy of Makita's 2009 catalogue in my hand
3) you can generally find Makita tools at Mitre 10, Home Hardware, Bunnings, most independent hardware retailers, and nearly all tool stores

whether one of the Makita's is for you will depend on many factors, only one of which is price
if you want you can spend a lot more or a lot less on a mitre saw

I had a look at both of these models you mentioned at Bunnings ... Does the smaller blade of the LS0714 give a cleaner cut than the LS1013, if not I am thinking I should just pay the extra $150 and get the LS1013, correct?

cleanness of cut is related to
1) the material being cut
2) the blade/tooth type and tooth rake — this can appear arcane but if you have a lot of cutting to do in a consistent material it's possible to match a particular type of blade to the material
3) the number of teeth (for a given diameter of blade) larger diameter blades need more teeth to cut as cleanly
4) the support available as the blade exists the material – if you can use a sub-fence and/or false table your cut will be cleaner than if you don't

without knowing your expectations I'm reluctant to advise

However, if it were me, the three most important criteria would be:
1) that the cut was square in both directions
2) that the cut was clean (minimal tear-out)
3) the amount of use the saw would get

About doing the 45° champher did you suggest a table mount router over a table saw as the router gives a cleaner more accurate finish?

no
my suggestion is based on likely cost and the space required for a table saw vs the cost and space requirements of a table mounted router

also depending on your skill level and blade choice, the router should give you a cleaner finish

I'm assuminmg you have access to a work surface large enough to assemble your largest frame.
You might be able to mount the router in that work surface, thus saving space

Also about the lengths 10' - 12' is the absolute max I would do, mostly it will be in the <6' size range so a power feed may be overkill.

agree


ian