Sure, that would work fine, but you did specify “power tool” in the OP so most responses likely shied away from the manual miter box answer. In order of usefulness/budget I’d say:
Note that all of these examples are bottom of the line products, prices (and quality/longevity) go up from here.
IMHO, an adjustable manual miter saw is going to give you the most bang for your buck on small stuff before stepping up into the power tool section.
This ^^
I might even put a circular saw at # 3 and move the table saw to #4
Of course the best single power tool is a big ass radial arm saw from the "60s.
Ok, alternative idea: my BF has a handheld jigsaw. If I got a clamp, what kind of work could I accomplish?
(I was able to jaggedly shear an oak dowel along a mark, with him holding one end tightly.)
tip-tapping away by phone, but why would you care?
BIG difference between a person that is a hobbyist, and someone doing construction.
In my mind a hobbyist is going to be using much smaller stock, and needs much finer/accurate cuts.
I cut everything for a two story addition with a good worm drive circular saw (Skil). I did end up buying a power chop box for trim work. A life saver.
A power chop box can do a lot. A sliding one more, but it’s a lot heavier, and takes up more room.
Jigsaws are inherently inaccurate. They make tables that mount the saws underneath, with the blades up, and that helps a lot, but you will never be able to cut a straight line with one (not straight enough to glue very well, but maybe that’s OK).
Discover the joys of whittling, which is a very different art from wood carving. What you need: one whittle-worthy pocket knife, and whatever soft wood you can get your hands on. Recommend Case or GEC folding knives as long as the blade is, respectively, chrome vanadium or 1095.
^This. you don’t say what kind of hobby work you are doing, but anything that requires even ballpark tolerances are going to be difficult freehand with a jig saw/scroll saw. This way ends in frustration. At minimum get a miter block and halfway decent saw - I 2nd the recommendation of a pull saw rather than a push saw. You will be much happier.
You know, reviewing the OP and thinking a bit kind of changed my mind. OP, please tell us what you plan on doing so we can make better recommendations.
For cutting dowels at an angle, yes, a chop saw is best. Cutting boards, same deal as long as you’re not ripping them.
Someone said above that multiple tools are the right way to go, which I think is true. The tasks you listed are best with a chop saw. I have picked up tools from CraigsList with good results. Have a knowledgeable friend look at them.
Unless you buy one of these to go with it. Universal mounting, plus adjustable in/out feed supports. I love it for my small work space.
If you can only buy one power saw get a circular saw.
If you can only buy two powers saws get a circular saw and a bandsaw.
If you can only buy three power saws get a circular saw and a bandsaw and miter saw (sliding preferred).
If you can only buy four power saws get a circular saw and a bandsaw and a miter saw and either a table saw or a scroll saw depending on your needs.
If you can only buy five power saws get a circular saw and a bandsaw and a miter saw and a table saw and a scroll saw.
A circular saw is extremely versatile. It is portable, and can be battery powered. There are small circular saws with 6" or less diameter blades, 8" saws are common, 10" are available. The cutting depth will be less than half the blade diameter. The blade can be angled and will have depth control. There is no limit to the width or length of a cut. A straight edge and some clamps make it almost as good as a table saw but not quite as convenient to use for straight smooth accurate cuts. Sliding track devices are available at reasonable cost to give table saw like accuracy. There is no better tool for cutting 4’x8’ sheet material except a huge incredibly expensive table saw.
A bandsaw can only make a cut as deep as its throat, 12" or less for most 2 wheels saws but much deeper for 4 wheel saws. Just about and bandsaw can cut through wood up to 6 inches thick. Band saws can cut angles and curves and can be used to carve wood to any convex shape. Band saws are excellent for ripping boards and cutting other materials like hard plastic, foam, and some can cut soft metals.
A miter saw is good for cross-cuts. Fast, accurate and easy to line up the cut. 8" to 10" saws are common, the width of a board you can cut across will be a little less than the blade diameter. A sliding miter saw can make wider cuts. Most are compound miter saws and cut be angled in two directions. If you are only doing fine carpentry it won’t be that useful if you have a table saw or band saw but if you are going to by cutting many pieces to size, like when framing a wall or siding a wall or building a deck you’ll really want one.
A scroll saw (or sabersaw or jigsaw or keyhole saw) is useful because you can cut curves and start cuts in the middle of piece by drilling a hole first (or even by gouging with the saw but I don’t recommend it). Blades can are usually mo more than 4" long or less but longer ones are available.
The can cut at angles. These saws don’t have the power of the other saws and vibrate a lot. Clean accurate cuts are difficult and they’ll move slowly through heavy stock. Cutting out shapes in the middle of a piece of wood is their most valuable feature.
A table saw is the king of power saws. The two ends of the spectrum for table saws are small benchtop or portable (contractor) saws and large cabinet saws. An 8" saw is suitable for a lot of work but may lack power for thick boards. 10" saws do quite well, 12" and larger saws are available and very expensive. The saw height can be adjusted to cut rabbets and dados (partial cuts through a piece of stock). A table saw needs a fence for ripping wood and should have a miter fence for cross cuts. A table saw’s ability to cut large pieces of wood is somewhat limited by it’s table size. Table extensions can be added but often do not stay flat with the surface of the main table. The larger the table the more useful the saw will be for larger stock. The depth of a cut will somewhat less than the diameter of the saw blade. Good portable table saws are available for under $500. A quality cabinet saw will cost at least $1000 new but good deals are available on used ones. There are some intermediate hybrid table saws that are small cabinet saws for somewhat less than $1000 last time I looked. Do not buy a used Craftsman table saw. There are a million of out there and they are usually in bad condition shaky, and have hokey belt drive systems.
Someone mentioned radial arm saws. I think they are annoying and stupid but many people have found them practical to use. They’re hardly different than a compound sliding miter saw.
If you want one tool that does everything get a ShopSmith. Except you’ll need to add the band saw and jig saw and it won’t be a very good table saw. But it is also a drill press, router, lathe, sanding disk, grinding wheel, and you can add a belt sander, joiner, planer, mortiser and other devices. They have variable speed control and a compound angled table. Great tool to have for many of those purposes, it just sucks as a table saw. They’re available used but often not in great condition, missing parts, and most available used models have an older pulley based speed changer with less power and speed range than the newer models with an electronically controlled motor. Don’t buy a used one alone, get someone who knows the product to evaluate what’s being sold.
To get reasonably accurate cuts with a circular saw you either have to be an expert or use a guide. Thus while I have one I seldom use it–while I use my table saw most of the time for my sawing.
A tool no one here seems to recommend is a Sawzall-type reciprocating saw–a tool I find useful for cutting both wood and metal (and it is extremely easy to change blades for different types of materials).
Sawzalls are the king of demolition. You can rip through structures without worrying about hitting metal.
I have a battery powered Sawzall I use to limb downed trees. So much quieter. Much less tiring than my chainsaw.
Uhh. Yeah. But for a ‘hobbyist’ um no.
It is like you said best for demo. Or some specialties like notching a beam.
It would be helpful to know just what the OP is trying to construct.
Well OK but what about dishonestly?
You can do anything with a coping saw and patience… (well, you might need a really big one to saw a 4x8’ sheet of plywood in half…)
Brian
For now my projects would be small jobs like halving 1/2" boards, cutting dowels, and maybe gardening related stuff like minor limb removal.
Today I simply got an inexpensive handsaw, and if I need precision I know how to use a mitre block.
Occurred to me after getting home that some kind of clamp :eek: would help, though that would’ve tripled my receipt today. I’m good at improvising and got one decent test cut done just wedging the damn dowel into the couch firmly.
Of course I got oak dowels, dammit. (“Stronger is better! thought I”)
I presume that by “table saw”, people mean one with a circular blade? Because I’m not sure how that’s superior to a band saw. A band saw can do things that a circular saw (even a table-mounted one) cannot, like cutting curves, but I’m not aware of anything a circular saw can do that a band saw can’t. And while a band saw does have a maximum thickness, so does a circular saw, and the maximum thickness for the band saw is usually going to be greater.
On another note, a while back there was a big splash about saws using a blade that looked like a drill bit: Did anything ever become of those, or did they turn out to be much less practical than the hype made them out to be?
Bandsaws are slow, can’t cut large panels, can’t cut dados, and are less accurate. They have the advantage of being able to cut metal, though.
I have a Table saw, a 1960’s-style radial arm saw, a chop saw, a jigsaw, a saber saw, a reciprocating saw, but no bandsaw.
A band saw is limited by the throat, so cutting a 16" wide piece would be difficult. For a straight cut a circular saw does that easily, as does a table saw. A table saw can RIP a 4x8’ sheet easily with a proper outfeed table. Not possible with a band saw.