My immediate project is going to be replacing the quarter round around the floors/walls in several rooms. What would be the best tool for the job?
I currently own a craftsman jigsaw and craftsman circular saw.
I do not believe I have any nice hand saws other than hack and bow, but I’ll see what I might have stored away.
I have a handmade miter box for a couple of set angles.
I have one of those folding work stations with the vise-top.
I have thought about woodworking as something I might eventually like to get into. So I don’t really object to buying more saw than I need for this particular job, if it is something I will be using in the future - essentially something I can build a collection of tools around. But I’m not dying to buy a huge table saw or something, if a nice hand saw or two will do the trick.
I do not have dedicated workshop space in my current home, so if I do get something larger, I would definitely like it to be easily dissassembled/compacted for storage.
We will probably move in a year or so, and I can imagine installing wood trim in our new house. Another project will be building a stand for a new fish tank.
I greatly appreciate any suggestions the woodworkers out there could give me. In addition to a saw, what other tools/equipment will help me for my immediate job?
The power Compound Miter saw will be your friend. They run between $100 and $150 that I’ve seen and they are always useful - clean, fast, accurate straight or angled cuts every time.
That’s probably all you will need to get for a quarter round job, and it will be very useful in the future…
The best way to install moulding is the butt and cope method. Inside and outside corners are 90° on paper, but only by accident IRL. A nice coping saw with a fine, narrow blade, a sharp utility knife, and a Dremel with sanding drum will allow you to produce perfectly tight joints. If your mitre box and saw can deliver a good, clean 90° and 45°, you’re in business.
You probably one one of the big Makita compound miter saws. I used one for a large crown mould project and it really made some nice cuts. The thing doubles as a chop/radial arm saw and is super-precise.
Go to OWWM and find yourself a nice old Delta table saw–one that is heavy enough so it doesn’t dance all over the place while you are cutting. You can get plenty of nice high-powered table saws new, but for real cuts you need a vintage machine.
If you want a good handsaw, get a SHark. This thing is amazingly sharp and fast. It’s so good, I’ll often use it instead of the circular saw as it’s easier and more precise.
How clean are the cuts? Do I need a dremel or other sander, or can I get away with just manually sanding?
Final stupid question - this trim is all painted glossy white. Do I cut first, then paint, then install and touch up? Or paint, then cut/install/touch up?
I did crown moulding throughout the house many years back and purchased a compound mitre Dewalt specifically for the job. Since then though, it’s been useful so many times over for simpler cuts because it’s so quick and versatile.
ETA: Trying to remember… I think I painted, cut, installed and touched up.
You can get different blades depending on your need. Again just going from memory but I think that, generally speaking, more teeth = cleaner cut. A “finishing” blade, perhaps.
Unless there’s something else going on, just having some sandpaper on hand should suit your needs. I had a Dremel but never saw the need to use it.
I do a lot of wood work. If you get a compound saw, you need a sable workbench for it. I have made several over the years for myself and friends. Here is a design I found via a quick google, but it can be modified to suit you. The important thing is sturdy and stable! workbench
My favorite place for high quality hand tools is Lee Valley Tools
Yeah, I’d love to build/have a nice bench, but I’m really limited in my current space. Also, as part of getting the house ready to sell, we’re closely eying things we can get rid of, instead of buying/building new large things.
Do you mount this kind of saw, or simply set them on top of a sturdy surface?
One alternative is I could use my back patio. We have 5 or 6 10’ wide concrete steps leading up from our basement to the patio. I could set the saw up at the top of the stairs, and essentially sit on the steps while sawing. Not perfect I know, but just trying to come up with a workable solution given what I have to work with.
Definitely, once we get into our new place, one of my first things will be to build a nice bench for the garage/basement/shed.
I have a workmate, and it does a nice job of supporting my Bosch compound slide mitre. Yes, the quality of the blade is very important. Most saws come with something ok for building a deck, but not what I’d call finish carpentry. A 100 tooth planer blade will yield high quality results.
I’m of the prefinish lengths of moulding, then cut, fit, and touch up school.
I hear ya, I just included that to give you ideas for benches. They don’t have to be expensive or complicated.
I have 3 different work benches, and I use them all of different equipment. The bench I use for my mitre saws are large enough that I don’t have to mount them. I have a 12" compound Work King, a 10" Dewalt slider, and a 10" (I think) Dewalt cutoff saw.
That would work just fine. I have cut many boards on the ground or the floor. Just support the long end of the board you are cutting to keep it square.
My main workbench for my saws is in the garage. I actually have it hinged so I can flip it up and lock it out of the way if I need the space.
I would be very concerned about the workmate tipping if I mounted a compound saw on it. This is just my opinion, but I don’t think it is big enough to support one.
Good advice for someone starting up a furniture shop, but overkill for a weekend warrior doing some molding.
I’ve been happy with my Makita miter saw - think it’s an LS-1013, which has been updated a few times - the current versions have lights and lasers that mine doesn’t have. Out of the box, the Makita chop saws come with a very good blade.
As for table saws, I’ve got a Bosch 4000-09. For me, portability is far more important than any extra quality I might be able to eke out of an enormous immobile saw that would occupy most of the garage floor.
Good blades is where it’s at - I’m running Freud “glue-edge” blades that cost nearly as much as a cheap chop saw from Harbor Fright. (typo is intentional!) Off the top of my head, I think I’ve got 90-tooth crosscut blades that cost just about a dollar a tooth.
