Jigsaw or circularsaw

[Goran]

I am not skilled in wood working. I make my own mnucs, but old good jigsaw I had can't do the job any more. I cut pieces from plywood.
Due to limited funds, I can't buy both. What at your opinion would be proper tool for such work ( plywood width from 15-20mm - short pieces for mnucs). I plan to build about 30 of mnucs.
Jigsaw or hand circularsaw? Cause I intend to buy again jigsaw, but one man told me that plywood is hard for jigsaw..
Also I cannot buy Makita, Bosch or so would Skill be decent or even Einhell.
Please don't feel that you have to give extra wide explanation, just short one will be OK. Advice is advice..

 

[REDWOOD]

circular saw every time, I can't remember the last time I used my jiggly wiggly saw.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

A circular saw is undoubtedly the better choice for your purposes. Some time ago I saw one of German manufacture for sale in Lidl or Aldi it seemed to be reasonable quality and at a good price.

 

[Millet]

100% a circular saw, several years ago skill was not a mad make of power tools but i'm not able to comment on there quality these days.

 

[Poly Hive]

An inexpensive table saw is far superior to a hand held one and the time saved in setting up will pay you in the long term.

Watch the fingers...

PH

 

[theeggman]

An inexpensive table saw is far superior to a hand held one and the time saved in setting up will pay you in the long term.

Watch the fingers...

By the time you have worked out how to clamp the timber so that the saw can pass over the clamps etc. the table saw will be set and finished with.

 

[oliver90owner]

Circular table saw for this. Can make virtually all joints, without using hand tools, with a few tricks - but being careful.

Many circular saws can be table mounted with a little ingenuity.

If I only had one power tool it would be a plunge router - can cut, drill, plane, joint, etc - a truly universal tool.

 

[Goran]

Thanks for advices. Now will have to calculate if I would be able to reach table chainsaw, but I doubt.. Lot of expenses and still didn't sold the honey. What idiot I am..

 

[taurus]

If you have the space a table circular saw is the best, but if (like me) your workspace is already taken up with other things, then a hand held circular saw is fine. I've just made a nuc box out of 12mm ply using a hand held circular saw. The trick is to use battens clamped to the board as a guide - you get a good neat cut that way.

 

[Little John]

Circular saw.
Then make yourself a cross-cut jig to use it with.
Even better - circular saw fitted underneath a table.
Even even better - table saw.

LJ

 

[clv101]

Another vote for the circular saw over the jigsaw. Also try and get a guide rail.

 

[Brian Bush]

An inexpensive table saw is far superior to a hand held one and the time saved in setting up will pay you in the long term.

Watch the fingers...

PH

I agree. I paid about £80 for mine and it is invaluable.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Thanks ...........................

Another thought. If you are but making a small no of nucs. or similar, why not just get a hard point hand saw and work with that? You will need one in any event and there will be a substantial saving on the cost of a circular saw?

 

[Plenty of honey]

I am not skilled in wood working. I make my own mnucs, but old good jigsaw I had can't do the job any more. I cut pieces from plywood.
Due to limited funds, I can't buy both. What at your opinion would be proper tool for such work ( plywood width from 15-20mm - short pieces for mnucs). I plan to build about 30 of mnucs.
Jigsaw or hand circularsaw? Cause I intend to buy again jigsaw, but one man told me that plywood is hard for jigsaw..
Also I cannot buy Makita, Bosch or so would Skill be decent or even Einhell.
Please don't feel that you have to give extra wide explanation, just short one will be OK. Advice is advice..

Goran, until very recently, i was in a small shed with limited diy (do it yourself) tools, now i am spoilt by the offer of all one can behold from a good wood shop (mesnuserie here)
My point is, before this i asked my local store to cut all the pieces for me. That way they were all square. I found that one sheet of 16mm ply, was enough to make 6 nucs, at a a push. I later found that i was wasting wood on the handle pieces, so i reduced them down to a minimum and got an extra nuc from the total of two sheets!

The wood shop made a rough cutting plan, took out the 4 mm for the width for the saw blade and Bingo, now i have a plan i use again and again.
Even though ply is expensive, it lasts well, and is very easy to assemble.
I priced it all up, against making my own , from wood, with all the machinery and it terms of time you win easily. You can put 10 nucs together in 5 or 6 hours.
As i said before, and this was my problem, that cutting on a table at home, in a shed, was ok, but often a cut wasn't exactly straight or square, which in the long run, cost me time. So now all my nucs are cut up by my local wood yard, they take the order and give me a pallet worth two sheets cut up, all nice and neat, ready for collection, With waste wood, which is always useful. They charge me 15 euros for cutting, which is well worth the money.
I dont know if your local store would do this for you? but its worth a go. i really found it a great help to have the wood correctly cut, with a good saw, nice and squarely!!

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12696&stc=1&d=1456080131

 

[Goran]

QC, will think about it.. Have to go to shop to see some of such, I don't know would I be able to cut straight with it. Worth a try.

Poh, few years ago I talked with one man who runned local wood working business.. and it is shut down ( off the business..), I am so lucky.. Will see..

 

[Goran]

Forgot to post how it looked of my amateur made by jigsaw..

 

[dn170221]

I have both and think the circular saw is better at cutting up wood for boxes. The only thing I would say it that it is also possibly more dangerous so be extra careful and have someone who knows what they are doing how to use it if you have never used a circular saw before. (sorry if you are comfortable using them I thought it might be good for someone to say it even for others reading)

 

[Goran]

I have both and think the circular saw is better at cutting up wood for boxes. The only thing I would say it that it is also possibly more dangerous so be extra careful and have someone who knows what they are doing how to use it if you have never used a circular saw before. (sorry if you are comfortable using them I thought it might be good for someone to say it even for others reading)

Right to mention, cause I never used circular saw before.. Safety first, then the rest.

 

[Millet]

Right to mention, cause I never used circular saw before.. Safety first, then the rest.

If you look at this picture there is a guide behind the blade, i have put this symbol next to it > , i prefare circular saws with this attachment as it makes it a lot easier to do long straight cuts without a guide rail.

 

[Little John]

Right to mention, cause I never used circular saw before.. Safety first, then the rest.

In that case - do be aware that there is a device called a 'Riving Knife' which is - or should be - fitted just behind the circular saw blade. It's purpose is to ensure that the wood leaving the blade is kept apart. Sometimes, when ripping lengths of wood, the cut can close due to in-built stresses within the timber. If the cut closes tightly enough, then the blade can jam without warning, and the circular saw leap upwards or backwards towards the operator.

The ONLY time a Riving Knife should be removed is when making a plunge cut (i.e. downwards) CAREFULLY - immediately after which the Riving Knife must be replaced. I have seen used Circular Saws being offered for sale with Riving Knives having been removed - which is bloody dangerous.

LJ

I've just seen Millet's post - which shows a Riving Knife. But it is NOT a guide (although could certainly be used as such) - it is a separator.