Mitre saw or Joiner ?

TUCANO

TUCANO

Joined
Aug 15, 2014
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Exiled in Yorkshire
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Pilote 600L
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Since 2006
I live in a new bungalow that has MDF, aarrgghhh, skirting boards and door frames. I am going to rip these items out and replace with wood, nothing fancy just plain pine polished and waxed.
My DIY days are long past, can't really be bothered anymore to be honest although I am happy to tackle this once and once only job. So, is it worth buying an electric mitre saw which will be used only for this job and then left to collect dust in the garage or should I pay a joiner to do the work for me.
Many thanks for advice offered.
Norman.
 
TUCANO said:
I live in a new bungalow that has MDF, aarrgghhh, skirting boards and door frames. I am going to rip these items out and replace with wood, nothing fancy just plain pine polished and waxed.
My DIY days are long past, can't really be bothered anymore to be honest although I am happy to tackle this once and once only job. So, is it worth buying an electric mitre saw which will be used only for this job and then left to collect dust in the garage or should I pay a joiner to do the work for me.
Many thanks for advice offered.
Norman.
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Plenty cheap ones about if you are only going to use it once, try aldi or ebay
 
Hi, I have done mitre cuts with a guide by hand and also have had the living room done by a joiner with an electric saw the difference was I took all day,to do a kitchen the joiner took 2hours and only charged me about 45 quid for a perfect job . One tip was to hand select your timber as many have too many knots in and require a bit more care .
 
I bought an Aldi mitre, angle chop saw years ago. Still going strong.
On the other hand I bought an Aldi plunge router for one job only, to do the timber for my yard gates.
100ft of tannelised timber and it was knackered. Bearings seized and motor emmiting the magic smoke.

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That’s a lot o joints to do. Lot o measuring and a lot o cutting and fixing n filling n finishing. Novelty can wear thin after the entrance hall. Get a professional n share the wealth n enjoy the many ales available from Lidl.
 
Just bought and used the Aldi one that was on special £99 plus about £35 for the optional stand.

Laser for cut line, rotate table 45 degrees either way and tilt blade 45 degrees and sliding saw not fixed
 
Hi TUCANO If you are attempting to carry out the work yourself invest in a “Mitre Fix Pack’ (available from merchants) to bond your external mitres. Using natural timber will result in shrinking and gaps.
 
Jimbohorlicks said:
Just buy a mitre block and a reasonable saw. That's all you need (y)
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I build exhibition stands (sorry, I used to build exhibition stands ?) and Jimbo‘s right.
 
pappajohn said:
I bought an Aldi mitre, angle chop saw years ago. Still going strong.
On the other hand I bought an Aldi plunge router for one job only, to do the timber for my yard gates.
100ft of tannelised timber and it was knackered. Bearings seized and motor emmiting the magic smoke.
Click to expand...
I don't do Magic. Don't smoke either(y)
 
I'd say if you can afford it get a joiner in and save yourself the hassle.
 
I bought the Aldi stand for my Evolution saw, much better stand than my neighbour's Bosch one that was 3 times the price. (y)
 
Get a price from a joiner as sometimes they can buy the goods cheaper, when I was renewing my garden I priced all the goods and it came to £380. Local tradesman who does driveways and decking amongst other jobs quoted £440 supplied and fitted. For me it was a no brainier as I was technically paying £60 for his labour.
 
Stick with the MDF?. Unless you hand select your skirting, and are prepared for the inevitable shrinkage and distortion, which seem to come as standard to-day. Once painted the MDF is virtually indistinguishable (unless you must have varnished timber).
 
I hate mdf.
It’s a pig to scribe and the dust isn’t good for you either

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Jimbohorlicks said:
Just buy a mitre block and a reasonable saw. That's all you need (y)
Click to expand...
Another vote for a deep mitre block and fine toothed saw, you will have very few external corners anyway and as mentioned before the internal ones should be scribed.
Sounds like hard work though especially taking out door frames.
 
Sorry but I really don't like the idea of polished and waxed pine. Lot of hard work to get a good finish. How do you fasten it without a very tedious job of fitting plugs over screws. I know you can glue but you need flat walls for that and the chances in a new bungalow are remote. Then you have the colour change as the sunlight gets to some of it, so in time it all looks patchy. Once done, after being waxed it can never be overpainted, and the next owner will have to rip it out.

Varnished hardwood, now that is a different matter.
 
Many thanks for the replies, all are much appreciated. Don't know why but I absolutely detest white skirting boards and door frames and if they are gloss :eek:
If I could afford real wood I probably wouldn't even be living in this house so pine it will be. Picked from a timber merchant, sanded and wax polished just like other properties I have lived in previously.
I really have no concerns about it being repaintable in the future as when I leave here it will be in a varnished wooden box, damn it I hate varnish :Eeek:
I will be leaving the door frames in situ, paint stripping them, simply removing the mouldings.
Previously I have never screwed or nailed the wood to the walls, fine nails, the name escapes me at present, and the wood is simply tacked to the battens, so easy to wallpaper than, ease away the skirting tuck the paper behind and then a gentle tap home with a punch.
I have a mitre block and have always cut by hand but arthritis has the upper hand here, both hands actually, so either an electric mitre saw or a joiner it shall be, happy to knock all shades of hell out of the MDF when removing it and also happy to replaster.
Wouldn't it be a boring world were we all the same (y)
Norman.

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I well remember buying a previous house and the sales ignoramus told me that I would be able to say that I was one of the first people who had MDF, told her I would be one of the last to admit :rolleyes:
 
Management won’t believe me that it’s not my fault mitres don’t work with any clever tools or jigs. I hate wood butchering not helped by critical comments. Leave me in the workshop bashing bits of metal and I am happy. Also I can lock the door from the inside.
We have a joiner living two doors away so I keep him in business.
 
pappajohn said:
It is in America.
Click to expand...

From Google:
Despite rumours to the contrary MDF has not been banned in the USA (or anywhere else), nor is it likely to be. The USA in fact uses more of it than any other county. ... The health effects of MDF dust are similar to those of ordinary wood dust, as described in HSE Woodworking Sheets (WS's) numbers 6 and 30.

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