Opinions Wanted Mitre cutting equipment

[plumbframing]

Hi All,

I am very new to framing and want some advice about what equipment is best for someone who is framing at home and is honing their skills. I have completed a beginners framing course and an online course and know the basics. The course recommended I use a mitre hand saw and trim the mitres on a mitre guillotine (you can get smaller ones that fit on a workbench), the other option is using a mitre compound saw (making sure that I manually set the 45 degrees). I am looking at using hard wood mouldings and my long term dream is to mill my own moulding on a table saw. Baby steps.....

Any advice would be very much appreciated. There are no apprentiships in Victoria (Australia) and I have done the only course available and would love some advice from some professional framers.

Warm regards,

Rachel

 

[neilframer]

Welcome to the Grumble, Rachel.
I have been framing for 54 years now and I still have all of my fingers.
This is a great place to get ideas from a number of different folks about framing depending on what the business is about.

I have always used a chopper (guillotine) or dedicated mitre saw for cutting the 45°.
It's the middle of the night here now so you might not get answers until tomorrow.
My dog avatar is my Aussie Shepherd (actually an American breed) as was my last dog.
Cheers.

 

[alacrity8]

The smaller Guillotine style choppers are often called Fillet Choppers.
They are meant to cut Fillets, which are thin inner frames usually made of soft wood.
They can be used to chop frames, but the blade will likely need to be sharpened often, especially for hardwood.

Using a tabletop Mitresaw can work well, but changing the angle between cuts will likely cause your angles to not be perfect.
There are tabletop systems that include 2 Mitresaws, and a measuring system that seem to get good results.

Another option, as you mentioned a Tablesaw, is to make a Mitre Crosscut Sled.
This is a standard Crosscut Sled, with two 45 degree supports added.
This is the method that I used for about 2 years, and still use on 3" or larger mouldings.

 

[plumbframing]

Welcome to the Grumble, Rachel.
I have been framing for 54 years now and I still have all of my fingers.
This is a great place to get ideas from a number of different folks about framing depending on what the business is about.

I have always used a chopper (guillotine) or dedicated mitre saw for cutting the 45°.
It's the middle of the night here now so you might not get answers until tomorrow.
My dog avatar is my Aussie Shepherd (actually an American breed) as was my last dog.
Cheers.

Thank you for your reply. I love Aussie shepards!

 

[plumbframing]

The smaller Guillotine style choppers are often called Fillet Choppers.
They are meant to cut Fillets, which are thin inner frames usually made of soft wood.
They can be used to chop frames, but the blade will likely need to be sharpened often, especially for hardwood.

Using a tabletop Mitresaw can work well, but changing the angle between cuts will likely cause your angles to not be perfect.
There are tabletop systems that include 2 Mitresaws, and a measuring system that seem to get good results.

Another option, as you mentioned a Tablesaw, is to make a Mitre Crosscut Sled.
This is a standard Crosscut Sled, with two 45 degree supports added.
This is the method that I used for about 2 years, and still use on 3" or larger mouldings.

Thank you for your reply. This is very helpful. I want to make sure I spend my money on the right tools as a beginner. I have read some tutorials about setting the mitresaw manually, using an architects 45 degree angle. I think this is the way I want to go. It will be slow, but I am happy to do this to practice my skills.

 

[MitchelC]

Frame Square - now NEW ones but you can find a used one...

 

[artfolio]

My first recommendation for a beginner would be to use a mitring guillotine ( I hate the term "chopper" ) and stick to softwood frames as the guillotine will not handle hard wood or heavily plastered mouldings well.

As Alacrity has already said, for hard wood you will need a saw and most of the "handyman" pivoting mitre saws you can buy from your local hardware store are not good enough for framing. No matter how carefully you set them up the turning and locking mechanism will develop some slack and and after cutting 8 mitres this little error compounds into something totally unacceptable.

A double saw setup will be far better or look for a used (but not too used) double mitre saw and have someone who knows what they are doing check it for you. Finally, whatever saw you settle on buy proper blades for it as, again, the "standard" blades which come with most hardware store saws won't be good enough. I am not familiar with American manufacturers but I am sure others on here can point you in the right direction for this.

 

[plumbframing]

My first recommendation for a beginner would be to use a mitring guillotine ( I hate the term "chopper" ) and stick to softwood frames as the guillotine will not handle hard wood or heavily plastered mouldings well.

As Alacrity has already said, for hard wood you will need a saw and most of the "handyman" pivoting mitre saws you can buy from your local hardware store are not good enough for framing. No matter how carefully you set them up the turning and locking mechanism will develop some slack and and after cutting 8 mitres this little error compounds into something totally unacceptable.

A double saw setup will be far better or look for a used (but not too used) double mitre saw and have someone who knows what they are doing check it for you. Finally, whatever saw you settle on buy proper blades for it as, again, the "standard" blades which come with most hardware store saws won't be good enough. I am not familiar with American manufacturers but I am sure others on here can point you in the right direction for this.

Thank you for you reply. I am in Australia too. What blade would you recommend for a mitre saw?

 

[Don Fischer]

have been making my own frames from old wood I scrounge for about 30 yrs now. To cut angles on the corners I use a 12" miter saw. If I can find an 8" miter saw I'd get it. *" blade will have less wobble n it! My 12" saw is left over from working on houses. Bear in mind to get very fine tooth blades. I'm using 64 tooth blades now. I also have use for the table saw. Cutting down old wood to where I can use it and some frames sit at an angle so the wood needs ripped at and angle. You'll need a decent finish sander and a belt sander would be nice to have, I have both plus a bench sander.

This frame was made from pickets taken off an old fence that was torn down next door.

This shadow box is from a couple pieces of old wood picked up at this site.

If I can get them in, these are made from scrap pile wood on a re-model site near home.

I enjoy making frames as much as taking photo's! Forgot to mention, on my shadow boxs, I hang the photo's about 3/4" off the back boards!

 

[Don Fischer]

people I think calling the power miter a chop saw! Properly used you don't chop with them. You cut, that means don't chop at what your cutting. Blade will last a lot longer!

 

[plumbframing]

have been making my own frames from old wood I scrounge for about 30 yrs now. To cut angles on the corners I use a 12" miter saw. If I can find an 8" miter saw I'd get it. *" blade will have less wobble n it! My 12" saw is left over from working on houses. Bear in mind to get very fine tooth blades. I'm using 64 tooth blades now. I also have use for the table saw. Cutting down old wood to where I can use it and some frames sit at an angle so the wood needs ripped at and angle. You'll need a decent finish sander and a belt sander would be nice to have, I have both plus a bench sander.

This frame was made from pickets taken off an old fence that was torn down next door.

This shadow box is from a couple pieces of old wood picked up at this site.

If I can get them in, these are made from scrap pile wood on a re-model site near home.

I enjoy making frames as much as taking photo's! Forgot to mention, on my shadow boxs, I hang the photo's about 3/4" off the back boards!

Thank you! Your frames are so lovely. I am leaning towards getting a small mitre saw and giving that a trial. As I improve my skills, I want to learn how to use a table saw and a sled.

 

[neilframer]

We have an excellent source for new blades and blade sharpening if you ever need their services.

About Quinn Saw | Full-Service Circular Saw Blade Shop

For more than 100 years, Quinn Saw has made circular saw blades better with the most advanced sharpening technology and machinery.

quinnsaw.com

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Bill at Quinn is the Grumble member TripleChip.
Quinn is recommended by many people on the Grumble.
The only issue is that they are in the U.S. and many miles away from you (or many kilometers).
I don't know any sources in Australia.

 

[David Waldmann]

One option not yet mentioned if you will be very low volume is using a hand miter box with a miter sander (rather than the fillet guillotine). BTW, there is (was?) a miter trimmer made in Windsor, VT by The Pootatuck Corp that was designed for the finish carpentry trade. Of course, that would have been primarily softwood, but it was a pretty substantial piece of equipment.

That said, if you will be cutting hardwoods, you might consider searching out a used Morso or similar full sized chopper. In the US you could get one for about (or less than) the cost of two new contractor grade chop saws and a fence/measuring system.

 

[wpfay]

Hi Rachel, and welcome to the G!

Do a search for "Lion Miter Trimmer". Lion is a UK based frame equipment and supply source that has distribution in Australia if memory serves.
It is the same tool that David mentions in the previous post.
There are many other options based on the Lion's design.

The machine is designed to do what you first mentioned, clean up a miter that was roughed out on a manual miter box.