My brother swore I needed a miter saw for baseboard cuts

Told me a hand saw would never get clean 45s. Messed up 12 corner pieces before I gave up and bought the saw anyway. Anyone else get bad advice from family that cost them?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_patel14d ago

Honestly I gotta side with your brother here. A hand saw can absolutely do clean 45s if you take your time and use a good miter box. The issue is most people rush the cut and let the blade wander, or they don't clamp the piece down tight enough. I've done plenty of baseboard with a cheap Stanley miter box and a sharp dovetail saw, just had to mark both sides of the cut and go slow. Your brother probably just didn't want you to waste money on a tool you'd use once, but yeah it sounds like you messed up the technique.

mason36114d ago

Double down on what @dylan_patel said about clamping. A loose piece will ruin your cut every time, no matter how sharp your saw is. I always wrap a strip of sandpaper around the miter box fence to give the wood some grip, stops it from sliding when I push the saw through.