Tools/techniques to remove a long section from a wooden board

Question

I am building interior wooden cills and from a 3m x 250mm board/plank (25mm thick) I need to remove a rectangular section about 50mm thick along most of its length, giving something like:

I have a circular saw and jigsaw but no plunge saw or table saw or router, as well as regular hand saws and a multitool (ugly but useful). I am happy to acquire more hand-tools but ideally not expensive power tools for one job.

What is the name of what I'm trying to do, and what would be a good technique? I have 3 of these to make.

Answer 1

If you feel safe doing so, start a plunge cut with the circular saw into the long section and cut out most of the length. Then finish off with a hand saw.

If you don't feel safe plunging with the circular saw then you can instead cut out a part only the length of the diameter of the saw blade by hand, then extend the cut with the circular saw.

To make that start you can make a series of cuts along the side and then snap off the little tenons that remain with a hammer. Then it's a matter of cleaning up the remaining surface and extending the cut as above once the circular saw fits in.

You've indicated that you have a jigsaw available, because they can cut along a reasonable sharp curve that can be used to make either the initial notch for the circular saw, or even the entire cut. After that it's only a matter of cleaning up the corners (and the cut itself depending on how steady you where)

Answer 2

Something that hasn't really been mentioned, but almost hit on in a comment by jay613, is to cut off that whole strip of wood (meaning to cut your board to the narrowest width you need along the blue line below), then glue the tabs back on (purple).

It's not as pretty or as quick as a notch, but this could work. You'd just cut the tabs out of the material you cut off the board.

Or you could use a narrower board to start with and cut your tabs from some other board.

You'd have to wait for the glue to dry, making sure to wipe any that squeezes out, then sand it smooth again. So, definitely not as quick as a notch.

Wood glue is stronger than wood (at least the name brand stuff is), so you shouldn't have to worry about the tabs breaking off.

Answer 3

Another solution, which only requires a jigsaw and a drill, is to drill a hole just larger than your jigsaw blade at the inside of one corner of the cut, then insert jigsaw into the hole to do the long cut, and then the 2 short cuts at either end.

If using this technique, I would recommend doing the long cut first, so that you don't have a loose piece at the end that could complicate things.

Note also that you want to drill inside of your line, and not right on it, or you'll be left with a circular notch at one end.

Answer 4

Others have already explained most of the sensible ways of doing this, and FWIW I'd just use the circular saw in your case, but this is fairly trivial to do by hand, and the tools are very cheap.

Rip-cutting 3m of 25mm (1") board by hand isn't fun, but it isn't hard either. The most important thing is to get your body in the right place: shoulder in line with the cut, arm swinging 'like a snooker cue', i.e. the saw can move up-and-down, but runs exactly true side-to-side. This will require moving your feet unless you have the experience to know where to stand. Then the only hard thing about a normal rip cut is starting it off. Once you've got the saw running smooth and straight, you angle the front side down 30 degrees or so, and the saw blade effective forms a fence against the previous cut, more or less keeping you perfectly in line without having to try. Believe it or not this is actually easier in thicker stock for this reason.

Then you just have to keep going: standing on the bench/table can help, as can using both hands. Long strokes cut more than fast strokes.

This can be done with a £10 hardpoint saw, the kind you can buy in any DIY shop: the teeth aren't ideal for ripping, but they are designed to do it. (Of course it's easier with a proper rip-cut saw, but if you had one of those you wouldn't be asking...) 22tpi for hardwood, or 16 for pine (yes, even when ripping: it's a hardpoint saw).

Of course, for your case you'll need to cut out a section to start the cut off. This can be done purely with the saw, cutting diagonally into the corner, then away, to make an 'M' shaped cutout, before flattening the middle, although it's probably quicker to use a chisel to remove the waste as suggested above (I wouldn't like to do that over 3m of stock, although it's perfectly possible and if done carefully will work fine).

When all is done you need a plane to clean up the edge: any half-decent #4 is fine if it's sharp (and sharpening is much easier than you might believe).

Would I do this for this job? No way: that's what I've got a plunge saw for. Have I done it? Yes, and in 2" stock, too. You only make the cut once, but you get to keep the furniture :D

Answer 5

The less expensive way will be to the circular saw to cut the section into strips and use a hammer and wood chisel to remove the wood not wanted.

I think the best way will be to buy a router and with guides and remove the wood.

If afterwards you really feel that the router is no longer needed/wanted, you can sell it. Depending on your location it should be possible to rent a router for the short time you need it, but for the cost of a new router, renting might be not as cost saving as for more expensive tools.

Answer 6

One hand tool you might not have heard of is the jigsaw's predecessor: the coping saw. It's a bit like a C-clamp and a hacksaw had a baby.

The two features of the coping saw are

1. The blade is pretty thin, so it's versatile
2. The handle rotates a bit, which twists the blade so you can guide it easily

This is a more precise tool for those close cuts. It's also cheap and easy to find.

Answer 7

Notches can be cut out with a jigsaw by cutting a curve. You start perpendicular to the edge of the board, curve round so you are cutting parallel to the board and finish your first cut in the opposite corner.

Next you make a straight cut from the edge meeting up with your first cut to form one corner and remove the bulk of the waste.

Finally you make two more cuts to square-off the remaining corner.