Making first box, but not sure which to get

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

Well im going to be attempting my first box pretty soon. Its not the best for my 1st project, but its going to be a box for 4 12's. Im going to be getting a router, and im going to have the MDF sheets cut probably withing 6 inghes of my desired imensions so i can trim them myself. Im not sure what to get to do the cutting though. A circular saw would be much cheaper and may be more versatile for other woodworking. Table saws seem easier to work with though. So what do you think i should get?

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[project f-150 10+ year member]

you have to decide exactly what you will use it for in the future. the table saw will make it a lot easier to make straight cuts! and will be able to handle most jobs.

Personally I would get the table saw and also have a jigsaw laying around for misc. projects.

 

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

good point, its just that the prices on circular saws are appealing. Cheap table saws have a small rip capacity, so ill have to go up a little in price, but i guess it would be worth it. Thanks

 

[JimBo930 10+ year member]

Table saw FTW!

 

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

Will a circular saw cut straight enough lines? Id rather get a circular saw becuase of the price and versatility. If i draw a well marked line and line the laser on the saw up with it, it should almost be perfect, right?

 

[Fast1one 10+ year member]

Table saw for sure...I used to use a circular saw with a straight edge.....time consuming....table saw made it so much easier....

 

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

ok, but because the cheaper ones only have a 9 1/2 rip capacity, if i need to trim a piece by 13", could i cut the 9 1/2" and then cut the remaining 3 1/2"? I dont see why that wouldnt work.

Thanks

 

[Bolognablake 10+ year member]

If you do buy a circular saw, something like this will help you make consistent straight cuts.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&pid=00925980000&cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&subcat=Blades&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1

It only goes out to 24" wide, so you may have to make a couple cuts on a panel if you're making a large box.

 

[SuperTrooper 10+ year member]

Just use a sguare to help line up your circular saw to make that straight cut. Don't just draw the line actually use it as you would the fence on the table saw. But if you are going to make more than just one box, yes the table saw FTW.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

I use:

table saw, jig saw, router

 

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

Well im probably going to get a cheap table saw, as i wont be building many boxes, and a jugsaw, and i believe i have a jigsaw if needed. What would be better just for occasional use, the ryobi table saw for 99.99, or the craftsman for 99.99(http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&pid=00921802000&cat=Bench+Power+Tools&subcat=Table+Saws&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1)

Thanks

 

[wesl56 10+ year member]

wish i had a table saw... it can be done with a good circiluar... just takes practice and patience

wow i didnt know you could get table saws for that cheap... i might have to try to get my dad to buy one haha

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

I built all my boxes in HS with a jigsaw and skil saw. The key to the skil saw is patience in the setup for each cut. If you are only going to build a box every once in awhile, save the money and get a skil saw. If you plan on building boxes regularly, get the best table saw that you can afford. A cheap table saw that isn't big enough for what you need to do will cost more and have worse results than just a basic skil saw with a straight-edge and clamps.

 

[espguitarist91 10+ year member]

Im so confused. Now i think i might save my money and just get a cheap circular saw. The only table saw that would be able to cut big pieces that is fairly cheap is a craftsman for 169.99 and it has the extendable sides. I guess i dont really need a table saw, but convenience is nice. Is it extremly hard to make accurate cuts with a circular saw? I not exactly experienced in the woodworking area.

 

[NhustlaR 10+ year member]

lol gl with the 4 12's on your first box...

I would start out with a smaller project, maybe for a home speaker or something. So if and or when you screw up, you wont feel like a deush bag. It will take a couple trys to get your boxes the way you want them to look. You learn from your mistakes the first box or two.

make a birdhouse or something first, it will help you with your cutting skills and everything

GL!