0

I am making a DIY dinner table, in the farmhouse table style as in this picture -

enter image description here

So I got the wood slats that form the table top, cut out of a single long wood board, from the Home Depot. I asked them to to make all the slats of 30".

Not when I got them home and put next to each other, they are not exactly of same length. They differ by about quarter inches in length from each other.

Now, I don't know how can I make all the slats to be of same length.

What would be the best tool for this job ? Can I rent a sander and sand the slats to same length ?

|improve this question
  • 1
    What tools do you have available? I'd personally clamp them together and gang cut them with a mitre saw, but that's kind of worthless advise if you don't have one. – Comintern Jul 6 '16 at 23:02
  • I don't own any tools. I am planning to rent them from HD. So I need to know the ideal tool for this job. I heard some saws can have thick blades and may not help with really small cuts. – punekr12 Jul 6 '16 at 23:26
  • A 12 inch miter or chop saw would be the best that way you could stack several make a cut then take a board from the first stack and put more below it, without touching the top board cut the bottom boards. This may take a few adjustments to get it right but should provide better cuts. Clamp a block of wood on one side if it has a table or use a square and clamp. It may take a couple of tries for a new wood worker – Ed Beal Jul 7 '16 at 1:01
1

I think that you need a circular saw. You could probably pick up a high-quality, used one from a pawn shop for $20 to $40, or a cheap-new one for $40 or $50. Usually, circular saws and sanders aren't for rent... and a new saw is probably cheaper than renting a tool. And if you want to return it, I'd bet the pawn shop will give you a few bucks (back) for it. Alternatively, you might find a hand saw for under $20.

Blade thickness isn't really relevant here, make a mark with a pencil and a straight edge (at 29.5") but don't cut the line... cut adjacent to the line so that the pencil mark is still touching the corner of the board after your cut.

Buy some sandpaper anyway... for the splinters.

|improve this answer
  • For finish wood like this, lay down a wide stripe of painter's tape to help avoid splintering and damage to the top surface. – Carl Witthoft Jul 7 '16 at 13:23

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.