Do I Need a Mitre Saw?
We've gone through the basic hand tools that you'll want as part of your toolkit. However, a DIY home improvement person will outgrow the basic toolkit and require some additional tools- tools with more muscle. For a very basic wood molding project, you may be able to get by with a hand saw and a mitre box. This will allow you to, fairly accurately, cut a few angles. The hand saw and mitre box may cost $30-$40. But you will run out of steam very quickly. The alternative is to invest in a powered mitre saw, which will enable you make accurate cuts very quickly. The downside- it costs more, requires some storage, and is loud. However, I believe that it is one of the most useful power tools for home improvement projects. In addition to mitring and beveling angled cuts, a mitre saw can be used to make straight crosscuts in any piece of wood (there is a size constraint that is determined by the blade diameter on the saw). Maybe you can even mitre a sushi roll or a sausage- but I've never tried it.
For my first wood molding project, I purchased a Ryobi 10" compound mitre saw from Home Depot for $99. It has worked perfectly since day one. I really don't think that you need anything fancy unless you are making furniture for a living. When I bought the saw, my strategy was to learn on an inexpensive saw and then purchase something much nicer. However, there is no reason to buy something more expensive. The $99 saw does the job.
If you have a mitre saw and a table saw (more on table saws in another post), you probably don't need a circular saw because all your wood can be cut with the mitre and table saws.
My mitre saw included a sawdust bag that attaches to the exhaust. However, the saw still makes quite a mess. So make sure that you are using it in an appropriate area such as a garage or even outside. I didn't spring for a matching stand. I simply clamped the saw to a workbench.Jon
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