Circular saw for stand building.

[crazylawyer]

I 'm voting for the miter saw. I've been building furniture and cabinetry for 45 years, using large commercial stationary tools. Any time I pick up a circular saw, I make sure no one is watching, or within hearing distance. I know it will bind and burn its way through the cut because I never developed the muscle memory to do it right. There's a reason we call them all "skill saws" regardless who made them. Getting a clean cut with a hand held circular saw is like learning to throw a good spare in bowling, a curveball , or a perfect F#m on a steel string acoustic guitar. You will get it right eventually, but it will take a while. If you are going to use a skillsaw, practice first- build a gate, a sandbox, a picnic bench.

I know a lot of guys can do it, but they been doing it for a while. My brother in law the rough carpenter could have built my stands with just a skill saw in half the time it took me with my compound miter. On the other hand, there's an old Okinawan guy I know that build out and finish a 50 ft yacht using only unpowered hand tools.

 

[goofyreefer]

You could do it just invest is a speed square. You can pick one up for $3 or $4 fr a plastic one. I would also see if you could get a hold of a cordless drill and some screws to build it. I'd help you outif you lived in the N.W. burbs of Chicago.

 

[Track Rat]

not to be smart .. but if you have to ask then I question the skill level..

I have very little experience in woodworking that is why this thread is here. Right now my plan is to start cutting the frame with a circular saw. If I get consistent good cuts with it then I will do the whole build with it. If I'm having a hard time then I will likely pick up a miter.

 

[crazylawyer]

Just a cautionary note-you build your stand, and although you hit a few bumps, end product looks good and water stays off the floor. You feel great, so you build another for that new tank. They both look great , but they make your old coffee table look drab. You can fix that because you can build a new table. Then you graduate to chairs. Your friends and family ask you to build them stuff. Meanwhile , you have started spending far to much time drooling over tool catalogs and trying t figure how to fit that $5000.00 cabinet saw in your daughter's bedroom. You need more space for tanks and tools so you contemplate building a room addition.

And if you think reefing can be expensive, wait till you start pricing quarter sawn white oak

 

[sleepydoc]

You can make accurate, square cuts with a circular saw, you just need to have a good straight edge and take the time to set up the cuts properly. I have a table saw, but use the factory edge of a piece of MDF and a circular saw to cut long cuts on plywood.

+1 on getting the proper blade. It can make all the difference in the world. Scoring the cut with a utility knife can also help prevent splintering on the edges.

Home depot will make cuts for you, but you can't depend on them being completely accurate.

A miter saw is incredibly useful if you're making 45º or other angle cuts. If your joinery doesn't require angles, you can use a circular saw with a speed square, or make a jig like in the popular mechanics article linked to above.

 

[FishysPlace]

I built my stand using a circular saw and screw gun. Works great for me.

 

[KeepNitReel]

I have a miter saw & all type of other equipment to build anything with.
However, me being lazy, I let home depot do all the cuts for me. When I got home, all I had to do was screw the lassie together