I used to cut every piece of laminate with a miter saw until a job in a tiny condo changed my mind

For years, I thought the miter saw was the only way to get clean, square cuts on laminate plank. I'd set it up in the driveway or a spare room, hauling planks back and forth. Then I took a job in a 500 square foot condo downtown with no extra space, not even a balcony. I had to use a scoring knife and a straight edge for the whole install. It was slower at first, but man, the lack of dust was a revelation. No cloud of fine particles settling on everything, no loud noise, and way more precise for those tricky rip cuts against a wavy wall. I still use the miter for bulk cuts on a big open floor, but for anything tight or finished, I'm all about the hand tool method now. Anyone else make that switch and stick with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma11d ago

My dad was a cabinet guy who swore by his radial arm saw for trim. He'd never even own a miter box. Watching him work made me scared of power tools for years. I finally bought a basic miter saw for a fence project and it felt like cheating.

dakota_patel988d ago

Your dad and @felix_hayes64's buddy prove there's always a stubborn tool for the job. Sometimes the quiet, simple way is the cheat code that actually works.

felix_hayes6411d ago

Ever see a grown man have a full on argument with a sheet of laminate? My buddy did, trying to use his miter saw in a narrow hallway. He finally gave up and scored it, and the cut was perfect. He said it was so quiet he could actually hear himself think, and there was no dust to clean out of the client's potted plants. Kinda like how @the_emma's dad had his own stubborn way with tools, I guess. Now my friend only uses the saw for the long, straight runs.