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Smooth straight cuts in MDF?
Brax:
A circular saw with a good blade and a straight edge can give you comparable results to a table saw. It's a good all-around choice.
hyiu:
ok... one of your concern is do this cheaply... right ??
you said you have a jigsaw....
good.... if you're willing to invest.... go get good jigsaw blades.... (I think HD has those "Bosch" blades for jigsaw...), anyway... ask and get the good one (for wood / MDF).... then go get a BIG LONG METAL RULER.... and a few clamps...
blades are less than $10 a pack.... clamps are like $2 each... ruler should be less than $10 or so......
then you measure..... and clamp the ruler down with the clamps.... and use the ruler as the guide to your jigsaw....
now.... don't push your jigsaw when cutting..... (well.... don't force it... let the blade do its job...) and you should get good straight cuts....
this might be cheaper than getting a new circular saw with good carbide blades....
good luck....
pocketz:
i use a circular saw and these things called tool guides. tool guides are straight edges that clamp down on the wood and create a sturdy guide for the saw, straight cuts every time. you can also use a straight 2x4 held onto the mdf with two clamps. mdf is easy to sculpt with a sander so if the cut isnt perfectly straight just sand it down.
-pocketz
Wade:
I was almost finished with my cabinet when I finally figured out the best combo for cutting MDF.
Jigsaw - avoid when possible.
Circular saw with MDF blade (about $15). Worked horribly. Blade was dull after one cut.
Circular saw with cheap (included with $35 saw!) 22 tooth rough cut blade. Worked well but was dull after perhaps 10 cuts. Also tended to flex or "walk" so some of my cuts weren't perfectly straight with this blade.
Circular saw with a quality Carbide 22 tooth blade (about $12). That's it! My cuts are perfect every time now. Sanding is RARELY necessary. I would have saved myself HOURS and lots of scrap wood too if I had known this from the start.
Wade
ZaneMn:
If it is within your budget you should get a table saw: Not only wil it make great straight cuts but it will make sure all of your cuts are consistent. What do I mean by that? It means when you are cutting out all the sides for your control panel with a table saw you don't run the risk of getting slightly diffrent heights on the pieces as you might if you did each one with a circular saw. The fence on a table saw is great!