I need a mini mitre saw.

[bernardgreen]

The task is to cut balsa wood that is 2 inch by 1 inch section with a reasonably accurate 45 degree cut. I have to make at least 160 cuts and quite possibly many more after that.

Budget is small.

Proxxon are too expensive.

 

[big-all]

argos mitre saw
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7113062.htm
Guillotine
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/pp+woodworking-hand-tools-picture-framing+b13000

 

[big-all]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7113062.htm

 

[bernardgreen]

To cut the balso wood requires a fine blade. My 200 mm chop and mitre saw cuts it but the cut is very rough and the wood shreds at the edges.

 

[big-all]

have you thought about backing the wood
if the wood is parallel and your on 45% mitres or 90%
make sure the saw is cutting 100% accurate
bit off ply or mdf on the base and back fence with double sided tape and cut through with the blade
this will make the slot the exact size off the blade and give the back edge full support

 

[rsgaz]

Have you seen the Bosch jigsaw mitre guide thing...

http://www.tooled-up.com/product/bo...w-station-with-tile-cutter-attachment/174884/

Not tried it myself, but the youtube video of it looks pretty good. Maybe a downcut blade made for laminate would give you a nice cut on balsa, at least it gives you more blade types/tpi to choose from than mitre saws.

Gaz

 

[Brigadier]

I don't know how thick your balsa is, but if it is thin stuff, just pack it into batches like BA already said, and chop it en masse.

You could try a finer blade in your 200mm chop: I swapped the blade in mine, took it gently, and have been getting perfect mitres on skirting boards.

 

[bernardgreen]

After some experimenting I have decided to use my large mitre saw to cut the balsa to a few milli-metre over size and then sand down to the right side. Hopefully the ragged cut edges will not be more than a milli-metre or two and dis-appear during the sanding.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

The task was to cut the pyramid tops for these lanterns

 

[JBR]

Have you seen the Bosch jigsaw mitre guide thing...

http://www.tooled-up.com/product/bo...w-station-with-tile-cutter-attachment/174884/

Not tried it myself, but the youtube video of it looks pretty good. Maybe a downcut blade made for laminate would give you a nice cut on balsa, at least it gives you more blade types/tpi to choose from than mitre saws.

Gaz

I thought that looked a good idea until I looked further and discovered that, if one wishes to cut a line longitudinally along a reasonably long piece of material, there appears to be no guide of any sort.