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TOOL TECH
By Matt Weber
TOOL RECS FOR T&G FLOORS
Whether you’re an ambitious DIY’er or a pro on the go, here are some handy tool recommendations to make your next tongue-and-groove floor installation go down more smoothly. FLOORING SAW With a dedicated flooring saw, save time and energy by cutting boards right where you install them, rather than cycling back and forth between the floor and your sawhorses each time you need to resize a board. When flooring meets the walls of a room, the boards generally have to be cross-cut or ripped to width. A portable flooring saw uses a circular blade that glides along dual rails above an integrated work surface to make fence-guided rips with the accuracy of a table saw. Use the saw’s angle gauge to make straight or diagonal cuts with the accuracy of a miter saw. Attach a shop-vac hose to the dust port while cutting to collect sawdust for a tidy work environment.
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Home Improvement and Repairs | The Spring Issue
The HIR team uses a Skil Flooring Saw, which features a high-RPM, 7-amp motor, similar to a grinder motor that turns in the neighborhood of 11,000 RPM to achieve fine cuts with a small 4-3/8-in. diameter blade. The saw comes in a small, lightweight package, is easy to carry, and cuts flooring up to 3/4-in. thick.
