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Posted

Does it make sense to use the Byrnes saw for the very thin second planking of most models?  Are there special precautions required?

I am just wondering, my Chopper is no longer usable so should I try to use the Byrnes. it is a powerful little saw and not sure that crosscuts using a sliding table would be a good idea?

If not, what, at a reasonable price, would best replace the Shortline Chopper?

 

thank you,

richard

Richard
Member: The Nautical Research Guild               

 

Posted

Richard, I am a little confused - do you have a Byrnes Table saw or not?

That is my first question as the machines aren't available anymore for the moment.
The Byrnes table saw is powerful enough for crosscut using a sliding table. But for thin cuts you have other options.
In your situation there is Shortline Chopper II
I have the original one based on the paper-wood board. I would recommend the new chopper or other electric cutters that are available,

 

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Posted

Thank you for responding.  I have the Byrnes Saw, along with the Byrnes Thickness Sander, for a number of years now. I do not use it often, but when I do its great.  But, I felt it was too powerful to use on very thin, i.e. second planking wood strips.  I have a very old chopper that, after years, is starting to wear where the blade touches the black circular cutting stop. I looked at taking it apart to try and smooth or replace it but it seems to be one piece with the angle arm. It still works but I'm not always getting a clean cut at the bottom. 

Anyway, I am considering trying my hand at a scratch build and thought to look for a replacement or even a more accurate, and faster way of chopping.  The chopper II is on Amazon for $85, a bit steep.  There is a great looking machine that miss Olga showed on her YouTube videos, but it is well over a hundred dollars, and uses proprietary blades.

Being honest with myself, I can get fairly decent cuts, with a flat tip Exacto knife... if I am careful and work very slowly.  So this purchase becomes a luxury more than a necessity. 

The little electric chop saws I saw are pretty inexpensive compared to the manual ones, but not sure if I will end up with shredded cuts. 

So I was wondering if any of them would be good for very thin cuts, or should I bite the bullet and continue to look for manual cutters/choppers.

Any ideas would be appreciated

Thanks

Richard

Richard
Member: The Nautical Research Guild               

 

Posted (edited)

Are you going to do mostly right angle cuts?

 

 I put together very reliable miter that works with very thin saws and single edge razor blades.

I you are interested I can put some pictures up.

 

l also use my Proxxon FET for cutting thin stuff an don’t have trouble with tearing that can’t be remedied with light sanding if it needs it at all.

 

 

 

Edited by Gregory

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Posted

Ultimation makes a great hand chopper and hand sander: 

https://ultimation.ca/collections/all-products

 

This is the one Olga highlighted on her YouTube channel I believe.

 

Note the blade for the chopper are not proprietary. They're just a particular kind of single-bevel blade I think used in upholstery. I ordered extras directly from them when I ordered my chopper because it was easier than hunting for them elsewhere.

 

I use both the chopper and sander quite a bit. They're small and I can just set them on my work table when I'm using them and easily set them aside when I don't need them (on another table or on the floor). 

Posted

    I have the Ultimation hand disk sander as well.  In general, I don't like it as much as my Byrnes disk sander, but it is far more portable...and quite useful.  I find, however, it must be clamped to the workbench or it slides all over the place.

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Posted

When I set mine on my green cutting mat, it stays in place for me. I can imagine if you had it sitting on a wooden table top it might move around. 

Posted

I prefer the electric sander so I can use two hands to manipulate the item... but then, that is just clumsy me.

Palmerit, do the blades of the ultimation last, say through a ship or two, or do they constantly constantly need to be replace like the blade on my Fourmost Products, Miter Cut Tool? Non-proprietary blades very much change the balance of the decision, as do the availability of replacement parts.  

Did you find a replacement source and if so, can you share it?

Thanks,

Richard

Richard
Member: The Nautical Research Guild               

 

Posted (edited)

ok, new info for me.  Where I could not find the information on my existing miter cut tool, I used one of the new AI tools and found the manufacturer is still in operation.  The replacement for my cutter/chopper, which I have used for years, is $28 with $7.50 shipping.  So, for that price, I ordered one.  They also had a similar device to saw small items.  For the heck of it I ordered one of those ( since there is a flat shipping charge and it would not change if from the U.S.) 

One of the things I liked about the cutter was that it was small, and used readily available, cheap, hardware store blades and I already have boxes of those.  I do not know about the saw blade but requested the manufacturer let me know if replacement parts were available. 

If you all would like I can do a quick review when they arrive.

I came close to pulling the trigger on the Ultimate cutter but it is expensive and seems to take up a lot of worktop space.

Thanks for your help

Richard

Edited by rtropp

Richard
Member: The Nautical Research Guild               

 

Posted
On 4/22/2025 at 1:17 PM, rtropp said:

after years, is starting to wear where the blade touches the black circular cutting stop.

Richard:

I have the original Chopper and don't use it as often as I used to but I fixed the wear issue like you described by mixing up some epoxy and filling in the wear the blade makes to the cutting surface.  I carefully filled the groove and then smoothed out the epoxy using a plastic credit card blank.  It has held up for several years and it is about due to be refurbished the next time I use epoxy for anything around the shop.  It still cut great the last time I used it and the fix is so easy so I will preemptively fill in the slight groove.

Take care,

Kurt

 

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Posted (edited)
23 hours ago, rtropp said:

Palmerit, do the blades of the ultimation last, say through a ship or two, or do they constantly constantly need to be replace like the blade on my Fourmost Products, Miter Cut Tool? Non-proprietary blades very much change the balance of the decision, as do the availability of replacement parts.  

I haven't replaced a blade yet, but I probably need to - the last time I used it (a few days ago) it seemed like the blade was getting a bit dull. These blades don't seem to wear down as much as something like the scalpel blades I use, which I replace pretty often. Maybe because I don't use it as much but probably also because they're always cutting straight down, as opposed to my scalpel blades that get used in all sorts of angles that will wear the blade down and sometimes get glue or other matter on them or get rubbed against something metal and dull. 

 

I ordered a few packages of replacement blades when I ordered the chopper. They're 10 blades for 5 dollars.

 

I'm not at home, but I think they came with instructions on the specific kind of upholstery cutter blade you need to buy. You could email them and ask what specific kind of blade it uses: info@ultimation.ca  

 

I just found it easier to buy from them when I ordered the chopper originally. I probably got two packages of 10 blades. I suppose someday I'll need to research where to buy replacements. But I'll probably just order from them. The shipping is probably going to cost more than the blades I imagine. 

 

I think they use these particular blades because they're (apparently) way sharper than a regular razor blade.

 

When I ordered it I also got some of the replacement rubber disks that fit inside. Those do seem to be proprietary. They're pretty cheap though.

 

The cutter is pretty small. And since it's light and easily moveable, I just keep it (and my sander) under my work table.

 

With their sander, they tell you what kind of sanding disc sandpaper to order. To be honest, I wish they just sold replacement sandpaper themselves. It'd be easier just to order through them since it takes a bit to find the specific kind they recommend. It's available online, but it's not just something you can buy at a local store. 

Edited by palmerit

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