John Kelly wrote:
Tim Morley wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message
. uk...
How about a cheap chop saw eg.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...21199&ts=16608

You can tilt the head to give a 45 degree cut. If the saw is too big you
could always Ebay it once finished.

Aldi were doing a pull/chop mitre saw for about £65 quid some time
back but either will take up a lot of space once you finish the
skirting.

Firstly what size skirtings are you using. You can easily but a chop saw
that wont cut through enough at 45 degrees. I tried for ages with a mitre
saw on some 8" skirtings, wasted loads trying to get lengths spot on. Ended
up buying one of these:-

It'll be 5" skirting. We live in a modern house and taller skirting just
looks too tall.

It is a daunting project but one you could get to enjoy if you set up
properly. You need a bench made of 2x3s and some ply at a minimum. Some
breeze blocks and a length of chipboard flooring will do.

Screw a board or 2 x 1 to the middle and screw a piece of 6 x 2 to that
and put a 45 degree cut down the middle. Fix a batton to the other side
to stop it wabbling, another baton at each end as supports and you are
away.

Use a brand new Bahco. I always use a 22" but the slightly shorter
might be better. Start with the longest wall with a doorway in it in
the smallest room and cut a lenght an inch or so longer then you need.

Mark the final length against the architrave and fit it loosely. If you
cut the long sides a quarter of an inch long, they will hold themselves
in place.

The next one needs a scribed cut to butt onto the first laid. Cut a
mitre and use a coping saw to follow the outline. At this point you may
notice that you have sut the mitre in the bench the wrong way. Get
another block and start again.

Though with two blocks you can work a room from two sides of the door
and cut down travelling time. I would just do one at a time if I were
you though.

The skirting needs to be measured from that cut to the wall plus your
little bit extra depending on how long it is. In this way you will get
around the room always uising the same angled cut.

External corners are a little trickier depending on how square and
plumb the walls are. Don't waste time fiddling. Put a mark on the top
inside edge and eye it up for the cut. Check it's long enough -if it is
a little too long wait till you have cut its partner before fettling
it.

Glue and pin and the job's a good-un.

If you are in new property the walls might be tin studding. This is
absolute rubbish but what can you do? Don't try and find a place to fix
it. If the builders never placed a batton behind for the skirting, then
you are lost. All you can do is gripfill and pin it and hope for the
best.

There are posts on here about putting it on wavy walls and the like.
Just use a search engine to find them all.

That white filler mastic might cover a mutitude of sins with your
joints. Use pva on them not that. You will be able to slather that on
later.