I have some 7” wide ½” thick 130 year old pine floor boards installed in my home which are original. There have been occasions where I have needed to lift the odd board for under floor access but some of these boards are in the region of 20ft long so I have to be picky on which ones I lift i.e. the shorter ones, which are not always in the ideal access position. Is there any easy way or is there any purpose made tools for cutting floorboards along the joist line whilst their still fixed down and without having to remove the adjacent board to start the cut?
- Thread starter michael
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P.S. - The only method I’ve seen which can be a bit hit and miss is to hold the nose of a circular saw tight down on the floor and lower the body and cutting wheel onto the board in a similar fashion to the way a chef uses his chopping knife. Problem is with this, it’s easy to make a mistake and the blade guard can sometimes get in the way. There must be a better tool/method for this common problem.
DaveBrigg
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I haven't tried these (soemone's already massacred our boards) but I assume they must work. http://www.screwfix.com/cats/A335554/Hand-Tools/Saws/Floorboard-Saws
Andrew Bodenham
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In my experience the very best tool for cutting into flooring is the Fein Multimaster, used with a straight saw blade accessory.
The Fein looks a bit like a delta sander, but the head oscillates rather than orbiting. With the saw attachment in place you can plunge cut into you floorboard, cutting right up to (but not into) the neighbouring boards. The blades are thin (>1mm) so little wood is removed and the cut is easily guided as you can clearly see the blade whilst cutting.
The Fein is an excellent tool which I would recommend without hesitation, despite it's hefty price tag. It is really a woodworkers swiss army knife. Provided you're realistic about what it can do it rarely fails to get the job done. As a professional woodworker I would not be without one.
The only drawback is the cost of the blades and other accessories, but I now make my own blades cutting up retired Japanese saw blades into strips.
The Fein looks a bit like a delta sander, but the head oscillates rather than orbiting. With the saw attachment in place you can plunge cut into you floorboard, cutting right up to (but not into) the neighbouring boards. The blades are thin (>1mm) so little wood is removed and the cut is easily guided as you can clearly see the blade whilst cutting.
The Fein is an excellent tool which I would recommend without hesitation, despite it's hefty price tag. It is really a woodworkers swiss army knife. Provided you're realistic about what it can do it rarely fails to get the job done. As a professional woodworker I would not be without one.
The only drawback is the cost of the blades and other accessories, but I now make my own blades cutting up retired Japanese saw blades into strips.
Penners
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I agree that the Multimaster is a great tool for a range of jobs, but in my experience there is one problem in using it to cut floorboards. (I also agree that it's bl**dy expensive!)Andrew Bodenham said:
As you have explained, the cut is extremely thin, and this leaves you with the problem of finding a "levering" tool thin enough to insert into the cut and lever up the board.
It would be useful to know how you overcame this, please.
Others have suggested in the past screwing another plank to the top of the board you want to lift and then lever the top one up bringing the bottom one with it.
Never tried this but it sounds like it would work if the screws are stronger than the nails.
Never tried this but it sounds like it would work if the screws are stronger than the nails.
chuckey
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I use a jig saw, hold it really tight on the back of the base plate to control the depth of cut. the cut is not normally very straight ( peak deviaton < 3mm) but it does not damage adjacent boards and its about 1/4 of the time of using a floor board saw which does damage adjacent boards. Nail some bits of scrap to your workbench and practise.
Use old plane blades to lift the boards.
Frank
Use old plane blades to lift the boards.
Frank
I suppose you could temporarily nail a batten down to help guide the jigsaw.
I've drilled a hole, then used a padsaw and floorboard saw in the past. It is hard work with my floor 1 1/4 inch thick pitch pine planks.
I would be loathe to use a circular saw. Once you've made the initial cut (without damaging adjacent boards) you still need to complete the cut to each side.
Whoever worked on my floors over the years must've done it blindfolded. What a mess - boards cut across half way between joists, and worse!
Screwing scrap wood over the end of the board to be lifted, and levering the scrap does work - I can never get enough purchase otherwise, without damaging the board ends.[/i]
I've drilled a hole, then used a padsaw and floorboard saw in the past. It is hard work with my floor 1 1/4 inch thick pitch pine planks.
I would be loathe to use a circular saw. Once you've made the initial cut (without damaging adjacent boards) you still need to complete the cut to each side.
Whoever worked on my floors over the years must've done it blindfolded. What a mess - boards cut across half way between joists, and worse!
Screwing scrap wood over the end of the board to be lifted, and levering the scrap does work - I can never get enough purchase otherwise, without damaging the board ends.[/i]
Penners
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MdB - screwing a batten on top is a technique that I've tried. The trouble is - as you have identified - you have to ensure that the screws hold better than the nails holding down the board. If they're old, tapered nails, this is by no means certain. It also leaves you with screw holes in the top of your precious old floorboard.
Frank - thanks for the plane blade idea. I'll try it next time.
Frank - thanks for the plane blade idea. I'll try it next time.
Sounds like there’s an opening here for designing and patenting a purpose made insitu floorboard cutter comprising perhaps of four suction feet to grip the floor (similar to the things they lift sheet glass with), adjustable screw legs, a lazer light and spirit level for correct alignment and a lever handled plunging oscillating blade where the length and depth of the cut can be set to the width and depth of the floorboard.
biffvernon
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Penners
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You forgot the thingy for getting stones out of horses' hooves.michael said:
Nigel Watts
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SPAB do a very good leaflet on floorboards.
Boards nailed down with cut nails should come up quite easily once you get them started becasue the nails are wedge shaped.
The best thing is to take the whole board up without cutting, but this is often not possible because boards ends often go under skirtings or under the stud walls
I believe the approved way of cutting a board is to prise it up enough to be able to get the saw to it, holding it up with wooden wedges. The initial prising is the tricky bit because you need plenty of welly but dont want to damage the board or the adjacent one. From memory the place to start prising is midway between the joists as this is where you have maximum flexibility.
Boards nailed down with cut nails should come up quite easily once you get them started becasue the nails are wedge shaped.
The best thing is to take the whole board up without cutting, but this is often not possible because boards ends often go under skirtings or under the stud walls
I believe the approved way of cutting a board is to prise it up enough to be able to get the saw to it, holding it up with wooden wedges. The initial prising is the tricky bit because you need plenty of welly but dont want to damage the board or the adjacent one. From memory the place to start prising is midway between the joists as this is where you have maximum flexibility.
Penners
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True, but you try getting them started!Nigel Watts said:
Toby Newell
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Fein multimaster with new balde, v expensive and can give wobbly line, plus points are v thin kerf (width of wood removed in sawing process)
Only tool to do it properly is Festo plunge circ saw (TS-EBQ range) with guide rail and anti kick stop. Starts at around £450 but will cut to precise depth in perfectly straight line from middle of board without cutting adjacent boards, kerf slightly wider than Fein multi but only tool I know that can make repeatable perfect striaght cuts in just one board at a time, perhaps you could hire one?
Toby Newell
Only tool to do it properly is Festo plunge circ saw (TS-EBQ range) with guide rail and anti kick stop. Starts at around £450 but will cut to precise depth in perfectly straight line from middle of board without cutting adjacent boards, kerf slightly wider than Fein multi but only tool I know that can make repeatable perfect striaght cuts in just one board at a time, perhaps you could hire one?
Toby Newell