What tool should I use to do this

[stevenf]

Hi folks, We actually got all our piers in the ground on Sunday and are ready to proceed on building our house. We're building it on the budget plan so its a little at a time until we have to get it dried in. Next step is to cut off all the piers level and there are 27 of them they are 6" x 6" treated post. What tool do you think would be best to cut them off after we get them all marked for level with a lazer level and checked with a water level. My idea so far has been a hand held circular saw and use a big wooden clamp as a jig/gate and cut them on all 4 sides. Id like them to be reasonably smooth on top and fairly perfect so a chain saw is out and I'm afraid a reciprocating saw might be out as although I don't own one "yet" I invision the blade acting like a jigsaw blade and the tip not staying in line when it hits a knot or whatever and making the blade tip angle up or down. Anyway the million dollar question with a limited budget of say $100 what tool would you use? Speed is certainly important but quality and accuracy outrank it in my opinion.
Steve

 

[kossetx]

Steve, I'm NOT an expert, but I have to ask. Are 6X6 posts going to be enough support for a house? I have a house on pears that are 1.5' to 3.5' tall, 1000 SF, and it is built on 12 12X12's. When the washing machine is running, you can feel the house shake. I'm just offering that example.

As far as cutting the posts off, I'd say the best cheapest tool to do it will be a circular saw. If you have access to a table saw, build a jig out of plywood, a 4 sided box, that has 1 open corner, that will slide over the post. The open end will allow you to put a clamp on it and get pressure. Then use the jig a a guide to saw around the post with the circ saw. If you don't have access to a table saw, let me know.

 

[MikeIA]

Perhaps a saw along the line of the Black and Decker "Navigator" powered hand saw? I know I've seen others, but I can't sem to find them now. Clamp guides along your line on opposite sides of the pier, and run the saw flat along them.
The problem with using a big wooden clamp with a circular saw is that you will want to set your saw as deep as possible in order to try and cut the pier with just two passes - one on each side- to avoid moving the clamp. (Moving clamp = top of post will likely not be flat) If the saw is set that deep, the motor will hit the clamp.

 

[stevenf]

Kossetx, Your scaring me but yes I think/hope I'll be OK the house is 30' x 64' = 1920 sq ft so I have nine 6" x 6" eight feet apart on the length and three 15 feet apart in width in other words 3 rows of 9 piers running length wise. We've lived in a pier and beam before that wasn't near this well supported without problems so I'm hoping this will be OK. If the washer and dryed end up a major issue I can always go in and escavate by hand for more piers and a beam just in the laundry room. The post are already in the ground so a table saw is out. Thanks for the washer insight though I may look at doing the piers and beam reinforcement before anything else is done up top so I could at this point just drill a couple more holes with the tractor instead of a garden shovel and bucket laying on my belly under the house.
Steve

 

[beenthere]

I've done it with a circular saw, hand held with a 'square' jig clamped to the post. I've done it with a chainsaw too, but prefer the circ. saw. Making sure it is adjusted and set 'square', as well as holding it straight on the jig will do wonders for the quality of the cut. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KubotaSteve]

My dad bought this little jig way back when for his circular saw. It bolted onto your circular saw and it had a track with it. We used it when he built his garage because it was cheaper to get 8 ft. 2x4's than it was to buy pre-cuts so we had to cut them all and didn't have a radial arm saw or table saw at the time. That little jig bolted to the saw and had a piece sticking down off of it to square it to the board you were cutting. The only problem is that it was so long ago that I don't remember where he got it. We used that thing to death before he got a radial arm saw.

 

[KentT]

It's a bit time consuming, but you can use clamps to hold a straight board on the post as a guide, then use your circular saw to cut following this guide. A guy I work with just built kitchen cabinets this way, because the material was too big to fit his table saw...

 

[stevenf]

Kent between you and Mike I think I've got the solution he said the motor would likely hit the clamp if I just used the big wooden wood clamps but I can get two nice straight 1" X 6"s and clamp them on either side of the post drop a level across them to square my cuts and then use them as the circular saw guide on both sides. It sounds like it'll work anyway a bit more time consuming then a chain saw but nice flat pretty darn level tops when I get thru. Thanks guys there is no site like this one for people willing to lend great ideas. I still haven't given up on the navigator saw although it looks like a consumer model that might not be up to home construction but I do need to add some type of good reciprocating saw to my arsenal of tools as after watching my hunters use one this year it looks like a handy saw to have available to cut things that a circular saw just can't get to, theirs was battery operated to boot and with two batteries they managed to build a nice deer blind miles away from electricity.
Steve

 

[kossetx]

Steve, I'm not saying use a table saw to saw the posts, use it to make a square jig. Picture a 6 1/8" id box that would slide over the post. One side is not nailed shut so it can flex some. You slide it over the post, clamp it on the un nailed side, and then you can use it as a guide for your circular saw, and it will wrap all the way around so you can cut in any direction. The jig can be made of old plywood or a 1X4. Hope you can visualize it.

 

[inveresk]

Were it me, I'd mark the piers for line and level with the laser level, then mark them all round using a bubble level then hit them steady and easy with a brand new hand saw. By the time you set up all the jigs for power saws, you could have the job done.