Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/19/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have a beautiful solid oak armoire that I've started to cut horizontally to make into 2 pieces,put into another room,then reassemble. I've already cut the back & both sides...no problem. The piece in front is 1" thick & solid.
I can cut only so far across it..maybe 1" or so from either
side & then no more. I've checked for anything that could be stopping it REALLY well & there's nothing! It's just SOLID wood. I'm using a Black & Decker HandiSaw with a #10
wood blade. Please help...the armoire is on its back in the
middle of my living room. Stop laughing,LOL. I really need
some good serious advice please.

ANSWER: Hi Pamela,

I had to sit and think about your question for a few minutes, trying to imagine what could be the problem. I've come up with a couple of ideas, but without seeing a picture of the piece, they're all just guesses. If my "hunches" are all wrong, please try taking a picture or two and sending it to me through this site, and perhaps that will help me to diagnose the problem further.

First, there's always the possibility that your blade has dulled. After cutting the three sides, it's probably taken a beating.

There's also the chance that there is a metal plate or fastener on that front piece of wood, perhaps it's hidden. The blade could be hitting that metal and be stopped dead in it's track. So I would do a little investigating, especially if the saw is stopping at the exact same spot on both ends of your piece. That could indicate something.

Next, if the cut that you're making is a rip cut (with the grain, as opposed to a cross cut) it's possible the blade is bogging down with the rip debris.  Rip cuts can often produce sawdust that's different from cross cuts, that's why they make blades specifically for ripping wood. So if you can switch blades to one that will rip the wood more efficiently, I would consider that.

Finally, I Googled that saw and it appears to be a light duty saw, even though it says it will cut 1" thick wood. Oak is a mean beast to cut, and you're really pushing it to try and cut 1" thick Oak with such a tool. Can you borrow a circular saw, if you don't have one, and try cutting the wood with that? I suspect the circular saw will make fast work of it. Clamp a straight edge to the piece, to ensure a nice, clean cut.

OK, that's all I can come up with for your dilemma. Write back if you have more questions, or need more help. Or just a shoulder to cry on.  If you don't live alone, I can't even imagine what your housemate must think seeing that piece in your living room half cut up.  I'd like to be a little bird in the corner to observe that family dynamic. :)

Good luck!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jamie.Thanks for your response especially with no wisecracks cos I'm sure the picture in your head of my problem is pretty funny.Yes I do live alone(with 2 dogs)& they're no help.LOL I did make a mistake in telling you the type of wood I'm working with. It's knotty pine not oak. I had oak on the brain when I wrote the 1st time.Was also kinda groggy...I work 12 hr shifts @ night. Anyway, I was hoping you weren't going to suggest using a circular saw. I do have one. Bought 3+ years ago. Bought brand new & had a guy friend put the blade on for me. But I'll tell ya ,using it scares the heck out of me! They're big,they're loud,they're heavy. I was hoping for another way.Mine is a Skilsaw,12 amp,2.3 hp with a chiseltooth blade for rip & cross cuts. 20 steel teeth,7 1/4"". Is that a good blade to use? I really am afraid to use it. I guess it's just intimidating cos I just usually use the Handisaw for stuff. And about the armoire...can't send a pic but it's 75"tall,40"wide& 22"deep. I'm going down a hallway to put it into the bedroom & have about 6" on either side of clearance. It's too tall to fit through the doorway & tipping was not an option due to the hallway. Trust me...myself & 2 guys spent a total of 3 hours or so trying different ways to make it go. I've seen 2 piece armoires before so that's when I got the idea to cut it. Along the front of it there's a 3" decorative piece that I carefully took off so when it's all done you won't even be able to tell it's been cut. I'll also get 2 more pieces for the sides. But back to using the circular saw. Is there any other way to cut this thing? And you had said maybe there's a metal plate or fastener on there that's stopping the cut.But honestly I looked VERY carefully & saw/felt nothing...just solid wood. Even got inside of it with a flashlight. And no knots either. I'm confused cos like I said I can cut across eack side about an inch & 1/2 then it stops. I even changed out the blade & waited to try again with a full charge on the saw. So Jamie any other suggestions I will also be very grateful for.
Thanks, Pamela.

ANSWER: Pamela,

I love it when women get an idea in their head and just go for it. I mean that, I once had a student who took a few wood classes from me, and went home and gutted her kitchen. Her hubby was away on a business trip, and I wish I'd seen his fave when he returned home. So I'm of the believe that women woodworkers rock!

There has to be something about the "I can cut across each side about an inch & 1/2 then it stops" thing.  It's too odd, there has to be something impeding your progress. It's possible that there is a metal fastener in there - I don't know what, but it could even be a metal biscuit or something. A metal pin? A nail? I'm guessing it's metal because you're breezing through wood up until that point.

Can you switch the blade to a metal cutting one and just try getting through that difficult area? There's a chance that if you get through that one or two inches of resistance, you'll be able to go back with the wood blade and make quick work of it.

If you have a stud sensor, or even a strong magnet, see if they pick up something within the wood. Does a magnet get "stuck" on the area you're talking about? Will your stud sensor indicate metal, as some of them do?

Remember in the movie Jaws, after the sheriff of the town being terrorized saw the shark for the first time? He saw how big it was and said "we're gonna need a bigger boat!"

I think you're going to need a bigger boat, Pamela, or a beefier method of cutting that thing apart. Whether that means a different blade, a different saw, I don't know. But I know it's possible to cut it apart, so don't get down about this set back.  Can you just take a couple of detail pictures of the area, and let me see it's construction? I want to see if it's just a face frame you're cutting, or if you're hitting some other wooden member. Is there anything behind the area you're cutting? Or is it just a piece of wood? I really need some visuals or I won't be able to help much.

OK, see if you come up with anything about the magnet finding metal in the wood. I'll be glad to keep trying to help, you've really piqued my curiosity about this. Let's solve it, OK?

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jamie! Writing to tell you that after I got a different
saw (bought a new jigsaw) I had that armoire cut in about
15 minutes. Did have to let the blade cool down mid way but
it's DONE!!  LOL  So now I have a much easier question for
you. I bought the armoire used. When the guys brought it over they used duct tape across the front of it to hold the
top set of doors shut. What buttheads. What can I use to remove the residue that's not oily & won't leave any marks?
The wood is knotty pine with a light stain applied.
Thanks...Pamela.

Answer
Hi Pamela,

Glad you finally got the armoire cut apart. It sounded like that was a chore!

As far as removing the adhesive left by the duct tape, there are a few ways to do it. What you use will depend on how sealed the pine is on the piece. If it's well sealed, so nothing will seep into the pine, you could use WD-40, or mineral spirits, or something called Goo-gone, which is designed for that exact purpose.

If the pine isn't well sealed, anything you use to remove the residue could seep into the pine, and make it look different. That's why they always give you that warning about testing it somewhere that won't be seen, in case it damages something.

Still - I would test it in a place that won't matter, and if it doesn't seep in, use whatever you have on hand. I like WD-40 the best. I just spray a little on, it will dissolve the adhesive, and wipe it off. You may have to scrub bit. Goo-Gone can be found in any hardware (paint) department.

Mineral spirits will also work, but test the area first. There's another product called Ooops. That works well, too.

OK, I think you might have one of these suggestions on hand, but make sure you test first. Good luck, write back if you need more help.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com