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I have some wood left over from building a patio, mainly some planks. Normally when I'm creating firewood, I just use an axe a split the wood, but these are too long for that. I really don't want to try and cut them with a wood saw or an Axe. The only tools I can think that make sense are a Jig Saw or a chain saw.

So what I'll probably do is cut them down with the jig Saw (and maybe split them with the axe)

What other alternative are there? Should be something hand held, I don't think a band saw or a circular saw would make sense.

Niall C.
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AidanO
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    What do you want to do with the scrap? You don't want to burn pressure-treated wood. – Steve Jackson Dec 06 '11 at 16:54
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    A sawzall with a 6" to 10" inch wood blade goes through 2x4s pretty quick. – Jon Raynor Dec 06 '11 at 17:10
  • This isn't pressure-treated lumber, is it? – Gabe Dec 07 '11 at 00:41
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    It is for Burning, I'll have to double check if it's pressure treated. What would be the out come of burning pressure-treated would? or should that be a separate question? – AidanO Dec 07 '11 at 08:39
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    Regardless of the method used to treat it, it produces toxic smoke and ashes. They don't use arsenic anymore (where a tablespoon of ash could kill you), but the huge amounts of copper are still hazardous. If it's planks for a deck it's almost certainly pressure treated. – Steve Jackson Dec 07 '11 at 13:23
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    @Steve: very good to know! Will have to come up with an alternative plan for wood disposal, and fire fuelling!! – AidanO Dec 08 '11 at 08:51

4 Answers4

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Reciprocating Saw

Most fun.

reciprocating saw.

Miter Saw

Fastest.

miter saw.

Circular Saw

Most likely to have on hand.

circular saw.

Jig Saw

Slow.

jig saw.

Hand Saw

Slower.

hand saw.

Butter knife

Slowest.

butter knife.

Pruning Saw

Longest reach.

pruning saw.

Fire

Cut right to the chase

fire.

Beaver

Requires lots of training, food, and cleanup (thanks @SteveJackson for pointing this method out).

beaver. member of the Rodentia family of mammals

Chain saw

By popular demand (don't use on PT wood)

chain saw.

No affinity to Ridgid, just the first brand in the list when searching for reciprocating saw.

Tester101
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    +1 for Reciprocating Saw. Commonly referred to as a sawzall (although that's technically a brand name of Reciprocating Saw), a Reciprocating Saw is probably the most versatile, and FUN! – Zach Dec 06 '11 at 17:47
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    Miter saw all the way. – Alex Feinman Dec 06 '11 at 20:00
  • +1 for great pictures and commentary. Also, despite the asker's thoughts, circular seems fastest portable to me. – Jeff Ferland Dec 06 '11 at 20:34
  • I wish I could upvote this many, many more times. – Noah Goodrich Dec 06 '11 at 20:51
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    Oh man. A beaver! I need one of those. It's like a wood chipper without the noise! – DA01 Dec 06 '11 at 21:50
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    Hey wait a minute, how did you get my circular saw? – Doresoom Dec 06 '11 at 23:17
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    It might be debatable whether the reciprocating saw is more or less fun than a chain saw, which is (sadly) omitted from the list. +1 excellent answer! – JYelton Dec 06 '11 at 23:47
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    Does the beaver plug in or does it have batteries, and are they included? And if you use the beaver do you have to use wood chucks to chuck the would? +1 for originality!!! – lqlarry Dec 07 '11 at 02:18
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    @JYelton Chain saw was omitted, because it's not good to cut pressure treated lumber with it. Bad for the chain. – Tester101 Dec 07 '11 at 03:07
  • I've had beavers on my property - they're very destructive. And probably faster than a butter knife. But for speed, you can't beat a chainsaw. – chris Dec 07 '11 at 03:53
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    Brilliant answer, will probably have to go with the Beaver :) – AidanO Dec 07 '11 at 08:42
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    Forgot "break it by punching it". – Random832 Dec 07 '11 at 15:55
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    @Random832, Chuck Norris picture? – JoeFish Dec 07 '11 at 16:36
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    @JoeFish Chuck Norris would simply look at the wood, and it would cut itself in half. – Tester101 Dec 07 '11 at 16:53
  • @JoeFish I was thinking more along the lines of Steve?, but I suppose that works too. – Random832 Dec 07 '11 at 17:14
  • Any wood bigger than a 4x4 I'd cut with a chainsaw. – Jay Bazuzi Dec 07 '11 at 20:10
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    Joined the site just to up vote this answer! – Jon P Dec 08 '11 at 03:49
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    You shouldn't use the beaver on PT wood either. – BMitch Dec 08 '11 at 23:03
  • I find that using a reciprocating saw to cut scrap lumber to be quite awkward. I have an old, heavy, Milwaukee Sawzall that is unwieldy with one hand (the other to hold the board). A miter saw or a circular saw seems to work best for me. Just be sure to not ruin a nice/new blade cutting up scrap. – Evan Jun 23 '13 at 01:08
  • @Evan DO NOT hold your work in your other hand while using a recip. That's what saw horses and your foot (only if necessary) are for. Also, do not use them one handed. – Mazura Jul 25 '15 at 03:15
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Depending on how much left over wood you have, you may consider checking to see if your community has a building supply recycling center. I live in a relatively small town and we have a non-profit organization here that takes donations of left over building supplies and used (but usable) materials that have been removed as part of a remodel (faucets, doors, etc). I'd be surprised if there aren't similar organizations all over the country.

Jon Garvin
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Bow Saw

A bow saw is a hand saw that's designed for cutting through branches and other fairly light outdoor tasks, where a chainsaw would be overkill. The teeth are much deeper than those on a typical woodworking-oriented crosscut saw (so they cut faster), and shaped to cut on both the push and pull stroke (so they cut even faster). Also, the blade is much narrower, so it is less likely to bind when cutting wood that isn't necessarily well-supported or clamped in place. A good bow saw can cut through sticky, sappy, green branches in seconds, so seasoned lumber will be no problem.

Adam Jaskiewicz
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A reciprocating saw (sawzall) is perfect for this job. Get the right blade, one that can handle an occasional nail if there is one, or use a pure wood cutting blade if that is not a worry. These saws will cut through anything. In fact, I once used one in lieu of a chain saw for a huge amount of fallen wood after an ice storm.

My second choice is a small, hand held circular saw, the battery driven kind. Small, easy to maneuver. You can cut a surprising amount of wood on a charge with one of these. Use a good carbide blade.

Third choice is a hand saw. If sharp, they can do a lot of work, and get your heart going - a good thing. Ok, maybe this should have been the first choice.