Reciprocating saw; your recommendation?

[glenn kangiser]

Can I gloat now?

...and you got a bargain to boot.  Now you see what I mean.

[MountainDon]

You deserve your gloat.    It is an absolutely marvelous tool. I'm much happier with the deal I got on it than I would have been buying a new one though.    Gotta wonder what I would have done.  :-/

[glenn kangiser]

I said that because I cut out the entire front door of the underground complex with it and when my 4070 door got too close to the log above I just twisted the motor out of the way and kept cutting not to mention that I was able to keep it at the optimum comfort angle  by readjusting around the entire oval of the door.  The entire cut was on about a 20 degree angle to be self tightening as  the door closed tighter.  

It was about 18 feet around that thing and there was no other easy way to cut out a 4" thick 400 lb door - hinges were on before it was cut loose.




Since then the saw has got me out of many a tight spot.  

[Amanda_931]

Nice door!

Somehow I don't think the 18v Dewalt (non-twisty kind) could do that.  Although I do use it fairly often.

I was going to ask what the other side looked like, but if it's 400 pounds, all the bracing and support are probably built in.

[glenn kangiser]

I have the 18v DeWalt.  I'd have got a few feet or so until dead battery. :-?

These were first cut slabs from incense cedar so they had big lop sided butts.  I got the door idea because I had recently cut the center one and wanted to find a place to put it to use.  I scrounged through the scrap pile at my sawmill and found 4 more pieces to go with it and I had enough for the door.  Average of the thickness is 4" but the bottom of the center slab is 10" thick.  I planed the edges then glued and doweled them together.  It was so heavy it took 3 of us to get it into place before it was cut out.

I made the hinges with adjustment in them for future shrinkage - the wood was a bit wet.  After the cut was made on the hinge side I fastened them in place and then cut out the rest of the door.  It was the only way I could think of to keep it all together and in line.

The door latch mechanism is all made of wood except for the shaft that goes through from the front to the back door handles - it is  steel.  I of course had to make the entire latch.

The cut wasn't perfect but then again - this is rustic - it didn't have to be.

[Amanda_931]

Yes, we love rustic!

[MountainDon]

I love that door, Glenn! Superb!   8-)
Don't get a swelled head over all the praise now.  

[MountainDon]

I made the hinges with adjustment in them for future shrinkage -

Yes, you're not going to find a hinge for a door like that down at your local big box.  :-/ And speaking of hinges, what did you use for the bearing surfaces. That's a large weight vector pressing down on what doesn't appear to be a very big area every time the door is opened and closed. It does open and close, doesn't it?   [smiley=laugh.gif] [closeup picture?]

[glenn kangiser]

I used the large farm gate hinge pins with about 6 inches of threaded rod sticking out the back to go through the door frame for a mount.   5/8 dia. I think.  I made the rest.  The first 2 years I had to readjust a bit but now it's pretty stable.

It will open and close  with one finger.  

Swelled head -- can't afford to -- I don't think they make larger hat sizes.



and the mechanism

[MountainDon]

Thanks for those extra pictures, Glenn. Looks great!   8-)
(Ooops there I go again)  

[Amanda_931]

Banding or (and/or) weatherstripping on the door edge?

I need something like that.  Maybe either, maybe just weatherstripping.

I used gate hinges, but nothing that exotic.

(the picture that gave me the idea came from a fashion catalog)

[glenn kangiser]

It is refrigeration weather stripping left over from jobsite freezer doors at Safeway jobs etc.  It comes in self adhesive strips - various widths and sizes.  In problem areas a couple staples into the wood will keep it in place -

It was necessary due to shrinkage - it does a pretty good job.