Originally Posted by
rosarugosa
I'm glad you asked! I think I am by nature someone who is more inclined to the zen of hand tools. But power tools are - well - powerful! And I feel powerful when I use them! Some interesting exchanges in our class:
DH to Rosa: Well, we would really know how to do this kind of basic project anyway without taking a class.
Rosa: No way, not me. You got to take shop when you were a youngster, and I was learning how to sew an apron. This is a whole new world for some of us!
Guy in class: You know, if you get the saw spinning to full speed before you bring it down to the wood, you will get a cleaner cut.
Rosa: Thanks! You're right, so much better!
Rosa's sister: Did you get what he's saying? This is all Greek to me!
Rosa: I got some of it, and we'll figure out the rest together.
Can't remember who to who, but Rosa finds out there is a laser line from the miter saw showing where to cut. I was using the shadow of the saw blade. Subsequent testing shows that it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
DH and I did put down hardwood floors throughout our house, and he showed me how to cut the hardwood strips with our small miter saw. That was very cool and we built some awesome floors, and that was really my only power tool experience before this class.