Which "chopper" to get?

[finescalerr]

Aside from maybe saving a step, what is the advantage of using a chop saw rather than a standard chopper and then a disk sander? -- Russ

[compressor man]

Have never used a micro chop saw but I would assume its main advantage would be that one could cut their boards to actual length. Whereas if you really were uncomfortable with the small "bevel" created by a razor blade cutter you would need to cut a little oversize and sand to length. Not a big deal for a couple boards but I could see the chopsaw being a real timesaver if you need a stack of identical boards.

Just my 2 cents

[eTraxx]

What he said. The chop saw cuts 90°. A swipe with some sandpaper and you are good to go. If you were to ask .. "what would you do to improve it" .. the answer would be #1 .. something with more power then the Harbor Freight model such as the Proxxon (I'm *assuming* that it would be more powerful) .. and #2 .. more importantly .. some kind of micrometer adjustment on the stop.

[finescalerr]

So the short answer to my question would be, "None." And that pleases me because, as a clarinetist, I value my fingers. One slip with a power saw and it's bye-bye music. In my specific case, then, a chopper and a sander are preferable. -- Russ