Anyone know if Lowes/Home Depot/Menards cut boards of wood to a specific size?

[ManBearPig]

I need a couple boards of wood cut down to size since i have none of the tools myself...would they do this? Would i buy the board and then they cut it or do i pay for just what they cut?

 

[Dirigible]

At least HD does. You buy whole board. They cut it. Don't expect an exact or very clean cut.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

All of the companies you mentioned will do simple cuts for you. You have to pay for the entire board.

 

[EvilYoda]

At least HD does. You buy whole board. They cut it. Don't expect an exact or very clean cut.

They all do, but depending on the intended need, you might want to find other methods of cutting it to the exact size needed. If nothing else, find someone with the tools and have HD/Lowes get it close enough where you can fit it in your car and finish it later.

 

[nboy22]

I did this with Home Depot... They had this machine that looks really accurate, but apparently it wasn't because some of the boards came out with slight diagonal cuts. It worked for the purpose of building a shelf in a closet, but it definitely could have been a lot more precise.

 

[alfa147x]

The cuts will be no where near straight.

 

[Leros]

I get them to cut stuff for me when I don't need it to be too accurate. They won't cut anything shorter than 12" which is annoying.

They say they charge for more than 3 cuts. I've done much more than 3 cuts and never been charged.

 

[IronWing]

My wife says "You're a guy, why don't you go buy a saw?"


She just added "Just buy some tools, stop being a loser."

 

[ManBearPig]

My wife says "You're a guy, why don't you go buy a saw?"


She just added "Just buy some tools, stop being a loser."

To ironwings wife: i just spent 10x more than I intended on speakers and a subwoofers and wires and stuff. Thats why.

 

[IronWing]

To ironwings wife: i just spent 10x more than I intended on speakers and a subwoofers and wires and stuff. Thats why.

Okay, she says you can have your man card back.

 

[Jeeebus]

Simple cuts, yes. Couple weekends ago I had Home Depot cut me a bunch of 2x4s out of plywood sheets for a weekend of fun putting a floor down in the attic. If they charge you, it's .50c for every cut over three.

 

[LookBehindYou]

Depends on what your cutting too. I've had them cut 2x4's and plywood, but they couldn't cut a 4x4. I guess it's a ymmv with each store.

 

[waffleironhead]

Menards used to charge 1$ a cut not sure if they still do, I havnt worked there in about 5 years. Its mostly what they refer to as a headache charge. They would rather not offer the service, but some people demand it, so they charge a crazy fee. If you want a nice cut forget it. They use a cheap 12" miter saw with a rough cut blade.

 

[evident]

HD and Lowes will cut, but they couldn't get it down to the exact sizes i needed.

dont expect to build furniture or a subwoofer enclosure with their cuts!

 

[mmntech]

I did this with Home Depot... They had this machine that looks really accurate, but apparently it wasn't because some of the boards came out with slight diagonal cuts. It worked for the purpose of building a shelf in a closet, but it definitely could have been a lot more precise.

Sounds like a classic case of the problem between keyboard and chair. :hmm:

You can rent the tools you know. HD in fact will rent them to you. I'd say that's the better route. If you're doing a lot of DIY building, might not be a bad idea to just buy a mitre or circular saw. They're not that expensive anymore.

 

[BeauJangles]

HD and Lowes will cut, but they couldn't get it down to the exact sizes i needed.

dont expect to build furniture or a subwoofer enclosure with their cuts!

A few months ago I was at HD trying to get them to just cut down a sheet of plywood. The jackasses in front of me required ~30 cuts on the various pieces of wood they bought and kept complaining when it wasn't accurate enough. The poor HD guy was trying his best and doing a pretty good job considering that crappy saw they have. His cuts were within 1/2 an inch or so. Finally, a bunch of us told them to go buy a saw and stop wasting everyone's time.

I guess they went to complain to the manager or something.

 

[CallMeJoe]

My local HD and Lowes both make accurate square cuts and don't charge even if you go over their '3 free cuts per order' quota. Unfortunately, they do not change their blades often enough. Sometimes you encounter a worn blade that just shreds a sheet of plywood.

 

[trmiv]

Define specific. They certainly cut the boards, but they aren't usually the specific size you want. They are in the ballpark though, but don't expect perfection.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

At least HD does. You buy whole board. They cut it. Don't expect an exact or very clean cut.

this