# Forum Home Renovation Doors, Windows, Architraves & Skirts  Cuting Skirting Board in situ

## Ronaldo451

Any tips on how to cut skirting boards while they are still on the wall? 
I am installing a jam and door in an archway that was previously open so need to trim back the mdf skirting board on both sides to take the architrave. Cheers, Ron

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## rod1949

Firstly "jam" is what you eat.  Its called a jamb. 
No matter which way you choose to cut make sure there are no fasteners in the line of cut. 
To cut you can leave the skirting fixed hard against the wall and cut with either a chisel or a panel saw.  Using the chisel take little clean cuts and you willl need to be careful on the final break through.  The panel saw would be done with short vertical strokes/cuts. 
The other option is to slightly leaver the skirting off the wall and do short horizontal strokes/cuts with a panel saw.

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## Bob38S

Have had success doing this sort of exercise before using a Dremel and a saw blade. If you take it easy and carefully so as not to damage the wall or floor there is very little to finish off using a sharp chisel. 
If you don't have a Dremel, consider getting one, they are invaluable and after a while you really do wonder how you got on without one. 
Regards,
Bob

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## rod1949

Yes Bob and you've reminded me of another gadget like this a Bosch Cordless Multi-Cutter GOP 10.8 V-LI which would be micky mouse

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## UteMad

Fhein multi multi master makes it a 5 min job.. 9 times outa 10 it aint on site and its done with a fine saw and hammer and chisel.. like cutting a log you remove the timber in a wedge on the waste side of the cut  and cut the straight cut as the waste is removed so you get a clean cut 
hope it makes sense.. if using a fhein then put a template piece of timber on your line and press the blade up against as a guide and push cutter straight in..   
cheers utemad

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## UteMad

> Have had success doing this sort of exercise before using a Dremel and a saw blade. If you take it easy and carefully so as not to damage the wall or floor there is very little to finish off using a sharp chisel. 
> If you don't have a Dremel, consider getting one, they are invaluable and after a while you really do wonder how you got on without one. 
> Regards,
> Bob

  funny i bought one for a specific job and thought the same but haven't found  a use since.. i always seem to have a industrial tool for the job .. have to have a look for this saw wheel you mention. does it cut the 20mm thickness right through to the wall lining? 
cheers utemad

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## Bob38S

G'day Ute, 
The saw blades I have [3 of] are as follows 
2 x 19mm in diameter x 0.1mm thickness which fit on the #402 mandrel - teeth are very fine - bought from Timbecon from their catalog about 4 years ago, from memory. 
1 x 31.8mm diameter x 0.6mm thickness which comes with its own quite substantial mandrel - teeth are quite substantial - bought during one of my rare excursions to Bunnings - nearest is 100km away round trip. 
I have used these with the flex shaft as the body of the Dremel gets in the way as you parallel the wall when cutting the skirting board. 
Hope it helps you out, as I stated before this is the sort of tool that I just keep discovering new/more work for - a little like the router providing you have a good variety of bits - I also learned, quite quickly, to avoid the el-cheapo bits of which there are many available. Good bits last, do the job and don't tend to fall to bits [pardon the pun]. 
Regards,
Bob

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