Where to get wood cut down in size (for cabinet)

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
I am "hacking" an Ivar cabinet from Ikea. It is 80 cm high, and I need to cut it down to 60 cm. All I have is a jigsaw, and don ́t think that will do the job (needs to be straight, and to a millimetre accuracy).

Back home I would just find a small carpenter shop, show up and ask them to cut it for me (and give them a few buck for their trouble). Not sure if that would work here, and my German is terrible.

I know Coop, Jumbo, etc. will cut down to size whatever you buy from them. Not sure if I can just show up with 2 side panels and 2 doors (back panel I can do myself), and ask them to cut it for me.

Any ideas?

2
Go find a small carpenter shop here and ask them

3
Could you not just use a handsaw? From what you wrote, you've only got a few cuts to make.

I'm sure Chippendale and others made pretty decent furniture without electric saws.

4
Migros Brico Does this. Not sure of your reluctance to ask...

5
Where do you live? In the community center in Riesbach in Zürich ( GZ Riesbach ) there is a woodshop (Holz Werkstatt) which is open to the public on Saturday Mornings from 9:00 - 12.00. I think it costs maybe 5 CHF to work there and it is full of tools you can use.

6
I had wardrobe panels and doors cut down at Coop Bau and Hobby. I had to pay as the material was not bought there. The wardrobe was a high quality one and the reason for cutting it down was to fit it in a room with lower ceilings.

If you enjoy DIY work, get yourself a basic workbench and a saw. Think about all the fun you can have. There are plenty of videos with advice on how to do stuff. I recently had to cut garden stones and the videos really had some good pointers on how to do this without a water saw.

7

Chippendale probably has a little mopre experience and know how in cutting wood, even without the benfit of electricity !

8
if you only have a jigsaw, you can use straight-edge/clamps to make a guide for the saw to run along.

alternatively, just buy a circular saw. any tools are going to be cheaper than paying swiss rates

9
Link? I'm intrigued!

10

Unlikely if you want it to look good !

Mark out what you want cut, go to a small carpenter in a village, depending on how may cuts you want, offer Chf 20.--/ 25.-- cash and i am sure it'll get done.

Make a biot of effort to speak his language.

11
I was wandering around Migros Do It in Bulach today, and came across a "mieten" section i.e. they rent out tools. A circular saw costs CHF 14.00 for four hours, and CHF 34.00 for the weekend.

12
IMO, not worth the hassle of renting small common tools since you have to make several trips.

https://www.jumbo.ch/de/handkreissae...89?sku=1258944

13
I was talking to a chap working in Hornbach and he said never buy the cheapest tools - even for a one-off job.

Buy the next price up and you usually get something much, much better.

I think he's got a point.

Hiring is such a faff - agreed. Better to buy and sell again when finished if you don't plan on ever using it again.

14
I can also reccomend the one in Buchegg Platz.

Also, if you want to try yourself with a more accurate tool, you can either rent it from Migros or from app like Sharely

15
a worker at a shop selling tools suggesting that you buy more expensive tools?

it is nice to have quality tools. but it isn't necessary to buy more tool than you need. what someone needs for a one off job is much different from someone who uses it day in - day out.

also, quality is not to be confused with brand or price.

maybe someone might look at the linked tool and object to some specification or feature for the job. but a trap is to object just because of brand or low price.

16
I'd probably throw the piece of furniture away and buy one that fits.

However if you do want to persist and are cutting melamine faced chipboard with a jigsaw, use sellotape or similar over the line to be cut to minimise the risk of the melamine shattering around the cut. Also, use guide clamped in place to get a straight cut as suggested above.

17
He was confirming what I already knew. I'm not talking about those really expensive quality tools but there really is a difference between the cheapest models and those up a grade.

Read the reviews. The cheapest ones wobble, don't cut straight, don't have enough power and so on.

I never spend more than I need to. I wouldn't buy Bosch Professional (blue) for home use as the cheaper Bosch (green) are absolutely fine for occasional use.

18
Pretty sure Hornbach cut wood you bring in, as well as stuff you buy there - they charge by the cut. I think Obi does as well.

19
Many tools are not made for smaller hands so when I buy tools, I look for something comfortable to hold that I can work with. If I need the tool once, for one project, price is a consideration.

Sometimes you buy a tool not knowing just how useful it might be. I bought a small, basic dremel for the parrots beak and nail trimming. It's a fantastic tool for so many projects. I bought the least expensive model and it is great.

From time to time there used to be someone from Bosch on Saturdays at the Bau and Hobby I used to shop at. These guys know their stuff so really worth talking to if you have the opportunity.

20
some are lighter too. i paid more for a machine just because it was a 500g lighter model which would be more comfortable to use.