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+-- Thread: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking (/showthread.php?tid=7359144)
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - fixtureman - 11-27-2020
Yes I laid the board down and cut the slots
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - barryvabeach - 11-27-2020
Thanks to all for the help , I really appreciate it. Now I am on to replacing the rotted joists, and other prep work before I install the decking.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - Cooler - 11-30-2020
Cutting your own grooves is for "small jobs only".
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/decks/fasteners-for-grooved-decking
Even some types of premium wood decking come grooved from the mill or wholesaler, or they can be grooved at the lumberyard for a nominal fee. If you’re feeling ambitious or have just a small job, you also can slot the deck boards yourself with a router, a biscuit joiner, or a tablesaw.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - Cooler - 11-30-2020
Cutting your own grooves is for "small jobs only".
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/decks/fasteners-for-grooved-decking
Even some types of premium wood decking come grooved from the mill or wholesaler, or they can be grooved at the lumberyard for a nominal fee. If you’re feeling ambitious or have just a small job, you also can slot the deck boards yourself with a router, a biscuit joiner, or a tablesaw.
I guess if I were doing this and I had a small table saw and a couple of helpers, that I would setup a tall fence and cut the slots on the saw. I would think this would be done outdoors in nice weather. Otherwise the 12 to 20 foot lengths become unmanageable.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - crokett™ - 11-30-2020
A handheld router with a slot cutter would be relatively easy. Just build or buy an edge guide. I would not try to feed 10' boards through a router table by myself.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - lift mechanic - 11-30-2020
I have used the Kreg deck jig for the last 2 Trex decks I have installed. Easy to use just see a small hole just below the top edge of the decking. I am going to do a friends deck neat summer and will do the same system.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - fixtureman - 11-30-2020
(11-30-2020, 04:26 PM)crokett™ Wrote: A handheld router with a slot cutter would be relatively easy. Just build or buy an edge guide. I would not try to feed 10' boards through a router table by myself.
It's not like you need a slot the length of the board just where it is fastened to the joist. A cheap Harbor freight is fine for that
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - crokett™ - 12-01-2020
(11-30-2020, 06:03 PM)fixtureman Wrote: It's not like you need a slot the length of the board just where it is fastened to the joist. A cheap Harbor freight is fine for that
Oh yeah. good point. So there's 2 methods... I would probably slot the entire board with a router, because I would batch a bunch (or all) of them, then it didn't matter where it landed on the joists. However, something like a biscuit joiner has the advantage of being easier to use, but you'd have to know where you were cutting the slots. I don't know if it's faster to run a router down the length of the board, or to repeat several plunges with a biscuit joiner.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - barryvabeach - 12-02-2020
Thanks for the suggestions. My approach was a little different because I was removing, and reinstalling boards.
I pried the boards off the deck and then stacked them nearby. Since I had to replace part of the framing, I had a number of pieces of 2 x 8 stock. I stacked the PT stock in a stadium seating configuration on some sawhorses. One board nearest me, then two behind that, then three behind that. Then I put one of the deck boards onto of each stack so I could work on three deck boards at a time.
I would first remove the existing fasteners that were in each board with a hammer ( they were driven through one side of each board at the joist - like a flooring nail )- then when all fasteners were out, I came back with a biscuit joiner and routed slots- at each location where there was a hole from having a fastener removed, then flipped the board around and did the other side. For the 12 foot boards it went pretty quick, around 5 minutes per set of 3, for cleaning the board so the joiner would sit flush, and cutting all the slots.
I then reinstalled them using the Camos Edge system clips - I can speak highly enough of that system, very well thought out.
RE: Fastest Way to cut slots in Composite Decking - John Mihich - 12-02-2020
Biscuit jointer - that's what it was made for - cutting slots.