The time I tried to fix my porch railing with a hand-me-down saw from 1982

Last month in my backyard in Tulsa I decided to replace a busted porch railing myself. I borrowed my uncle's old circular saw from the 80s that he swore still works fine. First cut went okay but then the blade got stuck halfway through a pressure-treated 2x4 and smoked like crazy. I yanked it out and the whole board splintered into three pieces. Ended up at Lowe's spending $47 on a new saw and another $12 on lumber because I messed up the measurements too. My neighbor Jerry watched from his deck laughing the whole time. Has anyone else fought with an antique tool that just needed to be retired?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_ross2713d ago

Your uncle's saw from 1982? That's like before I was even born (I'm 32) and he's still passing it around like it's fine? I have a hard time believing any power tool that old hasn't been through enough abuse to make it dangerous, not gonna lie. The fact that it smoked and splintered your board into three pieces sounds like a recipe for losing a finger or something, honestly terrifying. I get the nostalgia factor but $47 for a new saw is a small price for not having to explain to the ER doc how you got a chunk of metal stuck in your leg. Jerry probably had the best seat in the house though, those neighbor moments are the worst when you're the one messing up.

matthew_owens913d ago

And that smoke probably wasn't just dust, right?