Use a quick square to mark layout lines at the cutoff point minus the distance between the circular saw blade and the edge of the saw. Adjust your circular saw to a depth of about an inch. Clamp the quick square down to the post on one side lined up with the layout line. Run the circular saw across the post using the quick square edge as a guide. Rotate the post 90 degrees and repeat. Do that twice more. No need for a jig ( or chainsaw). I assume this is a hollow post given your dimensions and material list. Mike Sent from my iPad > On Aug 11, 2014, at 22:43, Phillip Hallam-Baker <phill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Base of the TARDIS and the sign boards are both half done. > > So now I come across a problem that nobody in the tardis-building > community has (yet) come to a good answer to, how to trim the posts > down to exact size. > > They are 8' long ( a bit longer actually, that being the problem) and > made of 4 planks of 5 1/2 x 3/4 pine. So they are heavy. Its at the > limit of a one person lift and certainly too big to handle on a table > saw. > > Chop saw? Well too big for my 12" chop saw and a slide does not help here. > > > I am thinking I probably need to make a jig and use a circular saw. >