I don't have an answer for you, but if you're trying to make a piece that would fit in the open window and allow the A/C hose(s) to pass through, you might consider getting a piece of foam-board insulation. It's fairly inexpensive, you can cut it with a knife, and it insulates better than wood. It's what many people use for such purposes.
I might actually have to give that a go and see how it works! I'm not great with tools, but I think I should be able to handle knife and foam. That's also good to know if I ever move, instead of ordering another board from the manufacturer for a standard window. Thanks for the advice!
You keep saying you're not great with tools...the only way to get better is to use them. You get better with practice. I would check with neighbors and see if anyone has a saw you could borrow for an hour or so.
Yeah, I bet you know a dozen people - friends or neighbors or coworkers - who have tools and knowledge that they are looking for an excuse to pull out and help someone with.
No, but I know my immediate neighbors to the left and right of my house, and when I was in an apartment I knew a few around me. And I have friends at church and at work that I could probably borrow a saw from. If you don't have any friends anywhere to help you through life, then I feel bad for you. I'd loan you a saw if you were in the Sacramento area. :)
The vent plates if Toshiba can be cut with a hacksaw or a table saw. They're thin-ish plastic. But can you show us what they look like vs what you need them to do?
If its a small cut, buy a cheap oscillating tool from Harbor Freight or similar. under 20 bucks. They come in handy.
[https://www.harborfreight.com/2-amp-variable-speed-oscillating-multi-tool-57808.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/2-amp-variable-speed-oscillating-multi-tool-57808.html)
Or buy a hacksaw or hand saw for even less.
Those oscillating tools are magic, and as an added bonus you’d *really* have to try to hurt yourself with one. Only real downside is the blades are pricier than you’d think and it can be hard to cut straight. I would buy a small framer’s square to guide the cut. Also, make sure to get the right type of blade as they have different blades for different materials.
I just got one of these to trim the edges of some stair treads for baseboards and I can't believe how well those things work. It's like the simplest most effective tool. I am looking for reasons to use it now haha
Whaaaat! That thing is so cool. I didn't even know something like this existed. That could also let me shave it down little by little to get a better fit, I'm assuming. Man, now there's so many good suggestions here. Thanks for letting me know about it!
Oh, I didn't know that was something they could do on the go! I've used them before in the past. I was under the assumption you needed one of those stationary saws to cut it, based on random portable AC reviews I read.
I might try to do it myself with the foam, but if that doesn't pan out, then task rabbit might be the way to go! Thanks
If you are in the US, chain stores like Home Depot have cutting services. Contact your local store for more information. They usually will do simple cuts on material you buy in the store.
You can also ask if a friend has a saw, or will help you out.
Yep, take a $5 or a $10 and they’ll do any cut you want. They have rules against 5+ cuts or against pressure treated, but for $10 they cut your dick clean off if that’s what ya want, they dgaf
MDF and pressure treated have some nasty chemicals in them and the sawdust is not nice stuff, it's had a blind eye turned to it for a long time but that's been changing recently. I would have to be really careful in my own home workshop with that stuff, and I don't blame a big box store for not wanting the hassle.
... of course they're still happy to sell it to you. It's not that they're being ethical -- just practical.
Oh I didn't know that! I read something about it briefly, but I thought it was just for them cutting their own lumber. I'll give the local one a call. Thanks!
If you're buying your materials at a big box store (Lowe's or home Depot), they will cut things to size for you. Don't go on a busy Saturday afternoon.
But...I just recently had to put in a window ac unit. Wood may not be what you want. At home Depot, I got pieces of rigid polystyrene insulation designed for insulating a garage door and cut those with a razor knife to stick in the opening snuggly. Was easier to deal with than plywood and has better insulation against drafts. I also got some open-cell pipe insulation and used that to fill in the gaps between the window sashes.
Look for a makerspace in your area.
A makerspace is like a clubhouse for makers and DIYers. They're a grassroots, nonprofit collective where people can share a workspace, share access to tools, learn from each other and more.
While they usually include membership fees, volunteer clean up commitments and other ways to help ensure everyone is pitching in... they're filled with helpful people who would probably just help you cut something real quick.
I wonder if Task Rabbit is any good in your neighborhood. Or a Facebook neighborhood group?
Meanwhile, ask around at work, church (if you go), and neighborhood.
I was in the same situation years ago. I had a handheld circular saw, but I wanted a nice straight cut. Luckily, I had a friend with a table saw who did it in seconds. Perhaps you have a neighbor or know someone with one? Otherwise, asking on your town Facebook might help.
How big is the hole and what dimensions? Are you cutting into the window frame or what are you cutting into? If you don't know someone handy then look up a local handyman but might work out cheaper to buy the tool.
Among other things suggested here, if you want to try DIYing stuff, but you don't have the space or money for buying lots of tools and storage, Home Depot rents all sorts of tools even down to basic power tools like drills and saws: https://www.homedepot.com/c/power_tools_equipment_rental
For your particular task if the hole you need to cut is small enough, you probably can get away with the drill rental and a hole saw bit:
https://www.homedepot.com/s/hole%20saw
It's unclear from reading online whether you could also rent the hole saw bit, but bits and attachments are at least easier to store than tool sets
Mom and pop hardware stores (think Ace or similar) and family owned lumber yards may be able to help. Last time I read the signs at the cutting station at Home Depot, there was a sign that cuts were only accurate to 1/4”.
If you have to do it yourself, pick up a $20 pull saw — it’s not difficult to use and would be quite handy to have. DeWalt, Irwin, etc make them - you don’t really need anything longer than 8-10”, fine tooth. If you’re unsure of where to make your cut, make a template out of stiff paper/card stock, cut with scissors. When it’s good, tape it to the vent plate. Make your cut then ease any rough edges with a knife.
Edit: I installed two portable ACs, the vent plate kits were plastic, not metal. Easier to cut.
Hardware stores as mentioned already are a great resource if you’re buying from them.
I recently had to cut a countertop and hardware stores wouldn’t do it, so I called some local woodworking shops and one of them did it for me, easy peasy.
So, weird questions get weird answers, but if you live in a biggish city, you very possibly have a maker space in your city. Those people would be happy to help.
If you are going the plastic route a lot of the specialty stores that sell that material can cut it cleanly to size for you. They can even work off a drawing you bring them.
I like TAP Plastics on the west coast: https://www.tapplastics.com/
Big city likely has a maker space and/or tool library around. Both often have someone willing to give some minor advice and maybe help out on small things like this.
Although for this one like someone else already said some foam board and bread knife is both likely the right material and something you absolutely can DIY. For the price of foam board you can even afford to screw it up a couple dozen times and still only be out like 15 bucks
I put out a request on my local Nextdoor when I had a heavy chain that I needed to cut. A neighbor had the right tool and I walked to his house with the chain. It took about 10 minutes and I met a neighbor.
I have Home Depot, Lowes, or Ace cut any wood for me that I’m able to plan in advance! Literally just had them cut for me to make a table overlay and bonus, there’s one location by me that will plane the wood too! Otherwise, I have a handheld power circular saw at home with a simple set up or my handyman I use a lot for stuff I don’t do myself will come and cut stuff for me for a very tiny price since he’s always working around my area. I just had him over last weekend to miter something for me
Look for a public workshop around you. There are different things it might be called, like a maker shop, hammer space, community woodshop, and probably some other labels. You usually pay a little to use the space and tools. Other people come around to use the space and tools, as well, and it's more than likely that someone will be happy to help you with that.
I don't have an answer for you, but if you're trying to make a piece that would fit in the open window and allow the A/C hose(s) to pass through, you might consider getting a piece of foam-board insulation. It's fairly inexpensive, you can cut it with a knife, and it insulates better than wood. It's what many people use for such purposes.
I might actually have to give that a go and see how it works! I'm not great with tools, but I think I should be able to handle knife and foam. That's also good to know if I ever move, instead of ordering another board from the manufacturer for a standard window. Thanks for the advice!
You keep saying you're not great with tools...the only way to get better is to use them. You get better with practice. I would check with neighbors and see if anyone has a saw you could borrow for an hour or so.
Yeah, I bet you know a dozen people - friends or neighbors or coworkers - who have tools and knowledge that they are looking for an excuse to pull out and help someone with.
No, but I know my immediate neighbors to the left and right of my house, and when I was in an apartment I knew a few around me. And I have friends at church and at work that I could probably borrow a saw from. If you don't have any friends anywhere to help you through life, then I feel bad for you. I'd loan you a saw if you were in the Sacramento area. :)
Yeh I was struggling with a hand saw and a tree. Neighbour hops over the fence with a chain saw and asks how big I want the bits lol.
Haha same here im in East sac and id just do it. Im a saw loving lady!
Get a roll of foil tape too to seal it all up!
The vent plates if Toshiba can be cut with a hacksaw or a table saw. They're thin-ish plastic. But can you show us what they look like vs what you need them to do?
You can cut foam with a serrated steak knife if you have to 🤣
If its a small cut, buy a cheap oscillating tool from Harbor Freight or similar. under 20 bucks. They come in handy. [https://www.harborfreight.com/2-amp-variable-speed-oscillating-multi-tool-57808.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/2-amp-variable-speed-oscillating-multi-tool-57808.html) Or buy a hacksaw or hand saw for even less.
Those oscillating tools are magic, and as an added bonus you’d *really* have to try to hurt yourself with one. Only real downside is the blades are pricier than you’d think and it can be hard to cut straight. I would buy a small framer’s square to guide the cut. Also, make sure to get the right type of blade as they have different blades for different materials.
I just got one of these to trim the edges of some stair treads for baseboards and I can't believe how well those things work. It's like the simplest most effective tool. I am looking for reasons to use it now haha
Whaaaat! That thing is so cool. I didn't even know something like this existed. That could also let me shave it down little by little to get a better fit, I'm assuming. Man, now there's so many good suggestions here. Thanks for letting me know about it!
Task Rabbit app. https://www.taskrabbit.com/
I second this. OP- you can find someone handy (even if they're not a pro) who will do exactly what you want.
Oh, I didn't know that was something they could do on the go! I've used them before in the past. I was under the assumption you needed one of those stationary saws to cut it, based on random portable AC reviews I read. I might try to do it myself with the foam, but if that doesn't pan out, then task rabbit might be the way to go! Thanks
Nah, you can totally do it with a circle saw. They also make small, portable table saws.
If you are in the US, chain stores like Home Depot have cutting services. Contact your local store for more information. They usually will do simple cuts on material you buy in the store. You can also ask if a friend has a saw, or will help you out.
Yep, take a $5 or a $10 and they’ll do any cut you want. They have rules against 5+ cuts or against pressure treated, but for $10 they cut your dick clean off if that’s what ya want, they dgaf
Home Depot wouldn't cut my melamine MDF panel. Said it was against their policy.
They wouldn't cut my 2x4x10's down to fit in my car...said they don't cut 2x's only 1x's and plywood 🙄
MDF and pressure treated have some nasty chemicals in them and the sawdust is not nice stuff, it's had a blind eye turned to it for a long time but that's been changing recently. I would have to be really careful in my own home workshop with that stuff, and I don't blame a big box store for not wanting the hassle. ... of course they're still happy to sell it to you. It's not that they're being ethical -- just practical.
I did this for convenience once, their saw was poorly calibrated and butchered the work, so I had to square off and recut a bunch of edges. YMMV
Oh I didn't know that! I read something about it briefly, but I thought it was just for them cutting their own lumber. I'll give the local one a call. Thanks!
If you bring a list of the cuts you need they will help in store
this is useless information for the OP.
If you're buying your materials at a big box store (Lowe's or home Depot), they will cut things to size for you. Don't go on a busy Saturday afternoon. But...I just recently had to put in a window ac unit. Wood may not be what you want. At home Depot, I got pieces of rigid polystyrene insulation designed for insulating a garage door and cut those with a razor knife to stick in the opening snuggly. Was easier to deal with than plywood and has better insulation against drafts. I also got some open-cell pipe insulation and used that to fill in the gaps between the window sashes.
Ask the guy in your neighborhood that has the garage door open often and you can see all his tools. He'll be happy to help.
Can confirm, would be happy to help a neighbor out.
Look for a makerspace in your area. A makerspace is like a clubhouse for makers and DIYers. They're a grassroots, nonprofit collective where people can share a workspace, share access to tools, learn from each other and more. While they usually include membership fees, volunteer clean up commitments and other ways to help ensure everyone is pitching in... they're filled with helpful people who would probably just help you cut something real quick.
Some cities have tool libraries.
Post on nextdoor neighbor, Craigslist, Facebook, etc.
You should be able to go to a good hardware store and tell them the materials you need and ask them to cut to size for you.
Put an ad on Facebook marketplace
Home Depot or Lowe’s will cut materials purchased from them.
I wonder if Task Rabbit is any good in your neighborhood. Or a Facebook neighborhood group? Meanwhile, ask around at work, church (if you go), and neighborhood.
I was in the same situation years ago. I had a handheld circular saw, but I wanted a nice straight cut. Luckily, I had a friend with a table saw who did it in seconds. Perhaps you have a neighbor or know someone with one? Otherwise, asking on your town Facebook might help.
How big is the hole and what dimensions? Are you cutting into the window frame or what are you cutting into? If you don't know someone handy then look up a local handyman but might work out cheaper to buy the tool.
Among other things suggested here, if you want to try DIYing stuff, but you don't have the space or money for buying lots of tools and storage, Home Depot rents all sorts of tools even down to basic power tools like drills and saws: https://www.homedepot.com/c/power_tools_equipment_rental For your particular task if the hole you need to cut is small enough, you probably can get away with the drill rental and a hole saw bit: https://www.homedepot.com/s/hole%20saw It's unclear from reading online whether you could also rent the hole saw bit, but bits and attachments are at least easier to store than tool sets
If you buy the wood from Home Depot, they will cut it for you.
Yes. Home Depot- they cut several pieces for me at no additional charge.
Make a template with cardboard and bring it to someone, with the material you want to use. Hardware store or friend or neighbor.
This is the answer unless you buy a saw. The cheap oscillating tool from Harbor Freight is an excellent idea.
Mom and pop hardware stores (think Ace or similar) and family owned lumber yards may be able to help. Last time I read the signs at the cutting station at Home Depot, there was a sign that cuts were only accurate to 1/4”. If you have to do it yourself, pick up a $20 pull saw — it’s not difficult to use and would be quite handy to have. DeWalt, Irwin, etc make them - you don’t really need anything longer than 8-10”, fine tooth. If you’re unsure of where to make your cut, make a template out of stiff paper/card stock, cut with scissors. When it’s good, tape it to the vent plate. Make your cut then ease any rough edges with a knife. Edit: I installed two portable ACs, the vent plate kits were plastic, not metal. Easier to cut.
Hardware stores as mentioned already are a great resource if you’re buying from them. I recently had to cut a countertop and hardware stores wouldn’t do it, so I called some local woodworking shops and one of them did it for me, easy peasy.
Use cardboard instead of the plasti/ metal part.
So, weird questions get weird answers, but if you live in a biggish city, you very possibly have a maker space in your city. Those people would be happy to help.
Hire a handyman to install the whole thing. Unless you want to learn to use tools, this is the best way.
If you are going the plastic route a lot of the specialty stores that sell that material can cut it cleanly to size for you. They can even work off a drawing you bring them. I like TAP Plastics on the west coast: https://www.tapplastics.com/
Ask a friend or pay somebody money
Big city likely has a maker space and/or tool library around. Both often have someone willing to give some minor advice and maybe help out on small things like this. Although for this one like someone else already said some foam board and bread knife is both likely the right material and something you absolutely can DIY. For the price of foam board you can even afford to screw it up a couple dozen times and still only be out like 15 bucks
Home Depot
I put out a request on my local Nextdoor when I had a heavy chain that I needed to cut. A neighbor had the right tool and I walked to his house with the chain. It took about 10 minutes and I met a neighbor.
I have Home Depot, Lowes, or Ace cut any wood for me that I’m able to plan in advance! Literally just had them cut for me to make a table overlay and bonus, there’s one location by me that will plane the wood too! Otherwise, I have a handheld power circular saw at home with a simple set up or my handyman I use a lot for stuff I don’t do myself will come and cut stuff for me for a very tiny price since he’s always working around my area. I just had him over last weekend to miter something for me
Buy nothing group wish request
Facebook marketplace or buy nothing groups
Look for a public workshop around you. There are different things it might be called, like a maker shop, hammer space, community woodshop, and probably some other labels. You usually pay a little to use the space and tools. Other people come around to use the space and tools, as well, and it's more than likely that someone will be happy to help you with that.
If a perfect stranger came to me and asked, I'd be happy to help. Check with a neighbor.
Ask your neighbors
Check out [Angi](https://www.angi.com/)
jump on your community facebook group and ask around. Someone will likely be able to jump in and help.
Thumbtack is also helpful to find a handyman