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Hey everybody! Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that I have relaunched the weekend woodworker course. This time, the doors are open permanently. I really want to thank the thousands of you who joined during the first two launches. All of your input really helped us to tweak, refine, and just improve the course, and I'm really proud of this completely polished final version. So, if you're looking for a system to learn woodworking from the ground up without a lot of space, a ton of money, or years of experience, the weekend woodworker is the solution for you. Head over to theweekendwoodworker.com to learn more and get started. Thanks.
A circular saw is one of the most useful handheld power tools to own, and I think every shop should have one. Plus, it's a great tool for woodworking projects if you don't have a table saw or if you just have a limited space, since it's a portable tool, you can build projects anywhere. In your driveway, your patio, or even on a balcony.
A circular saw is similar to a table saw, but instead of feeding lumber through the saw, you pass the saw through a stationary board. Unlike a table saw, though, it's safe to make freehand cuts with a circular saw. Though you'll get straighter cuts if you use a fence or a guide.
A circular saw has two handles to help you control the saw with both hands. The rear handle has the trigger that you'll hold throughout the cut. Some saws have a safety button that you need to press first to prevent accidental starts. Typically, the blade is to the right of the motor, like this one, but if you're a lefty, you can also buy left-handed saws. It will help you keep the blade to the left side of your body. But some right-handers actually prefer having the blade on the left side where it's easier to see. It's just a personal preference.
The base plate of the saw rests flat against the surface of the wood and keeps the blade running at a constant angle to the wood. Usually, of course, that's a 90-degree angle. These two saws have aluminum base plates, which are lighter weight and less expensive, but if you plan to use the saw for more than just occasionally, get better results with a steel base, like this one. The base tilts for making bevel cuts. This saw has a lever to set the angle you want, plus stops at 45 and 90 degrees, as well as some others. By releasing this lever, I can adjust the saw up or down to make deeper or shallower cuts.
All saws will have a blade guard. It retracts automatically when you start cutting. Sometimes you might need to manually retract it using this lever. You might occasionally need that for making plunge cuts. Sometimes I have to retract it just a little bit to get it started when cutting really thin material or for some beveled cuts. But for the most part, just let it do its job on its own.
The circular saws come in a variety of sizes for all kinds of purposes. The most common size is the seven and a quarter inch saw, meaning it uses seven and a quarter inch blades, and this is the size I recommend for woodworking and other DIY projects around the house. You can get battery-operated saws or corded ones, like these three. I've never owned the rechargeable kind, but I hear they work great if you don't have a lot of lumber to cut. It's probably a lot easier to use the cordless saw rather than messing around with an extension cord, but these corded saws are less expensive.
A new circular saw will most likely come equipped with a combination or all-purpose blade. This one has 24 teeth, and I use it for almost everything. Usually, it's all you'll need. If you're experiencing splintering or rough edges when cross-cutting or cutting plywood, a finer tooth crosscut or plywood blade, up to 140 teeth, might give you better results.
Every saw will have its own unique little system for changing blades, but they're all pretty similar. Just check with your owner's manual. Of course, unplug the saw first. This rigid saw has a hex key that stores in the handle, so you don't have to hunt down a wrench whenever you want to change the blade. The saw will have some sort of a button or lever to lock the spindle in place. Press it down and hold it in place while you loosen the nut or bolt. Remove the bolt and the flange or the washer, and drop the blade into place, making sure you have it facing the right way. There'll be arrows indicating the direction of the spin. The blade spins counterclockwise and cuts on the upstroke. Of course, another reminder is that it's usually safe to assume the blade manufacturers want their logo to show on the outside.
To get good cuts and to prevent injury, it's important that the wood you're cutting is held securely in place. A sawhorse or a pair of sawhorses is handy for this, especially when you're cutting boards or small pieces of plywood. Just clamp the workpiece in place. It's best not to clamp down the offcut piece because the two halves might collapse in on each other when you get to the end of the board. This can cause the saw to bind and even kickback. And while kickback on a circular saw isn't as dangerous as kickback on a table saw, it can be very jarring and can cause the saw to lunge toward your body. If your saw does bind or kickback, release the trigger and adjust the wood so that it's not pinching.
But the problem with not supporting the offcut piece is that its weight can cause the wood to break or splinter as you get toward the end. And trying to support the offcut with your opposite hand is awkward and probably not the best solution. Instead, I prefer to cut most pieces on the ground on top of a piece of Styrofoam building insulation. This method provides offcut support, giving you a cleaner cut and eliminates kickback. For larger pieces, you don't usually even need to clamp the wood down. Like a table saw, a circular saw really can only make straight cuts. I recommend also owning a jigsaw for making curved cuts. Be sure to check out my jigsaw basics video for a lot more.
First, set the depth of your cut by adjusting the blade along the edge of your board. Set it so that it's just barely deeper than the thickness of the wood and lock it down. There's usually a scale that indicates the ideal setting for whatever thickness of wood you're cutting.
The easiest method for making cuts is to freehand it. In other words, just draw a line where you want to make the cut and follow along the line. This is handy for rough construction projects and framing where the cuts aren't critical. Sometimes they use freehand cuts for breaking down plywood into smaller, more manageable size pieces that I can square up and clean up on my table saw.
To make a cut, set the front of the base plate flat against the wood surface. The base has two notches that tell you exactly where the blade will cut. One is for regular 90-degree cuts, and the other is for bevels. Make sure you're wearing eye protection and hearing protection, and it's not a bad idea to wear a dust mask. Squeeze the trigger and start feeding the saw into the wood. After the blade is spinning, position your body to the side, not directly behind the saw. Follow the line using that notch for reference. You can also look at the blade. From the side, the blade guard will automatically spring back to its closed position, allowing you to safely set the saw down while the blade is coming to a stop.
To get straighter and more accurate cuts, you'll need to set up a guide of some sort for your base plate to ride along. You can use anything for a straight edge, including the factory cut edge of a piece of plywood, or even clamp a level to your workpiece. There's also a lot of store-bought options, as well as some homemade jigs. I'll cover all of these in an upcoming video. For narrowish cuts, you can use a guide like this one that rides along the edge of the plywood. For getting accurate crosscuts on boards, such as two-by-fours, the simplest method is to use a speed square. Hook the cleat.
I hope you found this video helpful. A circular saw is a great tool to own, whether you have a complete woodworking shop or want to build cool projects without a shop. I used to make woodworking projects on the roof of my apartment by dangling an extension cord down into the kitchen window. The only saws I had were a jigsaw and a circular saw. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like and subscribe to Woodworking for Mere.