Blades
Using
Safety
Accessories

Circular Saws

A good circular saw is a "must have" tool, it will be used for home improvement or renovations and it is the easiest way to cut a sheet of plywood down to sizes manageable on a table saw or bandsaw for your projects. There are many different styles and models on the market,select a style that feels comfortable, I find some very heavy, others have an awkward positioned handle. Purchasing a higher quality model is a good investment, this is a tool that you will use for a lifetime so you might as well get a good one. Don't go cheap on the blade it is not worth having tearout on an eighty dollar sheet of plywood an inch wide on each side of the cut just to save a few dollars.

 

Types of Saws

Worm Drive

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This style offers better control and accuracy, used by professionals.

Direct Drive

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This is the most common style, available in right and left hand models, used by both contractors and the home handyman.

Cordless

makita cordless

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With better battery life this type of saw is becoming very popular, extremely handy in remote locations where power is not available.

Festool Plunge Cut

FESTOOL Circular Saws at Woodcraft.com
For more Info click on image.

Bring the accuracy of a panel saw to any site with a Festool saw and guide rail system. This combination provides straight, splinter-free cuts on both sides of the blade right out of the box. Unlike conventional pendulum-cover circular saws, Festool’s design allows the saw blade to retract into the housing giving you the option to start and end the cut accurately anywhere on the material. All of this innovation means a quicker, safer and more cost-effective precision tool. The dust extraction port ensures less dust and a clear view of the workpiece.

Saw Blades

40 Tooth

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The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut.

16 Tooth

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This blade is used for fast cutting of construction grade material.

Vinyl & Panelling

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Cutting thin material requires a fine tooth blade

Using a Circular Saw

Always treat these saws with respect, make sure that you have a firm hold on the saw and the material being cut. Position the saw on the edge of the material aligned with the cut mark, start the saw and push it straight into the material. Be aware of where the cord is, it is easy to saw through it. Make sure that you will not be sawing into your sawhorse or bench. Use a sawhorse with a wide top to hold material being cut. Use a cutting box or a cut-off square such as shown below to make accurate cross cuts.

Cut-off Square

cutoff square

 

 

 

 

 

This triangle shaped guide allows it to be held to the board with your left hand with room for the saw motor to pass. Make the sides of the triangle about 9" long out of 1/4" thick plywood, the front guide ois a 1" X 3/4" strip about 14" long. Fasten the triangle to the strip with wood screws with the perpendicular edge of the triangle at right angles to the top of the strip. Your first cut should cut through the strip and the end of it is now used as a guide to position the jig.

Cutting Large sheets

Use a Sheet Rack to support the sheet, cut along a straight edge, either make one or purchase a factory made one. Cut on the back side of the sheet with a quality blade for a smoother edge.

All-In-One Low-Profile Contractor Clamps, New & Improved!
New and Improved! Now with lower profile and wider jaw for more stability! Wide lever handles and a click-lock sliding jaw make it simple to position and secure these clamps for use as a straight edge guide for circular saws and routers and as a fence for your table saw or drill press. A very low 9/16" profile body and flat top allow many applications without obstructing tools. Easy-to-read full color measuring scales enable outstanding accuracy anywhere along the clamp. Onboard T-Tracks fit select clamp accessories, sold separately. Rigid, lightweight construction makes these clamps a joy to operate. Each clamp is 2-17/32" wide. Contractor Saw Plate and Contractor Router Plate, Stop Block and Squaring Attachment sold separately.

All-In-One Low-Profile Contractor Clamps, New & Improved!

All-In-One Low-Profile Contractor Clamps, New & Improved!
 

Shop Built Panel Saw
Cut large stock accurately and save hundreds compared to other systems when you build your own pro-quality saw with our plan and hardware kit.Now available, Downloadable PDF Panel Saw Plan

Shop Built Panel Saw

Shop Built Panel Saw

Accessories

 

 

 

 

Portable Panel Saw

This portable panel-saw system allows you to use your hand circular saw to cut sheet goods more accurately than you could with a panel saw. The unique design of this system duplicates any panel-saw cut. It cuts sheet goods of any length or width and at an angle with cabinet-making accuracy, and it sets up quickly and easily. The system comes with a tracking fixture that attaches to the saw plus a special fence designed to work with the fixture. The fixture mounts to the fence so that your saw tracks exactly true to the fence when cutting. The set contains a 108-inch rip fence, 64-inch crosscut fence, and ball bearing tracking fixture.

PPS-2 Portable Panel Saw

Check For Recalls

1. Wear eye protection when using the saw.

2. Have firm control of the saw and material being cut.

3. Make sure the blade is sharp and suitable for the job at hand.

4. Make sure blade guard is working, never tie it up out of the way.

5. Check used material for nails or other foreign objects before cutting.

6. Unplug saw before making adjustments or changing blade.

7. Do not over-reach, always have firm footing.

8. Allow saw to reach full RPM before starting cut.

 

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