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Circular Saws
| A good circular saw is a "must have" tool, it will be used for home improvement and 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 to save twenty dollars. |
Worm Drive This style offers better control and accuracy
of cuts. Direct Drive This is the most common style, available in
right and left hand models from several manufactures. These are suitable for small jobs where power is not
readily available.



The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut, thin
kerf blades require less power and result in less waste of
material. This blade is used for construction grade material. The fine teeth on this blade make it suitable to cut thin
material.



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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. 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. |
Cut-off 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" plywood, the
front guide is a 3/4' x 3/4" strip about 14" long. Fasten
the triangle to the strip with wood screws, the first cut
with the circular saw will cut through the right end of the
strip and this is now used as a guide to position the
jig. |
You can attach or slide fixtures or templates along the
bar with the handy T-slots and key slots. One end also
features Tru-Grip's famous cam lever tightening, which
eliminates the need for C-clamps. Comes in 8' and 4'
lengths. Expensive but accurate. Simply drill mounting holes to afix your saw to the
plate. Measures 9 by14 inches. 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.



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.