How to Use a Circular Saw - Useful Tips and Cuts

Cutting your wood to the length or shape you need is an important component of any woodworking project. A circular saw is a must-have for most woodworkers. It performs a range of cutting jobs that are time-consuming or near impossible with a hand saw. After finding a circular saw that is comfortable and easy to adjust, choose the blades to match the cuts you intend to make.

Circular Saw Blades

The right blade will ensure you get a neat and accurate cut. Blades with fewer teeth will cut faster but a blade with more teeth will give you a finer finish.

Rip-cut blades are used for cutting with the wood grain. They have an aggressive hook angle and flat tooth for a smooth finish and the longest life between sharpening.

Crosscut blades are used for cutting across the face of the board and have more teeth than rip-cut blades. Look for a blade that has a hardened steel plate body, laser cut and pre-tensioned for reduced vibration. An oversized carbide tip thickness can cut down vibration and extends the life of the blade.

Combination blades can do both rip cuts and crosscuts with groups of teeth which has one tooth for ripping and four teeth for crosscutting.

Plywood blades have many fine teeth for minimal splintering. Framing blades have fewer teeth than plywood blades, so they are faster and better suited to rough carpentry work.

For dados you want a blade that will make clean crosscuts and perfect flat bottoms. These blades are suitable for hardwood, softwood, laminates and veneer plywood.

Circular Saw Cuts

Choose the best circular saw blade for the job and the variety of cuts you can make with your circular saw is almost limitless.

Ripping

To cut, secure your wood on a platform of sawhorses, so it doesn’t sag, align the saw blade with your cutting line then cut slowly while guiding the saw with both hands. To keep the blade from binding, insert kerf splinters.

Crosscutting

To make a crosscut use four-by-two timber on the workshop floor to support the panel you are going to cut. Kneeling on one knee cut steadily while balancing and keep as much weight on the support wood rather than the panel.

Thick Wood

If the wood is thicker than the maximum blade depth, mark a cutting line on one face then use a tri square to repeat on the other three faces. Clamp the wood and then set the cutting depth at slightly more than half the thickness of the stock, make the cut then flip over the wood and re-clamp before cutting.

Angles

First clamp the wood to sawhorses then set a protractor or mitre guide to the angle you want to cut. Place the protractor on the wood and hold its guiding edge against the saw’s baseplate and the fence against the edge of the wood. Hold the saw firmly while cutting.

Bevel

Set the blade to the desired angle by loosening the bevel adjustment knob. Clamp the wood to sawhorses, align the blade with the cutting mark then butt an edge guide flush against the saw’s baseplate and clamp the guide to the board. Cut as you would a standard cross-cut.

Taper

Place your wood on a work surface so that it extends well over the edge. Make sure you can start your cut at the end of the wood then line up the blade with the cutting mark before clamping an edge guide on top of the wood. Make the cut the same as a standard rip cut. Hold the saw firmly particularly when the saw reaches the end of the cut.

Dadoes

Mark the width of the dado on the face of the stock then clamp to a work surface. Mark a depth line on the edge of the wood as a reference point and set the cutting depth of the blade to match. Align the blade with a width mark and clamp an edge guide in place. Repeat for the other side of the dado then grip the saw before riding the baseplate along one guide to cut an edge of the dado. Saw some kerfs between the two cuts before using a chisel to remove the waste.

Plunge Cut

Clamp the wood to sawhorses and align the blade with a cutting line. Clamp an edge guide to the wood against the baseplate of the saw. Set the guide longer than the cutting mark and high enough to guide the saw when tilted up. Retract the lower blade guard with one hand, grip the handle with the other hand then rest the baseplate on the wood and pivot the saw forward to raise the blade well clear of the wood. Turn on the saw and slowly lower the blade into the wood keeping the baseplate flush against the edge guide. At the end of the cutting line, turn off the saw, let the blade stop then pivot the tool forward to lift it out of the kerf. Square the corners with a hand saw.

This Youtube video shows you the basics of making a plunge cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rz0OgrP3Zk

Woodworking Clamps are Better than a Second Set of Hands

A wood workshop isn’t complete without a set of clamps. As a second set of hands, they come in very handy. You can use them to hold pieces of wood together while the glue is drying, keeping parts together so you can mark up and secure your project while you work on it. One set of clamps is never enough. You can choose the most versatile clamps but there will no doubt be times when you need a different set.

C-Clamp

C-clamps have been around for years and are often used for metalwork projects. They are ideal for holding pieces for glueing and securing your project or jigs to the bench or fence. Most C-clamps range from 3 inch to 10 inch so if your clamping job is bigger than a 10-inch reach, try using pipe or bar clamps.

Pipe Clamp

Pipe clamps are flexible in that you can decide how long you need them to be. The tailpiece slides and locks along the pipe to change the width while the headpiece has a screw that drives the clamping face. The pipe clamp is ideal for edge gluing pieces of wood together and other assembly jobs.

Bar Clamp

Similar to pipe clamps, the bar clamp has a built-in screw to apply pressure. The moving head adjusts capacity and the bar has a serrated edge into which the moveable head locks when pressure is applied. The head is square to the bar so your project should come out right after gluing. The bar clamp can also be used for holding the project on the bench or a jig and holding parts together while making layout lines and for assembly. A good quality bar clamp has a heavy, rigid bar with a hefty clamping head that fit squarely and holds tight.

Parallel Clamp

If you have a project that needs to be pulled in square without the need to check then the parallel clamp may be the one. The jaws stay parallel and at 90 degrees so they are easy to handle. A parallel clamp can deliver a huge clamping force and are ideal for large projects.

Face Frame Clamp

A face frame clamp distributes the clamping force evenly, so there is no marring of the wood. It is a versatile clamp that can be used for pocket hole joinery, project construction and general clamping. Right angle face frame clamps are used for projects with a 90-degree joint while micro face frame clamps are used for projects that require flush Kreg joints.

Corner Clamp

If you need a square corner from gluing two pieces of wood together, then a corner or spring mitre clamp is your answer. Choose the appropriate size spring clamp then use the spreader to open and position the clamp. While not as versatile as some of the other clamps, these clamps ensure you achieve an accurate result for a job that could be quite tricky without them.

One Hand Clamp

The one hand or speed clamp is easy to use because it can be operated with just one hand. Simply squeeze the handle to close the jaws a little more. Good clamping pressure is achieved and with a protective pad, the clamp won’t mar your wood. The speed clamp may be used to keep a project in place while you attach a heavier clamp such as a pipe or bar clamp.