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
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