How to use a circular saw?

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How hard is it to use a circular saw? I am a pretty handy woman and can fix some things (or I start and my husband rescues me!), so I am not all thumbs. Are there tips to using one or things I should know? Am I asking for trouble?

My husband does not have time right now to show me and I need to continue with my chicken tractor/bales project. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 28, 2001

Answers

Not too difficult, just be careful! Wear eye protection, and watch your fingers. Make sure the blade has stopped running before setting the saw down near your feet, or fingers. I am not very skilled with a skilsaw, so whenever I have to make any long cuts, like ripping plywood or 2x4's I take a long (8') aluminum straightedge and clamp it to the wood I am going to cut. This helps to ensure accurate cuts. At least as long as I have measured carefully. Remember- measure twice, cut once! Good luck with your project.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), June 28, 2001.

Make sure the blade is sharp. A dull blade is more likely to bind, which is potentially dangerous to the novice.

If you don't have someone to hold your work while you cut, clamp it as Elizabeth suggested.

Try to avoid sawing through knots, you can get a nasy kickback. At least until you've used the saw for awhile.

Whatever you are resting your piece on, make sure you don't run the saw blade into it.

KEEP THE CORD OUT OF THE WAY! If its plugged into an extension cord make a knot in it to reduce stress on the plug, I can't tell you how to do this. It's one of those things I know how to do but can't describe. Hopefully someone else can tell you how to do this? Anyone out there able to describe this?

Try to make your cuts quick and straight but don't push the saw, it will normally almost pull itself. If you're exerting force there's something wrong and you're either going to bind or kickback.

Mark your cuts well and clearly and do NOT try to use the saw without eye protection.

Wear work boots, not sandals or tennis shoes. Even if the blade is stopped, a saw is heavy and toes are tender. Protects from flying splinters and shards too.

And like Elizabeth said, measure twice, cut once.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), June 28, 2001.


Thankyou guys I feel more prepared!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 28, 2001.

A few other things not yet mentioned: 1. have the saw running before entering the wood 2. set the blade so that the teeth extend only about 1/4 inch deeper than the thickness of the wood; if the blade is too deep the sides will touch and quickly respond to friction causing the blade to warp and become uncontrollable.3. Make sure the blade is on correctly, I have seen them in the stores where some unknowing clerk has put them on backwards. The teeth, under the saw where the cutting is done must point forward, away from the handle. The only time the teeth would point to the rear is when a worn out blade is used to "beat" through sheet metal. 4. The teeth may have a good square edge and still work badly due to the "set" of the teeth. Each tooth in the blade tilts out a bit alternately so that the kerf (distance of width of the cut)is slightly wider than the blades thickness, this is necessary for clean, unabstructed cutting. 5. Watch the blade, not the front guide until you get comfortable with the saw. 6. remember that the side of the pencil line that you cut next to affects length of the wood due to the kerf,s distance. try to arrange your cuts where you have full sight of the line. 7. fine teeth make a smoother cut, coarse teeth make a rougher cut, a"combination crosscut/rip" blade will take care of most household uses 8. Circular saws have two adjustments on them; the blade depth (as above) and the angle tilt located in the front O to 45 degrees, normally the tilt is set at O 9. kids, pets, booze equals "stubs" 10. UNPLUG it to make any adjustments.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 28, 2001.

The only thing I might add to all of this excellent advice it to wear ear protection, too. The noise generated by a circular say can approach 130 Db or more. This is especially true if you're working in a shop or barn instead of outside. Hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), June 28, 2001.


Also tie up long hair, no jewelery, shirt sleeves, stay away from water, read the manual if you have one, ect. Be safe.

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), June 28, 2001.

To avoid heart-stopping kickback, NEVER support the "off-cut" side of the material - rather, let it hang, and then drop, off. If what you're cutting off seems like it will tear up the good part of the piece if it dangles too much, have a helper hold it up JUST BARELY enough th keep it from pulling on the good piece, but not so much that it won't fall of it's own accord when it's cut. Supporting the cut-off binds the blade terribly, even on short, light pieces and can result in the whole saw flinging up at you faster than you can react. Never try to do the "soft support" thingy yourself, using your off hand to hold up the off-cut. Our Habitat for Humanity group had some "know-it-all" contractor do this once and he cut into all four of his fingers (which were under the off-cut, supporting it) as the saw whizzed right over the top of them. It's harder than you think to eyeball how far from the cut your fingers are nd where, exactly, the blade is. Definately watch the cord - not only can you cut right through it if you're not careful (irritating, but not really dangerous if you have GFIC outlets), but it can hang on the end of a long cut, pulling your saw back, which will entice you (not seeing that the cord is hung) to push on the saw to get it to go. If the cord frees itself, you can lurch the saw all manner of unwanted directions. It can also be "fun" to accidentally wrap the cord around a foot or ladder, or other hazard.

One more tip and then I gotta get back to the rest of the forum - if you are operating a saw and there are other people around (or expected to be around), work out in advance how they can get your attention (safely) when you're sawing. Nothing is quite as suprising to a busy (and deafened) sawyer as an unexpected tap on the shoulder. This should be common sence for grown-ups, but for the idiots and children, make sure that they know to approach you from the front, and only wave for your attention if it's REALLY important. If it's an emergency, the best bet is to have them simply umplug you - startling, yes, but safe.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), June 28, 2001.


Also.......

Try not to inhale your sawdust (I wear a bandana or I "don't inhale", and be extremely cautious with P/Treated lumber.

Sawhorses help alot.

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), June 28, 2001.


Lots of good answers. Soni has good points on kick back. If your saw blade is binding you are doing something wrong. Also saw debth is important the less the better. Let the saw do the work do not force it. Have fun ).

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), June 29, 2001.

NEVER NEVER NEVER never stand directly behind the saw. stand a bit to the side. if it kicks back you don't want it going into you

gene

oh, eye and ear protection too

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), June 29, 2001.



All wonderful advice! My only addition is relax. Use common sense and go slow. I never had anyone to teach me how to use my tools, so I learned by trial and error. I still am, as a matter of fact! We're all trainable, and we all tend to be our harshest critics. Go for it!!

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), June 29, 2001.

One final little piece of advise, train your self to set the saw down on the floor; it cannot fall which damages saws and feet. If your outside, put something flat on the ground so that the still spinning motor does not suck up sand into the saw.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 30, 2001.

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