How to Cut Straight With Circular Saw
Contrary to its identity name, a circular saw is not used to cut circles, but rather to cut straight lines. This has been confusing to many who mistake circular saw for something that can cut circles or irregular shapes.
Even when used for straight cuts, using a circular saw for this purpose has never been easy. Of course, for many, especially newbies, it is quite difficult and challenging to make a straight cut with a circular saw. Some experience is required to make such straight cuts.
However, if you’re struggling to make straight cuts with a circular saw, you’re in luck because you found the right content. Regardless of your experience of cutting straight with a circular saw, this article will highlight the steps and things to consider as you go about getting your project done.
But before that, what is this circular saw.
Read more: Best saw for cutting wood straight
Circular saw Understanding
Circular saws have a broad definition and come in many varieties. They can be classified according to the blade. But all Circular saws work with a metal disc blade with saw teeth. When the blade rotates, it creates a precise cut. These saws can either be hand-held or mounted.
They are very important lumberjack tools that both craftsmen and homeowners should have in their hardware tool collection. One reason this type of saw stands out is its versatility and general portability. In the section below, we will walk you through the steps to make straight cuts with a circular saw.
Step By Step Guide
First read the user manual
This first step is very important for those using the circular saw for the first time. Unless you are an experienced circular saw user, the guide will walk you through the process of preparing your machine for cutting purposes.
The instruction manual will teach you how to make straight crack cuts, repeat cuts, and most importantly, stay safe throughout the process.
Then follow by ensuring safety
Yes, your main goal is to get straight cuts with a circular saw. But you don’t want to risk your life or that of those around you. So, first of all, make sure that you and everything around you is safe. Choose the perfect place to work. Wear protective equipment such as safety glasses and gloves. Safety glasses protect your eyes from sawdust and debris when you make your cuts.
Secure the wood for cutting
The next step is to secure the wood that you plan to cut through. You can clamp your wood in place to make sure it doesn’t move during your cuts. It also provides peace of mind for you to only focus on the cuts, for perfect results.
While a lot of people out there tend to cut the wood without thinking about securing it, it’s not worth taking the risk involved. You don’t need to try this if you are inexperienced. Just make sure you’ve done it before, otherwise, you’ll be clamping your wood, especially if its weight makes it easy to move around while you are cutting. If the weight is lower, clamping is always recommended regardless of your previous experience. So clamp the wood tightly to avoid unnecessary shifts when you make your cuts for better results.
Turn on let the circular saw blade reach its maximum speed
Before doing anything else, you must ensure that your circular saw blade has reached its full speed. After pulling the trigger on the saw, wait sometime before bringing the saw blade into contact with the wood to be cut. This ensures that the full running speed has been reached. This simple hack is very critical as it ensures that the blade does not make a mess as it cuts through the edge of the wood. So always make sure to give your saw some time to run freely before sticking it to the wood.
Position the cutting blade
Do you know that the quality of the cuts depends on how you hold your saw? Yes, many people do not know how to hold a circular saw and position the saw blade correctly. The way you position the blade depends a lot on the type of circle you are using.
There are two types; right and left circular saws. A right circular saw is for right-handers while a left circular saw is for left-handers. So it is of the utmost importance to make sure that you are using the correct type of circular saw. Working with your right type will give you better visibility of the blade for perfect cuts. It also prevents your hands from getting crossing each other.
Set the depth of cut
Now that you’ve properly positioned the circular saw, it is time to determine the appropriate depth of cut. It’s the right depth of cut that will ensure your cut doesn’t go wrong.
In addition, if you set the correct depth of cut, you can safely use this circular saw as well. Adjusting the depth of the cut is not difficult. Just adjust the blade so it sticks straight out of the bottom of the wood you are working on. It is recommended to be about a quarter of an inch.
Then cut with the good side of the board down
You have positioned the blade and determined the perfect cutting depth. Now is the time to complete your mission. But there is one more trick: you need to cut the wood with the good side of the board down.
Typically, a circular saw works in such a way that the pointed side of the saw blade teeth rotates in an upward motion from below the saw into the wood. So splinters are inevitable when you cut across the grain of the wood. The splinters are not wanted here and you have avoided them as much as possible. The trick is to make sure that the good side of your board is facing down. This guarantees that the good side of your wood will not be messed up and that there will be few splinters on top. It will be very easy to hide those few splinters when assembling your work.
Conclusion
This makes it easy to make straight cuts with a circular saw. Just make sure you have guaranteed your safety and that of those around you. Then follow the simple steps above on how to cut straight with a circular saw.
