Whether you want to make straight cuts with a circular saw by guiding it against a rafter square or straightedge or just follow a line freehand, even the best circular saw needs adjustment for accurate cutting. To fix a saw with an out of alignment shoe, check the manual or the brand’s technical service department for advice. If bolts connect the body of the saw to the shoe, you may have to loosen all of them and re-tighten them with the saw twisted in the desired direction.
In the fourth Circular Saw 101 video, This Old House contributor Mark Clement demonstrates how to properly operate the shoe of the circular saw. Some saws contain notches on the shoe that can help you align the saw with the correct cutline for cutting at 90 degrees or at unique angles.
It is much easier to move the saw across the board than to manhandle the sheets through a contractor saw. Here is a trick… set up 4 sawhorses in a row, lay a sheet of plywood on them, lay a sheet to 1″ styrofoam on that, lay the sheet of plywood to cut on the styrofoam, clamp on the plywood fence jig, set the saw blade to cut through the plywood and about 1/8″-1/4″ into the styrofoam, make the cut. There will be no tear out and the plywood will not fall to the floor.
how to zero a circular saw Related Question:
How close does a toe kick saw cut?
The saw will cut flush up the walls or baseboard on a 90 degree angle. Maximum clearance of this tool under toe kicks is 3 1/2 inches combined with a maximum cut depth of 3/4 inch.
What is a zero clearance jig?
A zero clearance insert (ZCI) is a one of the most beneficial accessories you can use with a table saw. It’s a replacement for the throat plate that comes with your table saw. The purpose of a zero clearance insert is to bring the distance between the saw blade and the nearest supporting surface down to zero.
Which side should the blade be on a circular saw?
For blade-right models, the correct circular saw blade direction is usually with the label side out. For saws that have the blade on the left, it typically installs with the “ugly” side out.
Why do circular saws cut upwards?
The teeth of circular saw blades are intended to cut upwards into the material from below and this is for safety purposes. It is important that you should not spin them in a different direction just like you spin a table saw blade.
Can a circular saw cut metal?
Cut Metal with Your Circular Saw It may not be an obvious choice, but fitted with the right blade, a circular saw is a great metal-cutting tool. In our test, it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. You can cut mild steel up to about 3/8 in. thick using a ferrous-metal-cutting blade.
What do you do with old saw blades?
The best thing to do would be to recycle them at a scrapyard near you. Donate them to a school that has wood shops, art departments, or theater programs. Make interesting pieces of jewelry such as earrings out of circular saw blades. You can use a jigsaw to cut and shape them the way you want.
How do you remove burn blade marks from wood?
“If burns do show up, you can remove them with a hand plane or a sharp scraper in addition to sandpaper on a sanding block.” Answer from Lee Grindinger: “Sure there is, a scraper or plane will make quick work of the burn marks.
Can you cut tile with a toe kick saw?
It is a 2 5/8″ diameter continuous rim dry cutting diamond blade for cutting ceramic tile, brick, concrete, stone, or for removing grout. It cuts to a fixed depth of 3/8″ using the saw.
What material is zero clearance insert?
Just about any hard, flat and machinable material can be used to make a zero clearance table saw insert. I’ve used plywood, mdf, hardwood, plastics and laminate flooring to name a few. Making the inserts out of cut-offs and scraps makes them practically free.
What material is used for zero clearance insert?
Tempered hardboard is more dense and much stiffer than regular hardboard, so it makes better core material for the inserts. You’ll also need carpenter’s wood glue, a box of 1/2″ 6-32 flat-head (Phillips) machine screws and a couple of 8″ x 16″ concrete blocks.
Can you adjust the cutting depth of a circular saw?
A circular saw has a depth adjustment lever or knob that releases or loosens to allow for adjustment of the saw’s bottom plate, often called the “shoe.” First unplug your saw, then disengage this lever so that you can freely adjust the cutting depth by raising or lowering the bottom plate.
How far down do you set the circular saw cut depth?
Don’t clamp both sides of a cut. For efficiency and safety, set the blade depth no more than 1/4-inch below the thickness of the board.
How shallow can a circular saw cut?
Circular saws turn corners about as well as a freight train, and standard models will cut only about 2 1/2 inches deep. There are ways around the shallow cut—for example, you can flip over a 4×4 and cut from two sides—but the curve limitation has no work-arounds.
Why is my skill saw not cutting straight?
What Causes a Circular Saw to Not Cut Straight. A faulty circular saw is likely to have issues such as an unstable blade or a warped blade edge. The problem could also be the way you operate the saw. If you do not operate the circular saw properly, it will not cut straight.
Why are my miter cuts not straight?
The primary reason why a miter saw might not cut straight is an inability to clamp the material down. The machine is designed to pull the material towards the blade during each cut, and if there’s a malfunction in this process, it might result in inaccurate cuts.
