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Choosing the right tool is essential to make your projects easier. It can avoid damaging the materials that you’re working on. If you use the right tool, it can also provide better results. That’s why there are specific tools for each purpose. It will make your tasks easier and faster.
When choosing the circular saw for your project, you need to make sure that it’s on the right side of the blades. It should be powerful enough to cut through everything. Whether cutting wet lumber or any other type of wood, it should have the right speed to make it perfect.
Choosing The Right Tool – Circular Saw
When you are choosing the right circular saw, make sure to check the ones that you can use for a long time. Finding a circular saw that’s right for you can make a huge difference. You don’t have to worry about uneven woodcuts, and it will also be safe for you to use.
Style of Saw
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Sidewinder
It’s a lighter version of a circular saw that can only be 11 pounds or less. It’s great for home projects since you don’t need to worry about the weight.
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Worm Drive
The worm drive’s blade is aligned with the motor. It’s a full-size circular saw that you could use for significant projects.
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Cordless
This type of circular saw has batteries, so no need to worry about the cords while you’re working.
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Trim Saw
It’s suitable for finishing your projects to make it to be perfectly smooth and aesthetic.
Features
The circular saw has features that you can also choose to have. You need to check if it can easily be adjusted to use it whenever you need it. You can also change the depth of the blades for faster and easier wood cutting.
Some circular saws have cast metal shoes, which can make it heavier. Although it can protect the blades in case you accidentally drop it while working.
Safety
Power tools such as circular saws are hazardous and not to be taken lightly. Before purchasing one, make sure that the safety instructions are included and followed promptly.
Your safety should be your priority, and that’s why you have to choose the right circular saw. It’s to ensure that you’re not getting a defective variety. Just follow the safety instructions, and you should be good to go.
Circular Saw Comparison
Circular Saw or Jigsaw
A jigsaw is designed to cut through complex surfaces. It has a narrow blade, and it moves in an up and down motion. If you have an intricate design that needs to be done, using a jigsaw will be recommended.
However, you will need to be precise about using a jigsaw. It requires excellent skills to keep it clean. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to go for the circular saw since it’s made to achieve a cleaner cut, and it can also be better if you need to cut a straight line.
Circular Saw or Miter Saw
Miter saw is used for trimming since it’s designed to do that. It’s an excellent option to go for the mitre saw if you will be trimming all the time. This tool can cut accurately at a specific angle that you need to be cut, and that’s why it’s suitable for trimming jobs.
However, the circular saw can also be used for trimming. A trim circular saw is the right choice since it can cut through plastic, plywood, and even metal. Plus, you can use it for other cutting purposes aside from trimming.
Circular Saw or Table Saw
The table saw can be an excellent tool for cross-cutting and ripping boards fast. You don’t need to have a steady hand since you can fix the object for the table saw to cut in a precise manner. That will help you to achieve the shape that you want to have.
Using a circular saw can be tricky since it’s a handheld device. You need to have excellent hand control to ensure that you’re cutting the right way. But you can get a clean cut using it as long as you focus on it.
Circular Saw or Track Saw
A tack saw has similar features to a circular saw. They can both cut straight lines, do crosscuts and rip cuts at the same time. But the track saw has a long track on its front, as its name suggests.
The circular saw doesn’t have a track and is more portable. You don’t need to have an issue storing it in your yard since you can easily keep it anywhere. However, the track saw can do different angle cuts, which the circular saw cannot do.
Why Choose a Circular Saw
Why use a circular saw instead of another type of saw? You don’t have to try everything before you can find out the reasons for it. Just check out the reasons below so that you can decide if choosing the circular saw will be best for you.
- Portable
A Circular saw is a portable and handy type of power tool. You don’t need to have a vast area for this equipment. Since it’s handheld, you can bring it anywhere.
- Efficient
It’s not as large as other power tools, but it’s very efficient. It can make a clean cut, and you don’t have to be a professional to use it. Just make sure to follow the safety instructions, and you can use it anytime.
- Versatile
A circular saw can be used for crosscuts as well as for rip cuts. You don’t need to have separate tools for that anymore since it can do both. Plus, it can cut through plywood, plastic, and metal, which is very powerful.
What Circular Saw Used For
Carpenters and woodcutters prepare using a circular saw. It makes their jobs a lot more comfortable and better. It can cut through wood quickly, and it doesn’t require too much effort to cut in a straight line with precision.
- Firewood
Circular saws are now being used to cut logs for firewoods. The firewood manufacturers discovered that using this type of saw is better compared with using a chainsaw. Aside from getting a precise cut, circular saws are more durable and can be used for a longer time.
- Metals
Metals are rigid objects that cannot be cut by just about anything. Cold circular saws are used for cutting bronze, brass, and steel. It can conveniently turn them into smaller pieces making it easier for the workers. Metals can be cut horizontally for more fabrication.
- Cross-Cutting
Cross-cutting is a well-known way of cutting timber. That will turn into boards, and the most efficient tool to use for it is the circular saw. It can cut faster and more accurately, and it can maintain grain quality. Using it can also provide quicker results compared to other power tools.
- Cutting Straight
Most of the time, you will need to cut straight to get the right size of wood for your project. The circular saw can cut clean if you use a blade with more teeth. If you want to have a 90 degrees cut, then it’s the best power tool to have.
- Make Bevels
If you need to make bevels, then the circular saw is the perfect tool to make it. You can make the bevel at a 45-degree angle. It’s like owning several power tools since you can do many things by using a circular saw.
Tips On Using Circular Saw
If you want to learn some tips on using the circular saw easily, then continue reading below. It will give you better ideas before you get your hands on one. That way, you don’t have to deal with many failures before getting it right.
- Use a Cutting Guide
Before you start using your circular saw, make sure to have a cutting guide. It will be helpful, especially if you’re a beginner at this. That will guide you to ensure that you’re cutting the right way and avoid wasting materials.
Get the measurement of your circular saw and place the cutting guide to draw a line. After that, you can start cutting and just follow the line where you have marked the wood. That will give you a straight line on your first try.
- Nick the Wood
When you have done this a couple of times already and forget your cutting guide, you can just use another trick. You can nick the wood or timber first so that you can have a starting point before going all the way through the wood.
Nicking the wood before you start is an excellent way to check if you have the correct alignment. If you’re already sure that it’s already aligned properly, then you can continue and finish cutting. It will turn out to be great once you are done.
- Cutting Panels
When you need to cut panels for your next project, you have to be careful. Saw binding can usually happen whenever you have to cut boards. Just make sure that they are supported by panels to avoid this from occurring.
You can position the panels even so that it can avoid saw binding. Make sure to have the cut-offs underneath and follow your cutting line. That way, you can achieve a good result and make sure that your circular saw will remain intact.
- Avoid Splinters
Wood can develop splinters while working on them. But you can avoid it from splintering by adjusting the depth of the blade of your circular saw. Make sure that it’s shallow enough where you can still see half of the blade’s teeth.
By not going too deep on the wood, it will avoid splintering while you are cutting it. That can also prevent you from accidentally having the splinter end up in your thumb. Then the wood will also look better without the fragments.
- Wood Must Face Down
Circular saw you would cut the wood upstroke because of the teeth on the blades. It’s better to place the excellent side of the wood upside down. That way, the best part will look aesthetically cleaner than the less attractive side.
It may look incorrect at first, but once you’re finished with cutting, you will appreciate that you follow this advice. You can also check some tutorials to see what this hack will look like before trying it on your materials.
- Use Masking Tape
When working on different materials other than rough wood, you can’t help but wonder how you can maintain a smooth surface. The laminated or coated board looks nice. But if you cut it right there and then, it can get ruined.
The solution, apply some amazing tape on the surface near where you are about to cut it. You have to be more careful to avoid making any mistakes. Use a cutting line so that you can make sure that it will end up perfectly fine.
- Prevent Binding
Binding and kickback can happen whenever cutting some hard materials. Since you can use your circular saw with wood, hard plastic, and metal, you need to prevent binding. That way, you will not end up with a clean cut.
Just let the cutout part fall on its own. Make sure to cut until the piece falls off the ground so as not to end up having to break it free manually. That can cause an uneven cut, and it will not look very appealing. It can ruin your material, so just cut all the way through and let that piece fall.
Summary
A circular saw is an excellent addition to your power tools. If you like doing your DIY projects at home, it’s a must-have for you. Not only will it save your time and effort, but it can also help you to create the perfect parts that you need to assemble something. Since it’s a versatile tool, you can use it to cut other materials that you can use for your house renovations and repairs.
