20
votes
How do I prevent chipping when cutting a veneered counter top with a circular saw?
You may be able to avoid chip-out by using a sacrificial board atop of the countertop. Set your depth to cut through the sacrificial board, make sure it is clamped down tight and give it a whirl. ...
- 4,005
15
votes
Accepted
How to sharpen a circular saw or mitre saw blade
A 12" miter saw blade of the ilk normally found on a miter saw or cut-off saw looks like this:
The teeth on the saw blade are carbide material that is very hard. You will not want to take a file to ...
- 843
14
votes
Accepted
How do I know it's time to replace my circular saw blade?
Your blade will start to show signs of dullness. These include:
Binding
Excessive force required to advance cut
Excessive tearing/chipout
Burning the wood
It helps if you can remember the "feel" of ...
- 4,328
12
votes
Accepted
5000rpm vs 5500rpm circular saw
Are you going to notice the difference between a saw running at 5000 rpm and one running at 5500rpm? No, probably not.
Are you going to notice 1250 watts vs 1400 watts? Again, probably not.
What ...
- 5,430
11
votes
How do I know it's time to replace my circular saw blade?
Sometimes when people believe their saw is dull, what it really needs is a cleaning. The resins from the wood build up in the teeth over time and gum up the cutting edge. Soaking the blade in simple ...
- 4,005
10
votes
Accepted
Panel Glue up Question
In general, panel glue-up requires accurate square faces on the boards being glued. However, not all is lost.
One possibility is that your combination square is not perfectly square. To try and ...
- 3,156
9
votes
Accepted
How to make a long shallow cut on a narrow piece of wood with a circular saw
You need a guide board. Figure out the distance from the edge of the circular saw blade to the edge of the plate, preferably not the side that the motor hangs over, or your board will have to be very ...
- 376
8
votes
How do I prevent chipping when cutting a veneered counter top with a circular saw?
@Peter Grace provided an excellent suggestion of placing a sacrificial board atop the countertop. An alternative solution is to mount an auxiliary zero-clearance shoe onto your circular saw shoe.
...
- 4,328
8
votes
How to sharpen a circular saw or mitre saw blade
Here is another method from the always-interesting Mathias Wandel.
Mathias's jig
- 1,669
7
votes
What is the difference between a worm and sidewinder drive circular saws?
I agree with what Steven has to say. Unless you're routinely cutting 2" thick oak or hickory slabs, a modern direct-drive saw is likely more appropriate. Equipped with a sharp, suitable blade it will ...
- 246
7
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
Woodworking encompasses a lot of different project types to practitioners. By far and away, I believe the most important and versatile tool in any woodshop is a table saw. Cutting your panels in the ...
- 7,824
7
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
Home Depot, and probably most other suppliers, will cut plywood and other sheet goods to your specs - the first couple of cuts are usually free. There may be a small charge if you want several cuts.
...
7
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
None of the above - I have a small shop and run into the same issue, have you looked into a track saw? There is plans on-line to essentially make your own using your existing portable saw.
6
votes
Accepted
Does circular saw diameter bear on anything but maximum cut depth?
Depth of cut is usually the primary factor associated with choosing a saw diameter, but certain types of saws are affected in other ways.
Besides depth of cut, one factor that impacts all types of ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
6
votes
How to sharpen a circular saw or mitre saw blade
I will try the method from John Heisz with diamond file when my saw blade will be used.
Video link here
- 791
6
votes
How can I prevent tearout of plywood when cutting it with a circular saw?
There are many ways to eliminate tearout in plywood. Some are simple techniques you can apply in specific situations, and others require additional materials or accessories.
Put the "good" side ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
6
votes
What is the difference between a worm and sidewinder drive circular saws?
Worm drives use a worm gear to connect the motor to the blade. Generally speaking, they are more powerful than direct drive saws where the motor drives the blade directly.
They are also larger, ...
- 4,788
6
votes
Accepted
How should I cut a sheet of plywood for easy re-joining?
Congrats on an excellently done question!
In terms of how to cut the board apart I don't think it matters that much, but with an angled cut providing a wider glue surface area that will provide a ...
- 59.2k
6
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
So, this edges perilously close to opinion, but I'll do my best to be occasionally factual...
To step back and think about your goal of setting up a woodshop, I'm tempted to say that a tablesaw of ...
- 3,102
6
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
In general, if you have a large production shop, a panel saw or sliding table saw might make sense, otherwise a circular saw/track saw makes the most sense. However, what works best for any given ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
6
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
I cannot comment, so I have to reply here.
My brother has the Festool circular saw with the track. It is really nice, but not budget friendly. You may not find yourself cutting plywood often. ...
- 211
6
votes
4'x8' length cut - circular saw, table saw, or panel saw?
I often have to rip full sheets of plywood. I've tried several different methods.
My favorite by far is to do it with a circular saw on the floor on a sheet of 4x8 rigid pink Styrofoam installation. ...
6
votes
Choosing a saw for oak worktop, considering future usefulness
What is the proper saw is really a wide open question and depends a lot upon the level of quality in the cut piece desired, your future woodworking plans and your budget.
In order of accuracy for ...
- 7,824
5
votes
Accepted
Can a track saw make glue-ready surfaces?
Also, most 7-1/4" blades don't specify if they are for ripping or
crosscutting. Does it not matter with these saws?
That's because most people don't want to stop and change blades just because they'...
- 7,753
5
votes
Can a track saw make glue-ready surfaces?
Yes, your circular saw or track saw can produce a glue-ready surface, as long as you have a high-quality, sharp, carbide-tipped blade installed.
There are definitely different types of blades for ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I prevent tearout of plywood when cutting it with a circular saw?
Using a blade with finer teeth will help significantly, but you can also use a piece of masking tape over the cut line before you cut. Additionally, if you have a piece of sacrificial wood you can put ...
- 638
5
votes
How to sharpen a circular saw or mitre saw blade
I agree with Doresoom, attacking it with a chisel** will only ruin both tools. You could probably hand sharpen the blade with a collection of sharpening stones. However, if you're not proficient at ...
- 5,644
5
votes
Accepted
Choosing a saw for oak worktop, considering future usefulness
Most of these were in the comments on the original question, but I'll organize them:
Track Saw - This is what I would consider the "best" way to go. Unfortunately, they start at a few hundred ...
- 5,430
5
votes
Choosing a saw for oak worktop, considering future usefulness
So a shopping trip is in order. I'm a bit short on space, and don't want to spend a fortune on something that will be used rarely at best.
You need to give serious consideration to a panel saw since ...
- 59.2k
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