How to Use a Circular Saw

There are different kinds of circular saws: sidewinder saws, which are the most common type, and worm drive saws, which are well suited for more heavy-duty work. No matter what kind of saw you use, the safety basics are always the same.

• Secure loose clothing, jewelry or long hair.
• Use the right safety gear. Wear eye protection and hearing protection anytime you use a circular saw or any power tool. When cutting with a power saw, you should also wear a respirator or safety mask.
• Make sure your circular saw blade is designed to cut the material you’re working with. Your saw may come with a standard blade for cutting wood, but cutting other materials such as masonry or plastic requires the right blade. See our Circular Saw Blades Buying Guide to learn about the different types of blades and how to find blades that make the cleanest cuts or blades designed for faster cutting.
• It’s a good idea to have extra blades available. A dull circular saw blade won’t cut as efficiently as a sharp blade and is more likely to bind.
• Measure the work pieces and adjust your blade so it extends only about 1/4 inch below the material you’re cutting. You don’t want too much blade exposed. If the blade depth is set too deep, the saw doesn’t cut as well and there’s a greater risk of the blade binding and kicking the saw back toward you.
• Check your blade guard and make sure it’s in place and functioning properly.
  
• Place the work piece face down so you're cutting along the side that won't be visible in the finished piece.
• Clamp your piece to the work surface so you can use both hands to guide the saw.
• Use a straight edge to draw a guideline for your cut.

• Draw a guideline on a piece of scrap lumber and make a test cut to determine how to properly align the blade to the guideline on your work piece for an accurate cut.
• When cutting, start the saw and then move it into the material you’re cutting. This method helps keep the two sections of the work piece from pinching or binding the blade.
• Cut with the body of the saw on the side of the work piece that’s supported, not on the cutoff side. Push the blade through the cut and let the pieces fall. Release the saw trigger and let the blade come to a full stop.
• Most cuts you make with a circular saw will be crosscuts or rip cuts. A crosscut goes across the grain of the wood, and a rip cut goes with the grain. Circular saw jigs make it easier to make straight cuts. For accurate crosscuts, you can use a crosscut jig. It eliminates guesswork and helps give you perfectly straight cuts. A rip-cut jig does the same for rip cuts. You can also find jigs that you can adjust to make precise crosscuts, rip cuts and angled cuts. Watch our video What’s That Cut Called? to learn more useful cuts.
• When cutting plywood or other larger pieces, you can create your own jig to make straight cuts. Simply clamp a 1-inch-by-4-inch board to the work piece to use as a circular saw cutting guide for your saw. Make sure it’s straight and even so you can get the best cut across the plywood.
• Depending on what you’re cutting, the saw blade may accumulate resin or gum deposits that’ll make the saw less efficient. If you notice deposits on the blade, check your manual for cleaning instructions.