How to Use the Portable Circular Saw Power Tool

Make repair projects enjoyable with a portable circular saw.

After corded and cordless drills, circular saws are the most common type of power tool filling home-based workshops. According to Consumer Reports, corded circular saws deliver up to seven times more power and tend to cost less than cordless circular saws. However, portable circular saws may be useful for on-the-go situations where you need cutting precision and mobility for a short period and do not have access to a power outlet. Knowing how to use a portable circular saw safely will prevent injury and provide hours of enjoyable use.

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Earplugs
• Close-fitting clothes

Instructions

1. Wear safety goggles, earplugs and form-fitting clothes when using your circular saw to avoid injury. Avoid wearing jewelry and loose clothes, which may become caught in a portable circular saw's blade, causing serious harm to you.

2. Install the proper blade for your specific cutting task. Use a ripping blade when cutting with the grain on a piece of wood. Install a crosscut blade when cutting against the grain on pieces of lumber. Use specialized blades for cutting plywood, trim and non-wood materials like concrete, metal or tile.

3. Keep your portable circular saw blades clean and sharp. Inspect the blades you plan to use for any bends, dents and broken teeth before every cutting project. Do not use damaged blades.

4. Adjust your portable circular saw height before beginning any cuts so that no more than 1/8-inch of the saw blade protrudes beyond the wood or other material that you are working with.

5. Place two supports beneath whatever you cut and clamp down anything that might shift during cutting to avoid wood kickback. Hold the saw with two hands when making cuts. Stop cutting, turning off the saw whenever you meet resistance. Focus on guiding, rather than pushing the saw through your material.

6. Start the blade before it encounters the wood you are cutting. Wait until the blade stops spinning completely to raise the saw up and out of the cut you are making.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the owner's manual entirely, familiarizing yourself with all of the machine's parts and controls, before using your portable circular saw for the first time.

References

• Consumer Reports: Circular Saws
• Consumer Reports: Circular Saw Safety
• Family Handyman: How to Use a Circular Saw

Resources

• This Old House: Choosing and Using a Circular Saw