How to Use a Circular Saw

A circular saw is made up of many parts, all of which serve a purpose. Before we get to cutting, we need to know what each part is called and what its job is to do. See below:

• Blade - the most important part, this is what will cut the material
• Blade guard - prevents wood from falling onto the spinning blade and covers the blade when the saw isn't in use to prevent injury
• Shoe/baseplate - slides over the material you're cutting
• Two handles - one on top and one at the front to help guide the saw
• Bevel adjustment - allows you to adjust the bevel of the saw for cutting at different angles
• Depth adjustment - allows you to adjust the cutting height of the saw for cutting different depths of material
  
• Trigger switch - the power on/off button

Now that we know all of the parts on a circular saw and have chosen our blade, it's time to get cutting! First things first, you're going to want to mark out where you want to cut. Take note of the 0° marking, or two 'notches' on the base plate (see photo) as this is in line with where the blade will cut. You always want to follow along this 0° mark when working freehand without a rail. Alternatively, you can follow the blade by looking at it from the side. But please note, this may not provide entirely straight cuts.

1. Mark out where you want to cut
2. Clamp the material firmly to your workstation or set up your guide rail
3. Adjust your base plate to the correct height so that the blade is ever so slightly lower than the material you're cutting
4. Set your bevel angle if you are using
5. Rest the shoe/baseplate on the edge of the material and near the cutting line, but don't let the blade touch it yet
6. Pull the trigger and allow the blade to reach its maximum rpm before starting to cut
7. Once its reached its optimum speed, slowly push the circular saw through the material
8. Once you have cut through the material, release the trigger and allow the saw to fully come to a stop

You always want to cut in a position that allows the offcut piece of material to fall to the ground. Don't saw in the middle of two surfaces as this can cause kickback, splintering and injury.

Alternative methods to using a guide rail:

Whilst we always recommend you use a guide rail when cutting larger sheets of material, there are a few alternative methods for making straight cuts in smaller materials. A speed square is a good option for making straight cuts in smaller boards. Our image shows how to do so, but it is as simple as running the base plate of your circular saw along the side of the square to achieve a straight cut.

A spirit level and 2 clamps is also a good option for larger materials. Clamp the level to the workpiece and similarly to the speed square, follow the side of the level to achieve that straight cut. Most circular saws also come with a guide fence included as standard, which slots into your saw and allows for straight cuts.

If you are making cuts that don't need to be entirely straight, you can simply cut using freehand as explained above. *Remember, a guide rail will always be the safest and most accurate method.

When the teeth on your saw blade start to become dull, most people assume its time to purchase a new one. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, did you know you can actually sharpen your saw blades?

Saw blades can be expensive, and if you are using them regularly, they can lose their sharpness fast. Using our method below will help to save you money and increase the lifetime of your blades.

To sharpen your circular saw blade, all you have to do is:

1. Remove your saw blade from the machine
2. Clamp it in place with a vice
3. Using a flat file, sharpen each individual tooth on the blade. It only requires around 3 strokes per tooth.

It's as simple as that! Check out our video demo to visualise the process and see how easy it really is.