I am a newbie to these forums, and I just purchased a makita circular saw at home depot with the intention of building some simple bookcases. one puzzle: how do i cut thin pieces out of thin stock? I bought some 4″ x 8′ poplar, and I want to cut it down to 2-3/4″ x 36″; i obviously could do this on a table saw, but what clamping mechanism or other accessory would i need to do this with a regular circular saw? Thanks to all.
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Replies
The most basic way to rip with a portable circular saw is with a rip fence. Sometimes they come with the saw. You can buy one and other brands may fit. There are normally a couple of slots on the saw base the fence fits in. A couple of thumb screws fit in the tapped holes for securing the fence.
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-164818-4-Circular-Saw-Fence/dp/B0000223IR
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Whitenoise,
Welcome. The simplist way to hold the stock while using the fense Hammer suggested is double sided tape or a touch of hot glue. Just align two or three pieces of stock so you have a nice platform for the curcular saw , put a bit of tape on each end and rip away. Get yourself a little block plane to help with your bookcase. Goodluck
Hi Whitenoise -
You bought a good saw, but it's going to take a little effort to get decent cuts for furmiture work. The saw should have a rip guide in the box and the instruction book should show you how to use it. Your blade is probably a general purpose blade so you may want to get a finish blade (more teeth) to get smoother cuts.
You'll also need a solid, stable, work surface. A couple of sawhorses and a piece of 3/4" plywood should do the job. You can clamp your boards to the plywood, set the cut depth to slightly cut into the plywood and do the job without worrying about your boards moving around while you're trying to get a clean cut.
Poplar can be a good wood for this job, but I would sugggest that you get some cheap pine to use while you practice your technique.
Good Luck and welcome to the world of woodworking.
Make yourself one of these....
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/hvt041.asp
TF
I have always called these jigs "shooting boards" -- although that's not quite accurate. Anyway, I agree with you that a jig of this sort is easy to make, and the simplest way to cut pieces of ply. To the original poster, I would suggest two -- one 8' long for rips, and another between 4-5" long for cross cuts. These jigs can also be used for cutting narrow strips.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Hi,
I was out looking at circular saws today. In particular the Makita circular 7 1/4" saws. 10amp / 15amp. Not much difference in the price. Now I suppose I could always build a cross cut sled and save myself a bit of money rather than spend it on a circular saw....
The table saw is great for rip cuts but not so safe when it comes to cutting wide panels.( 24 x 48" laminated pine shelving) Jig saw take forever and doesn't produce a straight enough cut. So I was thinking the perfect tool for the job would be a circular saw.
I have noticed that there are right blade and left blade circular saws. the Makita saw I was looking at today was a 10amp left blade saw. ($149.00 Canadian) Would a 10amp saw suit my needs? any advantage to having a 15amp? The 10amp comes with a fence and is 3 lbs lighter. Wish I had the model Number. 15 amp saw is only $10.00 more. How does Makita compare to Bosch? I don't think I can wrong with a makita power tool.
I don't need a heavy duty industrial saw. Just something middle of the range that's capable of cutting through 1- 2" soft and hardwood. I'll be using it mostly for cross cutting.
Wanda
I have always found the Makita to be a good all around workhorse of a saw. Able to take job site abuse year after year and still work like new.
It is just a good basic saw that will cut and cut and cut.
As far as 10 amp vs 15 amp. The 10 will easily handle the work you describe and it is lighter. If you were to do more demanding work day in and day out the 15 amp would be worth the extra $10.
Bob
You might want to look at the Porter Cable Saw Boss:http://tinyurl.com/yygz57It's light weight, can be equipped with a dust bag (or hooked up to a vac). Can be used for framing (2X material) or for the plywood cross cuts you're talking about. I have sidewinders and wormdrives, but this is the all-purpose saw I always carry with me in the truck.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Hi,
Now I have narrowed it down to 2 brands. Makita 5007 FK/ DeWalt 368/369. The Dewalt 368/369 received a good review in the tool review mag as well as on the finewoodworking tool guide. Shopnote magazine also had a very good article on circular saws. So after reading all this I think the best saw for my purposes is the Dewalt or Makita.The DeWalt is now on sale at Home Hardware for ($139.00 Canadian) Now to find out if the DeWalt 368 comes with an electric brake. I know for sure the 369 does. Dewalt only weighs 9.6lbs. I believe the Makita weighs in at around 10.lbs.
Which circular saw would you pick?
Wanda
I would still push for the PC Saw Boss, since it is about the same price, is 9 lbs, and has an electric brake. However, if you have narrowed your choice to Mak and Dewalt, I think you can safely pick on the basis of ergonomics. Go someplace where you can handle both, and see which one feels most comfortable for you. Also, get them to plug it in -- you can tell a lot about a machine by the way it sounds.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Wanda,
Here is a review of the DeWalt 369 that I posted on Amazon.
Enjoy.
MelDo not buy this saw unless you have actually held one of them in your hands, and realize what you are buying!!! The Amazon website for the DeWalt DW369CSK is deceptive, although I am sure this was unintentional. None of the pictures show the rear left corner of the saw's composite baseplate. The rear left corner of the baseplate DOES NOT EXIST! The baseplate is not a rectangle, as one would expect. Rather it is a rectangle with a large part of one corner "missing". Because of this, the left side of the saw's baseplate is only 8 1/2 inches long. This, together with the placement of the main handle (grip) of the saw, make it more difficult to make a straight cut by running the saw's base along a fence. I called the DeWalt technical assistance hotline and asked why the base had been designed like that. The man was very nice, but he said that he didn't know, but it may have been to save weight. By the way, the DeWalt website has pictures of the saw, but none show it from an angle that lets you see the "missing" portion of the base.
If you do framing, this saw might be OK. However, if you use a circular saw to make furniture, and you use it to do precise cuts of large sheets of plywood by running the saw along a fence, then you want a saw with a base which is long, especially on the side which rides along the fence. I have since learned (by actually looking at the real saws, not pictures) that there are still plenty of these available. The DeWalt DW364 is one of them. It is an older style, which is a bit heavier than the newer 369CSK, and it does not have a detent at 45 degrees. But it is completely adjustable for squareness, and it has plenty of power, and it has a BIG FOOT. The Porter Cable saws have large rectangular bases. Some other saws have a small triangle missing from the left rear corner of the base, but no other saw that I have seen has nearly as big a cutout as the DW369CSK. The Milwaukee 2390-21 is one of them, but even with the cutout, the remaining straight portion is longer than the entire base of the of the DeWalt DW 369CSK, and you can easily keep it square as you move it along a fence. While all of the alternatives to the DW369CSK that I have listed are heavier than it is, they are easy to hold and are well balanced. I recommend that you choose one of them.
I had searched the web and read reviews of circular saws before buying (and later returning) the DeWalt 369CSK, and the reviews showed that it was light, had detents for two angles of cut, had a composite base, and cut at a good rate if given a good blade. No mention was made of the strange shape of its base.
While at Home Depot last night, I asked another shopper, who happened to be a professional carpenter about the DW369CSK. He said that he had bought one but he returned it as defective because the motor burned out quickly. He said that he got one of the Porter Cables and it works fine.
I recommend that Amazon add a picture of the DW369CSK which shows the base so a potential customer can make a more informed decision. I have made a number of purchases through Amazon and am very happy with them. This is the first item that I have returned.Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hi Mel,
After reading the article in ShopNotes Magazine on circular saws I think I am going to go with the Makita or Porter Cable circular saw. Porter cable comes with helical gears which is a step up from the other consumer saws. Since I won't be using this saw on a daily basis I don't need to dish out extra money for a Worm gear c/s. That's more suited to the professional.
I do need a saw with a good base. Snce I will be using it to down size sheet goods and panels for furniture .
Thank you for telling me about the base (shoe) on the Dewalt. Like you said you'd never know it by looking at the pictures they have on their website.
Wanda
If you want it for cutting down sheet goods, I can say you would like the PC. I bought my PC for that very purpose. The magnesium base is square and true and the saw is light and easy to handle. The blade is a set distance from the edge (both ways) and marked on the base. It makes it real easy to set my strait edge (true-grip 48") on my ply sheets. I did splurge and get a Forrest WWII 7 1/4" blade, but when I cut my panels, they are glue ready. Once I have that good side, I finish it down with the cabinet saw. It's my poor man's panel saw so to speak. Good luck on the decision.
Whitenoise,
Read this to check out how not to do it and how to set up
http://renomart.com.au/circular-saw-1-versus-my-thumb-0/
Cheers,
eddie
An incredibly dumb thing to do, but I'll bet he has done a cut that way a thousand or so times................********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
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