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I normally only use a circular saw for more "construction" type of work. Usually just cutting plywood on sawhorses or random little cuts or details for general carpentry purposes. If I really need to get a cut perfect, I'll clamp a 2x4" to a sheet of plywood and use that as a fence. :icon_thum
I find for ripping sheet goods, clamping one sheet to the other allowing for base width offset to make the first cut proves satisfactory for my work. Then you can use the narrower piece's factory edge for further ripping. I also use an Accu-Rip, (available from Sears, ~$40) attached to the base of the saw when multiple cuts of varying widths are required. The only problem with this tool is the guide foot does not come back as far as the blade face on the saw so the guide is off the wood before you are out of the cut, resulting in a snipe at the end of the cut if you're not careful. I plan to correct that on mine.
For cross cutting, I have a 52" clamp guide. I measure the blade offset again, and rip away.
For cross cutting, I have a 52" clamp guide. I measure the blade offset again, and rip away.
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I use a 12"x48" sheet of 1/4" ply with a 1/2" x 3" jointed strait board mounted to it. leave a space a little wider than the distance from the shoe to the blade then cut the edge off using the guide you just made. the 1/2"x3" provides the strait edge and the ply goes to the line and gives you a tear out free cut. measure clamp and cut.:icon_thum and it's a LOT cheaper than the festool or DW guides.:gar-Bi I can get a pic tomorrow if needed.
To rip long pieces I clamp a 1x1x8' steel angle I bought @ Lowes for about $15 to my work plus the 1 3/8" distance between the blade and the edge of the saw.
To cross cut I take a plastic builders square (bright Orange so I can find it!) and butt it against the saw at my mark and let it fly.
I never use my circular saw without a guide. I'm skeered of that thang!
Hope this helps!
BTW, welcome to our gang!
Barbara
To cross cut I take a plastic builders square (bright Orange so I can find it!) and butt it against the saw at my mark and let it fly.
I never use my circular saw without a guide. I'm skeered of that thang!
Hope this helps!
BTW, welcome to our gang!
Barbara
I also have a PC - a MAG and it is sort of a Festool wannabe as you can attach a vacuum, plunge cut (it is in the manual as a supported operation), cut fairly deep and it has a lot of power. But at anything other than 90 degrees, full depth, accuracy begins to suffer. But using a rail system, I was pretty happy with accuracy for what I do.
My shop is too small to manage cutting down full sheets of plywood or other sheet goods on the table saw without a major cleanup and re-arrangement each time, so I break them down to manageable size outside my shop using one of my circular saws and a straight edge. I have developed a system for this that is as accurate as my Unisaw.
I made a cutting table that is 30" wide and 6' long, using the metal folding leg assemblies that are available from Harbor Freight for about $25. The table itself is an open frame with cross pieces only where necessary to hold the legs, plus one cross piece in the center. All of the outside pieces of the frame are 2x4 standing on edge. The cross pieces are all 2x4 stock laid flat and flush with the top of the frame. I used biscuits and glue to assemble it all so there would be no metal anywhere near the top surface. The only metal that is in the wood are the short screws that attach the leg assemblies.
When it is set up I can lay a full sheet of plywood or other sheet goods on it and use a straight edge and my circular saw to cut the sheet down to manageable sizes for finish cutting on my table saw. I set the depth of the circular saw so that it cuts through the sheet stock plus about 1/8" to 1/4" into the top of the table and I don't worry about the saw kerf table damage. If I ever make enough cuts into it to make it unusable I can easily make another frame and transfer the legs to it. A big advantage of this table is that you can make your cuts without the cutoffs falling to the ground or breaking off at the end of the saw cut when they fall, as frequently happens when using saw horses. It stays right there on the table top until you pick it up to move it. The holes in the top keep you from piling junk on it too. I have even used this table for some router work and it has proven very useful for that too. When it isn't being used, it folds up and stores easily with my sheet goods. The legs fit up inside the 2x4 frame when they are folded, making it only 3 1/2" thick. In a pinch, a sheet of plywood thrown on top of it makes a good extra picnic table or assembly table too.
For rapid positioning of the straight edge, make yourself some scrap blocks of wood that are the exact width of the distance between your circular saw's blade and the edge of the saw's base. Make one to fit the long side of the saw and another one for the short side of the saw. They eliminate the offset measurements for your straightedge. You just place the one that you need between your straightedge and your cut line and then clamp the straightedge in place. It makes this setup very quick, and allows very accurate and repeatable cuts, but be sure to mark them with something visibly obvious so you don't cut them up to use for a future project.
To minimize circular saw chip-out on the top surface of your saw cuts , make yourself a zero clearance plate for the bottom of your saw that is the exact same with of your saw's base. Mine is made of 1/8" clear lexan, but it could be thin plywood, attached to the foot of my circular saw with a countersunk flathead bolt up through the lexan and the saw's base at the front of the saw and another one at the back, with wing nuts on the top side. Once attached the first time, plunge the saw blade slowly down through the base until it is fully down. Turn off the saw and then mark the base for cutting it out to clear for the saw guard. Don't use it without doing this. Only mark for the cut far enough forward to allow the guard to drop fully, leaving the front area with only the blade width cut. This area where the blade teeth rise up through this base performs the zero clearance blade function and must be left intact. Now remove the base and make the cutout to clear the saw guard where you hd marked with a sabre saw, coping saw, etc. It doesn't have to be an accurate cut, just large enough so that it doesn't interfere with the blade guard. Replace the base on the bottom of your saw and check to make sure that the saw blade guard functions properly. Also make sure that the outer edges of the attached base are even with, and parallel to, the edges of the saw base, as any difference here will cause the saw to be offset from the straightedge and not cut accurately. You are now ready to make chip-out free saw cuts.
Charley
I made a cutting table that is 30" wide and 6' long, using the metal folding leg assemblies that are available from Harbor Freight for about $25. The table itself is an open frame with cross pieces only where necessary to hold the legs, plus one cross piece in the center. All of the outside pieces of the frame are 2x4 standing on edge. The cross pieces are all 2x4 stock laid flat and flush with the top of the frame. I used biscuits and glue to assemble it all so there would be no metal anywhere near the top surface. The only metal that is in the wood are the short screws that attach the leg assemblies.
When it is set up I can lay a full sheet of plywood or other sheet goods on it and use a straight edge and my circular saw to cut the sheet down to manageable sizes for finish cutting on my table saw. I set the depth of the circular saw so that it cuts through the sheet stock plus about 1/8" to 1/4" into the top of the table and I don't worry about the saw kerf table damage. If I ever make enough cuts into it to make it unusable I can easily make another frame and transfer the legs to it. A big advantage of this table is that you can make your cuts without the cutoffs falling to the ground or breaking off at the end of the saw cut when they fall, as frequently happens when using saw horses. It stays right there on the table top until you pick it up to move it. The holes in the top keep you from piling junk on it too. I have even used this table for some router work and it has proven very useful for that too. When it isn't being used, it folds up and stores easily with my sheet goods. The legs fit up inside the 2x4 frame when they are folded, making it only 3 1/2" thick. In a pinch, a sheet of plywood thrown on top of it makes a good extra picnic table or assembly table too.
For rapid positioning of the straight edge, make yourself some scrap blocks of wood that are the exact width of the distance between your circular saw's blade and the edge of the saw's base. Make one to fit the long side of the saw and another one for the short side of the saw. They eliminate the offset measurements for your straightedge. You just place the one that you need between your straightedge and your cut line and then clamp the straightedge in place. It makes this setup very quick, and allows very accurate and repeatable cuts, but be sure to mark them with something visibly obvious so you don't cut them up to use for a future project.
To minimize circular saw chip-out on the top surface of your saw cuts , make yourself a zero clearance plate for the bottom of your saw that is the exact same with of your saw's base. Mine is made of 1/8" clear lexan, but it could be thin plywood, attached to the foot of my circular saw with a countersunk flathead bolt up through the lexan and the saw's base at the front of the saw and another one at the back, with wing nuts on the top side. Once attached the first time, plunge the saw blade slowly down through the base until it is fully down. Turn off the saw and then mark the base for cutting it out to clear for the saw guard. Don't use it without doing this. Only mark for the cut far enough forward to allow the guard to drop fully, leaving the front area with only the blade width cut. This area where the blade teeth rise up through this base performs the zero clearance blade function and must be left intact. Now remove the base and make the cutout to clear the saw guard where you hd marked with a sabre saw, coping saw, etc. It doesn't have to be an accurate cut, just large enough so that it doesn't interfere with the blade guard. Replace the base on the bottom of your saw and check to make sure that the saw blade guard functions properly. Also make sure that the outer edges of the attached base are even with, and parallel to, the edges of the saw base, as any difference here will cause the saw to be offset from the straightedge and not cut accurately. You are now ready to make chip-out free saw cuts.
Charley
I strip 4-6" wide cut off of the factory edge of a sheet of 3/4" plywood will make an excellent straight edge. Use the factory edge to ride your saw's base against, and clamp it in place with C clamps. Cheap, very straight, and easy to replace if it gets damaged.
Charley
Charley
Here is a pic of mine. Its 5' long. If I make another I will make a couple changes. The new one will have:
1. a wider guide strip, so that the motor does not overhang it (if not careful, the motor will hit the clamps) With a wider guide strip, I will know if the clamps are on the other side of it, the motor will clear.
2. 1/2" thick guide strip and base, rather than 3/4. the 3/4 limits depth of cut because I have to raise the motor a little and I also lose the depth of the extra bottom thickness. Total loss of 1/2" depth of cut. (I notice Fred uses 1/4 ply, which would give another 1/4" depth :icon_thum) This one works well with 3/4 ply, but would be hard pressed for straightening the edge on a 6/4 board
3. I would make the bottom wider so that I could use the other side as a guide for my router using a 1/2" straight bit. That could be used for dados, glue edging a board, and great for cabinet back McRabbets.
The advantage of the ride-on type design is that the shoe does not mar your work, however it only provides ZCI tearout protection on one side.
Go
1. a wider guide strip, so that the motor does not overhang it (if not careful, the motor will hit the clamps) With a wider guide strip, I will know if the clamps are on the other side of it, the motor will clear.
2. 1/2" thick guide strip and base, rather than 3/4. the 3/4 limits depth of cut because I have to raise the motor a little and I also lose the depth of the extra bottom thickness. Total loss of 1/2" depth of cut. (I notice Fred uses 1/4 ply, which would give another 1/4" depth :icon_thum) This one works well with 3/4 ply, but would be hard pressed for straightening the edge on a 6/4 board
3. I would make the bottom wider so that I could use the other side as a guide for my router using a 1/2" straight bit. That could be used for dados, glue edging a board, and great for cabinet back McRabbets.
The advantage of the ride-on type design is that the shoe does not mar your work, however it only provides ZCI tearout protection on one side.
Go
For long cuts on plywood a chaulkline does the trick.
90 and 45 degree cuts I use my speed square.
Sometimes I will clamp a 2x4 onto something and use it as an edge guide.
Although simple, they're effective.
90 and 45 degree cuts I use my speed square.
Sometimes I will clamp a 2x4 onto something and use it as an edge guide.
Although simple, they're effective.
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I've never been able to pull that off. I'll follow the line for short cuts that don't have to be precise, but I always end up getting a bit off and often binding the blade a bit if I try to do anything longer that 18" or so w/o a straitedge guide....
I use the same basic method Fred uses. It's fairly simple and straight forward but it is only as accurate as your measurements. Here's a pic
It's easy - you just have to smudge the chalk line to make it wider. :rotflm:
I haven't had too much luck ripping sheet stock with a circular saw. I did purchase a metal guide jig in hopes of improving my luck. If you use one of the 48" guides to cut across the width of the sheet, it works fine. However, I learned the hard way, that the metal shim that connects the two 48" guides for lenghtwise cuts has almost 1/4" of play...I say the "hard way" because that lesson came on a sheet of 3/4" cherry.:gar-Cr
Donn
Donn
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