The Genius Hacks You Need When Making Cuts With A Circular Saw

Handheld circular saws are true workhorses used by professionals and amateurs alike for generations. As with many modern power tools, they come in cordless or corded models that do everything from breaking down large pieces of lumber or sheets of plywood to accurate fine woodworking. As a professional woodworker, I have to use a circular saw all the time. For that reason, I know all about how handy it is and have picked up a few tricks to make it easier and more accurate to use. These hacks are not exactly rocket science, but they do solve real-world circular saw challenges. The first hack involves using a binder clip, the kind you use for bundles of documents.

How can a binder clip help you make a cut? A common cut made with a circular saw is trimming a narrow strip off of a piece of plywood. As you cut the strip, it starts to sag behind the cut. The more you cut, the more it sags. Eventually, its sagging weight can end up deforming the sheet and ruining your cut. But if you span the saw kerf with a large binder clip, the strip stays level with the rest of the plywood. I've seen guys who keep a binder clip on the power cord of their saw so it's close at hand when they need it. All this presupposes you are up to snuff on the safety basics you should know before taking on a DIY project. Protecting your eyes, ears, and lungs are a must with any sort of tool use, and especially when you're handling a circular saw.

Cutting a straight line, especially if you've taken the time to mark your cut, does not seem like it would be too hard, but you might be surprised. Truth be told, some have the knack and can slice an accurate cut with ease. The rest of us mere mortals are better off making use of a straightedge to guide our saw. The straightedge may be a fancy factory-made version or a simple piece of wood clamped to the workpiece. Holding the side of the saw's base (also called a shoe) against a straightedge, you will be certain to make a perfectly straight cut. It's an easy-peasy way to improve workflow and accuracy and reduce stress.

My last circular saw hack solves the problem of protecting your blade while cutting plywood or other manmade sheet goods. Breaking down large sheets of plywood, MDF, and melamine is a common use for a circular saw. The challenge comes from the fact that the saw blade has to extend past the bottom of the plywood to cut through the stock. If you're cutting on a worktable or sawhorses, they may get sliced by the blade. You'll have the same problem if you do it on the floor, and a concrete floor will also dull your blade quickly. The solution is to use a sheet of rigid foam insulation under the workpiece. The foam won't harm your saw blade as it passes through. A full-sized foam sheet works perfectly under a 4-by-8 piece of plywood, and smaller pieces will work fine with smaller stock. The good news is you can use the same piece of foam over and over, an inexpensive and practical hack for more convenience and better results.