How To Adjust A Circular Saw?

When it comes to making straight cuts with a circular saw, the key is to have the blade properly positioned in relation to the cutting line. The most accurate way to do this is by adjusting the bevel of the saw. Most circular saws have bevel adjustment levers or knobs that allow you to do this easily.

In this post, we will take a look at how to adjust a circular saw for making bevel cuts. We’ll also discuss some of the other blade adjustments that can be made on most circular saws.

Before You Start 

Always wear your safety equipment when working with a circular saw. This includes work gloves, thick pants, steel-toed boots, eye protection, and thick long-sleeved shirts. Before you start making any adjustments to your saw it is important to know what the dangers are when using the tool so that you can be well-informed and take the proper safety precautions.

A Step By Step Guide on How To Adjust A Circular Saw?

Step 1: From Rip-Cut to Cross Cut 

Before you can accurately measure what, your blade needs, you need to know where it’s currently at. Turn the saw on and let it run for a second before you place it on the surface that you’re going to cut, this way the blade is nice and hot. Before you make your first cut, line up the measuring tape to let you know exactly where it needs to be when cutting.

After this, mark off 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) from both sides of the blade using a ruler or straight edge so that it becomes a cross-cut instead of a rip cut. This will ensure that you get an accurate cut when using the saw.

Step 2: Adjusting the Bevel 

Once your blade is properly adjusted for a cross-cut, it’s time to set up your bevel so that when you’re making angled cuts, the blade angle stays the same from beginning to end. Using a combination square or a protractor, measure how many degrees off of 90 degrees your current angles are and adjust accordingly.

Step 3: Setting the Depth 

Setting up your depth gauge ensures that you have an equal amount of wood left behind when cutting material in order to avoid shattering and other damage. To do this, use a marking utensil to mark where the blade reaches halfway through each piece of wood that you’re going to cut.

Step 4: Clean Up

Cleaning up your saw will ensure that it is in proper working order when you finish. Using a metal file or grinder, grind down the top of the guard so that there’s no gap between it and where your blade lines up. Wipe off any excess metal shavings, oil the blade well, and check for any loose screws before powering on the saw. By doing these steps, you can ensure that your circular saw is cutting to its full potential every time you use it.

Conclusion :

So, there you have it! You should now be able to adjust your circular saw with ease. Remember to always use caution when using power tools and read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. We hope you found this guide helpful and that it allows you to get the most out of your circular saw. Have fun crafting and cutting with precision!

FAQs:

How to identify the circular saw blade?

Identifying the saw blade is very simple. The blade should be made of metal and will have teeth cut into it. The shape of the teeth resembles tiny razor blades. It may also have rubber around the base of it so that you can grip it better while cutting with it. 

How do know how many teeth the circular saw blade has?

The number of teeth on a circular saw blade indicates how fine or coarse the cuts will be that are created by using this kind of saw. For really fine cuts use a smaller number of teeth, for more aggressive cuts use larger amounts of teeth because they’re higher in quantity than their counterparts.

How to use an Allen wrench?

It’s helpful to have an Allen wrench on hand while working with tools like this, so if yours doesn’t come with one make sure you purchase an Allen wrench that fits your particular tool before using it. The most important thing about using an Allen wrench is knowing which size fits into the head of the screws that are located in the tool. 

The Allen wrench fits into a hexagon head screw, so be sure to look closely at it before using your Allen wrench. If you don’t have an Allen wrench available when you’re working with one of these tools, you can always substitute it for another type of flat-shaped object that is similar in size.

How to use lubricant oil?

It’s important to know how to properly lubricate the circular saw that you are using, otherwise it won’t cut correctly or smoothly as it should. All you need is a few drops of oil and some rags to wipe up any excess afterward. You do not want oil dripping down the body because this will cause the blade to overheat and cause it to possibly break. You can find lubrication oil at any hardware store.

How often should you replace the circular saw blade?

It’s important to know how often you should replace your circular saw blade, otherwise, it will become dull and unusable. Generally speaking, if your circular saw blade has been used more than 100 hours of on-the-job use, then you should consider replacing it immediately. Of course, this depends on what kind of material you’re cutting with it and exactly how long each day you use the tool on the job site every day. But on average, most people agree that a good rule of thumb is once every 100 hours.

What does ‘plunge cutting’ mean?

A plunge cut refers to pushing the circular saw forward into a piece of wood and then pulling it back out. This is considered one cut, and it’s important to know that this will cause the blade to be extremely hot after you’ve made your first cut through the wood. The term plunge cut also applies when you drill a hole in the side of something like old plaster or drywall so that you can run wire through it inside. The term ‘plunge’ means that you’re going from one depth all the way down to another. 

How do I clean up the sawdust from my saw?

It’s important to always keep your circular saw as clean as possible at all times, otherwise, your sawdust will get in the way of making a smooth and straight cut. When it gets in the way, you’ll have to clean up extra sawdust with either an air compressor or a broom and dustpan.

How to loosen and tighten the blade screws? 

Before use, make sure that the blade screws of your circular saw are tightened securely. If not, you will have a difficult time cutting through boards because the blade might move away from where you want it to cut. This is very dangerous and can cause injury to yourself or anyone else around you.

To loosen the blade screw before use, hold onto your circular saw with one hand and turn your wrist counter-clockwise as if you were turning off a car’s steering wheel that was stuck in another position. To tighten the screw after use, do exactly as instructed above but turn clockwise instead of counter-clockwise this time.

How to adjust the blade angle?

There are two blade angle adjustment screws, one on either side of your circular saw. They will be at the same level and in approximately the same position as the hexagon head screw that holds the blade in place when you take it out to change it. 

Even though there is only one screw that determines how high or low you can cut into a board (the depth adjustment) and only one screw that adjusts the orientation of the blade to cut straight through perpendicular edges (the set plate), there are actually two separate adjusting screws for the upper and lower blade angles. 

This helps make cutting much more precise because these adjustments can be fine-tuned with accuracy, which means minor tweaks in degrees not major ones like 90 degrees or 45 degrees. To adjust the lower blade angle, twist it clockwise so that it’s higher. For a lower blade angle, twist it counter-clockwise instead.

How to set the depth of cut? 

The depth of cut is determined by the bevel adjustment screw that can be found just above or sometimes below the blade. You can adjust it to move the blade higher or lower into a board, which changes its thickness.

How do you avoid kickback?

Kickback occurs when your circular saw catches on something and sends it flying back at you, usually toward your face. It’s important to avoid this because it could cause injury to yourself or anyone else around you. To avoid kickback, look down at where you’re cutting with your eyes instead of using the edge of the wood as a guide. When you start making your cut, try not to let go of anything until after your circular saw has completely pierced through the wood underneath.

How to fine-tune the angle of your circular saw blade?

The set plate on top of your circular saw can be rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to make cuts at an angle. To give yourself more control over the cut, rotate it in small increments instead of 90 degrees at a time. This will allow you to make much more precise cuts which are very helpful when building complex structures like railings and stairs.

It’s important to know that you should never change the bevel or depth adjustments while your saw is running because this causes kickback almost every single time. If you do notice that something has caught onto the blade, immediately turn it off and wait until everything settles down before trying out any new adjustments again.