Using a Circular Saw Safely - Beginners Woodworking #26

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Circular saws are one of the most popular woodworking, carpentry and home reno tools. Using them safely is very important for the user and in order to get good results from the saw.
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[@simeonbanner6204]

Appreciate this guy. Since my dad passed away I no longer have anybody to ask advice. I spent too much time in the art world and so it's nice to be in the world of men chatting about blades, shanks and woodworking in general.

[@jogmas12]

Simeon Banner my uncle was an artist and worked with wood as an artist. Table saws, circular saws, chain saws.... you name it, he used it!!!!

[@Jan2010new]

This helped me use a circular saw for the very first time...successfully and safely! First thing I cut? A full sheet of plywood! The "sacrificial" wood supports advice was priceless. Thanks much!

[@maniemakes1760]

i agree , wood support advice changed my whole life how wood gets cut

[@nsn876]

Bought my first circular saw a week ago. Have not installed the blade yet. I am making sure to watch all i can about safety before I start working with it. Great clear instructions provided. Just hope my projects turn out well.

[@DennisLuPresto]

Thanks Colin. I've been using a circular saw for years, but have never used a sacrificial piece as support. I've struggled with kick back, binding, and damaging larger piece when they fall. I was blown away when you showed us to use a sacrificial piece to support the material. it makes so much sense! I can't believe doing that never occurred to me. thanks!

[@fredblair8230]

I just did a few test cuts with my first new circular saw, kind of fun but also terrifying so I went to watch more tutorials and glad I found this one great tips.

[@hollysmith562]

I've just ordered my first circular saw and this video is the best one I've found on using a circular saw Colin is always so knowledgeable and clear and easy 2 understand I always learn new things with every video he makes thank you

[@knecht105]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@bacnneggs]

I just bought one and this was the first video I came across. I’m glad I did. This was a great primer. Short and chock full of very important information 👍

[@franzitaduz]

Thanks from a girl who has the desire to do woodworking, but no one around to show me. I feel safe doing my first cuts.. Cheers.

[@nihonbunka]

My tips, and stupid narrow misses, for cutting firewood with a circular saw are a) I chop the top off the little round lock button. I don't find the usual trigger push button difficult to push and I find it really scary when the saw locks on. Once I did not realise that the saw was locked on and plugged it in when the guard was off and the saw chased me around! I exaggerate. But even if you are not as stupid as me, chopping off the lock button is something that you may wish to consider. "Kickback" is the biggest issue when chopping firewood. 1) It is important to me to ensure I not standing behind the saw but rather sawing with my right hand at about the position it would be when on the arms of a chair so if the saw kicks back it will not do so towards your body. If you are doing a low of sawing (of firewood) I would recommend using a saw that is light enough to handle in this way. If you need to use both hands (as may be recommended when doing carpentry) then you are more likely to put that saw in front of you. I see that many recommend that one always have two hands on the saw. I do not. 2) But when there is kickback, it is nice to know that as soon as you take your finger off the button the saw is going to stop, hence my disabling the lock button. 3) Supporting the wood. This gentleman puts his wood on top of sacrificial wood and readjusts the depth every time he cuts. That would be quite time consuming if cutting all sorts of thickness of scrap wood for firewood. So I use a saw bench with a lot of supports parallel to the cut. The thing that causes kickback the most is when the wood is not supported by at least two supports on both sides of the blade so that as one cuts the wood collapses into a slight V shape, which impinges on the blade, causing it to kickback out of the cut. This is the thing to avoid. Always support your wood well. It does not have to be supported with a sacrificial piece all along its length but it does have to be supported so that both sides of the cut do not sag once the cut is made. 4) Take good care of where your wire is. I have seen many second hand saws with repaired wire. I have sawn through a wire once myself. This caused a big spark, and made me jump as it were, which could have encouraged me to injure myself. Make sure that the wire is going to impede movement of the saw nor behind you such that it impedes your movement. 5) Saw with more blades are less likely to kick back, I think. 6) Protect your nose and eyes from air born dust by working in a well ventilated environment and or using a mask. My wife got a sinus condition from sawing firewood. 7) Watch out for nails and screws that can also cause kickback and panic as sparks fly and the blade is blunted. Nails and screws could break a chain saw chain, with dangerous results, so circular saws are still better are dealing with them but after improper wood support I think that bits of metal are the biggest cause of kickback, perhaps (I check and have not hit any recently). 8) Take a rest when your arm gets tired. When you are fresh you can keep that saw away from you but after 30 minutes of cutting wood ones arm can become a bit wobbly. 9) I will probably think of some more.

[@manla8397]

timtak1 terrific tips from a seasoned user. Thank you..

[@sweettooth5737]

timtak1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️👍👍

[@bayan6325]

You gave a very good explanation ... i wish to make a movie with your advise on circular saw, we can saves human lives by doing this

[@gregwalker4236]

many yrs making a living with carpentry, but this was a nice reminder to be safe. can't see without specs so that's kinda covered..subscribed!

[@Believer21777]

Nice video I just showed it to my class I Am vocation instructor Thank you.

[@TheSlipperyNoodle]

Great video. I like to always have a little fear when using my circular saw.

[@Gravy_Master]

Gotta respect the blade man

[@khalildas741]

Of all the "how to use..." this is the only one that showed which way the blade rotates. The part about eye/ear protection leading to better quality.. wood sagging affecting the quality.. that was new to me.

[@ilkoconsult]

Ordered my very 1st circular saw and this video helps me a lot. Thanks you very much for informative and good narrated video.

[@bostonsailguy]

Thanks for posting video, a short pencil is better than a long memory, thanks for the safety tips

[@sandieemig4593]

Great information. Appreciate the sacrificial board tip. Saves the saw horse.

[@ChinhNguyen-yb3cp]

Thank you so much for the teaching.

[@19isthenumber]

Thank you. I just bought a circular saw today and really needed your tutorial!

[@knecht105]

Hope it helps! Thanks for watching!

[@JS-zz4ry]

Excellent video and excellent teacher

[@naturalist369]

What s relief and reassurance you begin with safety improvement ! Thank you ! Wonderful you are explaining the rationale for clear understahding , much appreciated 👍🏼

[@henninghellevik7155]

Excellent summary of using a circular saw safely. Thanks.

[@blackwolf1066]

Thank you for the instruction it is most helpful. I have used a circular saw table but never a free hand circular saw partly because I was always a little afraid of kickback so most things I have sawn by hand if necessary or used a jigsaw but now I am older it is simply too strenuous to do hand sawing especially several 2" x4"s. Your tutorial has given me the necessary safety tips as I have only just re-bought most of my power tools due to moving countries with different power supplies. So could not bring any of my English tools to Canada. which is a pain, when it took me years to gather all my English electrical tools. I have finally with birthdays etc. gained a circular saw, jigsaw, power planer, drill, electric screw driver and sander which I recommend to anyone. So back to having most of my tools again with extras except a table circular saw but I am not going to bother with that, hence having to watch this video for safety.

[@hardnox6655]

Good advice Colin. Safety is critical. Ear muffs also makes a person focus on sawing since there are no distractions. Also, it's critical to cut wood that has the bow down otherwise the wood will pinch when cut. For really clean cuts on plywood attach a 1/4" piece of plywood to the bottom of the saw plate with double-faced carpet tape to make a zero clearance plate. It virtually eliminates tearout.

[@knecht105]

+Hardnox Yeah there are a few things more I could have put in ... I think I might need to do a bit of a follow-up vid but I appreciate you mentioning it here, others will see and learn from it .... thanks buddy

[@radicallyforjesus]

Thank you! I am about to cut a few pieces and I have only ever watched others use one, and I appreciate the safety tips. understanding blade direction and supporting things well seems really useful tips.

[@chidoboy818]

Very good teacher. Thanks

[@anstef1485]

Thank you! I was scared of my circular saw... until I got a table saw...

[@elizabethcartner2005]

A great teaching. I am new to woodworking so this has been very handy, thank you.

[@fourtwizzy]

My favorite part of this video is how you never even turn on the drill until 8:26 seconds. Like how a real safety video should be. My wife and children thank you.

[@truthfinder6999]

Very useful advice. Thanks.

[@jnc5255]

Wow this is the best tutorial

[@appliedjainism]

Excellent video! Practical with many helpful, wise details. Sensitive, caring instructor. Appreciate your effort in putting this together for us!!

[@jenjones6284]

Excellent video. Thank you!

[@qigong1001]

An excellent review. I try to watch these safety videos often. I don't want to end up like my old woodworking teacher. He had toes for fingers.

[@knecht105]

+Slap Stick Ouch, I hate hearing about that ... but it happens

[@milanbabiak338]

Great tips, thank you very much, Sir!

[@ronc5386]

Yes good refresher information on the circular saw. Your right you do take the circular saw for granted. Good tip on supporting long boards and sheets of plywood to be cut. Learn something everyday. Thanks for the posting Colin.

[@knecht105]

+Ron C Thanks Ron .... appreciate your comment

[@bhajansinghriar7020]

Thanks sir for safety tips.

[@Higgiebaby]

@ the 3:15 mark, your close up shows the cord plug sitting right there, UNPLUGGED. Great job showing a very important step when changing out the blade or cleaning it. Thanks for another great video Collin.

[@yerithalal383]

Its great awarenes about c.shaw.very useful to beginners.

[@knecht105]

Thank You!

[@madaganuc8728]

Thank you for a very informative video I just purchase a circular saw for the first time so this will really help me a lot.

[@kiwitoffee]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[@Potterhead231]

I have been figuring out how to make a straight cut using circular saw. Commercial saw guides are too expensive for me. Thais one looks very promising. Thank you. I am going to try/

[@interman7715]

Good video on probably the most brilliant piece of equipment ever made.

[@myneighbortotoro5163]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, it helped me use my circular saw safety for the first time.

[@JayBunning]

Thank you for the detailed explanation of 'why' these things are important.

[@johnlord8337]

Thank you for doing a safe vid. Good protocols. Correctly teach them from the first.

[@knecht105]

+John Lord Thanks John

[@kylecorbett3191]

Wow what a great video. Thank you so much for this and that sacrificial wood tip !

[@UnstructuredData]

Thanks- I had no idea how to be safe or even how to operate, I feel much more comfortable

[@thomaseng6514]

Great video! great video series! Thanks!

[@Quacks0]

7:50 Wow --- great advice about supporting lumber with another beam underneath it! I'd never heard of that technique before --- yours is the first how-to video I've ever seen that demonstrated doing that. :D

[@RandyRandersonthefamous]

Very good made video, thank you.

[@lunadelsoldream]

I love your video. I'm a women and I learn so much with you about manipulating all these machine the safety way that now I'm confident using it with no fear. Thank you so much.

[@knecht105]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@icewolfy1]

Great video! I had a terrible kickback the first time I tried using a circular saw, of course doing all of the things wrong with 0% knowledge and experience. I'm too afraid for a second attempt, so I'll probably get someone to trim the deck boards for me! I wish I had seen this video before my first attempt. Thank you!

[@emadabuhagag222]

So helpful, thank you

[@knecht105]

You're Welcome!

[@tomzhao103]

Thank you for your sharing and advising, it may have saved a lot of fingers, and will do down the road for me.

[@margaritalopez4052]

Very helpful and easy to follow!!Thanks!!!

[@dowellmanson8792]

Great video! Thanks!

[@bushbuddyplatypus]

Best video I've seen for beginners. Thanks!

[@knecht105]

You're welcome!

[@dominicm6144]

Thanks for the video, just getting into basic carpentry and need some safety input.

[@Harlan_Ferguson]

Thanks so much for this video. I feel a lot more confident now

[@TheDirtyLuigis]

Great video!

[@TaylorClutter]

Thanks for this! I wasn't quite clear on the proper usage of sawhorses, this helped a lot!

[@knecht105]

You're Welcome!

[@ageriks0n]

Colin - that brought back some issues I had with a fiber blade cutting 1 x 1 bar stock. My circular saw at the time had a plastic housing and blade guard (Craftsman). The sparks from the cut started to melt the blade guard where they impinged on the guard. I have relegated that saw to an inexpensive home-made table saw configuration now!

[@knecht105]

+Alan Erickson wow ... that is quite the experience, I never heard of that before ...it always amazes me the things I hear and can learn on these comment areas ... thanks Alan, appreciate your post.

[@JoseRomero-kq9lt]

Excelente explicación! Muchas gracias por la enseñanza. Saludos desde Xalapa Veracruz México.

[@Scott-J]

Excellent video. Easy to follow, good information. It is nice to see explanations why you should do a thing. Thanks!

[@knecht105]

Thank You, Scott!

[@alextennis24]

Excellent video. Very instructive. thanks

[@kunalsarkar2246]

this is why I prefer jigsaws, they may be a bit slow but waaaay safer

[@mrchromaticable]

This was great. Thx! Grew up learning this tool as a skil saw. Wasn't til I was in my early 20's that I realized that it is a circular saw. Haha.

[@knecht105]

+Jason Topnik Yup ... me too, I guess that shows our age a bit ... well me anyway lol

[@procyanidin7462]

thanks for sharing! I had always thought the blade run clockwise and wondered if I had purchased a wrong tool( because the arrow indicates it runs counterclockwise) until I watched your video.

[@d1want34]

'sacrificial wood'.. damn why i never thought of this, thanks!!

[@BackyardWoodworking]

Good info there Colin I've seen it all as a Carpenter and plumber for over 40 years experience. Sometimes I wonder how people are still alive the way they work and use tools.

[@knecht105]

+Backyard Woodworking lol ... I'll be you have some great stories to tell Roland, I would love to hear some of them some time

[@haxmya]

These tips are really great.

[@knecht105]

+haxmya Thank you for taking a moment to comment

[@johnwaite9321]

Clamp the material down and use two hands on the saw, that's why there are two handles. Better control and better safety.

[@sheronhewage7771]

Thank you! 🙏

[@allanwelsh7620]

Nice help tips on using circular saw. Thanks man.

[@knecht105]

You're welcome Allan!

[@champhf]

Thank you for making this video very informative

[@harveyellis6758]

Great video! A small note - at 2:32 it is mentioned the arbor size if suggested as being 3/8" inch. Most circular saws have a 5/8" arbor hole.

[@knecht105]

+Harvey Ellis Thanks Harvey ... I missed that, thanks buddy

[@barnstar2077]

Thank you. I am very reluctant to get one safety reasons, but I know that not having one is holding some of my projects back.

[@aussiecrypto2733]

Im a fencer and use these saws every day, i only use the 9inch for chopping the tops off the posts because the 185mm is used for everything else, 1 thing i do that nobody to reduce kickback is after cutting a few checkouts i spray wd40 on the blade, the blade glides smoothly through even the toughest of timber hassle free.

[@GAZ1DAN]

Excellent Demonstration, very informative. Thank you. You have a new Fan and Subscriber.

[@knecht105]

Thanks for watching and subscribing Gary.

[@louisscott1063]

good job Colin great advice

[@knecht105]

+louis scott Thank you Louis

[@Retroweld]

Nice job. I enjoyed your tips.

[@knecht105]

+RetroWeld Thanks for commenting ... I appreciate it

[@heidip5528]

Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@martine3214]

Maybe follow this up with how to make one of those jigs that you slide your Circular saw against to get a good right angle cut?

[@knecht105]

+Martin Ellis Yeah ... probably a good idea, sounds like I need to do more on this topic ... thank buddy

[@eve3857]

Very helpful. Thank you so much!

[@jnavonoD]

Very good thank you.

[@neilyeag]

Colin your saw horses have a lot of nice "patina"!! Good tips on the saw use, thanks.

[@knecht105]

+neilyeag lol ..yes they do, I was thinking I should make some new ones for the video, then thought, no best to show things as they are ... thanks buddy

[@sharonh988]

Thanks for a very informative video.

[@knecht105]

+sharon h. Thanks Sharon for commenting

[@spudmourph73]

Enjoyed that... thanks

[@ifollowjesus1667]

You are a great teacher and always enjoy your videos.

[@owenbutcher1954]

Very Informative

[@46bovine]

Colin. you could use a 1" or thicker sheet of foam insulation board to support plywood sheets when cutting on sawhorses. No?

[@andremendes5116]

Nice tips... thanks

[@Boomers_Bud]

Another great video Colin. I have never used my saw with the metal cut-off blade before. I guess it is because I have always had a grinder for that purpose. I wonder how hard it is on the arbor and motor when you use it for metal. Derek

[@knecht105]

+GiddyUp994 I am sure metal cutting is hard on bearing too, but I remember years ago talking to some metal fabrication shop and that was all they used for cutting mild steel, aluminum and brass .... was metal cutting blades in a chop saw, the other thing, I was amazed at the life they were getting out of a blade, they told me the grinder type was too slow and I guess in a production shop - time is money ...

[@lapulapu3500]

Thank u sir! God bless

[@Mohamedalnaas]

thanks so much, very informative.

[@distant-dreamz2682]

Very helpful

[@benspinks342]

I’ve always been nervous about getting a circular saw, but this is a great video and it really put my mind at ease.

[@knecht105]

Hope it helps! Thanks for watching!

[@jaytechCFL]

Very good, Colin! Wonderful addition to the collection. Always appreciated.

[@knecht105]

+Jason Bourdon Thanks Jason

[@pamorale]

thanks for all the information!...

[@knecht105]

Thank you for watching!

[@chriscullen4994]

great video

[@paulina7937]

One thing I want to emphasize is making sure your saw comes to a complete stop after finishing your cut! I encountered a mishap with the saw after cutting my material. The small gap between the guard and blade got attached to my pants and gave me a 7 stitches on the right thigh after lowering the saw near my lower body ! Overall great video just wanted to through that out there