A handheld, power circular saw is a useful tool for making straight cuts in timber or manmade board. It is much easier to use than a handsaw. It gives a better edge if correct type of guide is used.

Apart from cutting timber to size, it can also be used for:

• cutting rebates
• cutting miters or chamfers at any angle up to 45 degrees
• cutting wood away to start off a slot
• cutting through tongued and grooved floorboards

You can find a wide range of saws in the market. It is always better to know the basic options before you plan to buy one. Most of the circular saws will have same set of features. But the difference comes in how the manufacturer incorporates them into the saw and easiness in working with them.

A circular jaw’s performance depends on the power of the motor that is used in it. Motors generally range from about 500W to more than 1,500W. Larger the blade and deeper the cut, the high should be the wattage

A circular saw is very easy to use. But there is a potential hazard with the blade whizzing around at a few thousands rounds per minute. It should be used very carefully. Only use a circular saw which allows you to see the underside of what you are cutting and know about obstructions.

Look out for the power cable. It can easily find its way under the timber and you may not realize that it is there until you find it. So it is advisable to run the cable behind you and over one of your shoulders. Then the cable should remain out of your working area.

When you use a batten to guide the edge of sole plate, do not use a too thin batten. It may flex sideways as you work along it. The saw blade will be at a fixed distance from the edge of the sole plate. So you have to make appropriate allowance when setting up the batten. With the help of a piece of scrap timber you can determine the appropriate distance. Sometimes you may set the batten on waste side of the cut; at other times, on the finished material. For this you need to find the two distances between the edge of the sole plate and each side of the blade. Otherwise there is the problem of setting up the batten incorrectly. You may also undercut or over cut the material by the width of the blade.

You have to use a circular saw only on material which is well supported and stable. Remember that having cut though the timber, there will be an off cut. No need to worry about if it is a 25 mm strip of 3 mm ply. It will need full support if it is half a sheet of 32 mm ply. But, if the off cut is heavy and unsupported, it may – twist away before the cut is complete, cause damage to the cut edge, cause possible damage to the saw and lead to injury to the operator.

If you are sawing timber with a laminate finish, cut it from the back. Front of the saw blade cuts in the up direction. Because of this the laminate will be pushed onto the base material and will not be damaged. When you are cutting from the front it results in the laminate chipping as the laminate will be unsupported when the saw blade goes through it.

For safety purpose always you have to use a face mask and goggles.