How to hold a circular saw

[Cesar Vega]

I've just got one, a hand circular saw, and never used one before.
I read all the manual, yes I read it.

And the most important safety and usage points about this specific (hold it) I read were:
- Always hold the saw with two hands
- Don't be inline with the saw
- Don't change body position during the cut.
- Never use your hands to hold the cutting panel.
- Use the wider side of the support shoe on the holding piece.

Now, watch this guy in a dewalt commercial, he switches position and kept that ackward position through all the cut:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44gRuA7yGak

This guy showing how to make a jig, uses the wider side of the shoe on the cutting side holding it by hand, it cuts from right to left and to left to right interchangable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5dW-QcgeI

This "expert", show how to do it, adn though he never turns it on, he is using the wider side on the falling piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFCJ-1rpuYs&NR=1

So, I'm concluding 4 things:
- You can only follow all manual rules with short cuts because all the length you have available is of your arms and the bend of your back.
- For long cuts, in order to follow the manual rules, you'd have to use it left handed.
- Nobody is holding the cutting piece or they're end up holding it with the hands.

So? What's the correct way?

[Larry Edgerton]

In reality there can be no hard and fast rules because of the many things that you ask a skil saw to do.

I do have one hard and fast rule however:

If it does not feel right, I find another way to do it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cesar,

Always know where the blade is at all times.

I know a person who was remodeling a residence and cut their femoral artery usign a CS. They were working by themselves. They had a tough time using the telephone to call 911 while applying pressure to the artery to keep from bleeding to death. It nearly cost this person their life.

[glenn bradley]

I am right handed and so when possible use my right hand (I may use two hands depending on position) if not, I'll use the left. I determine the hand based on the safest position to be in to make the cut. Generally if you are positioned awkwardly to make the cut, you are not setup right. Stop, correct the clumsiness factor and start again.

Perfect world; I use my right hand on the trigger, left on the forward grip, stand to the left of the saw and walk it along the cut.

P.s. The right handed guy in the first video was doomed from the start; bad position, bad prep and camera angle taking priority over safety. Yield = poor video.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Whatever you do - don't hold it like Tom Silva does a lot of times!

I love TOH and ATOH, and Tommy Silva is a god - however - he's going to be a few fingers short some day.
I've seen him many a time grab a circ saw with one hand and drape the other hand over the top of the saw.

How he's gotten away with that bad habit for so long is a mystery.

[Cesar Vega]

Cesar,

I know a person who was remodeling a residence and cut their femoral artery usign a CS. They were working by themselves. They had a tough time using the telephone to call 911 while applying pressure to the artery to keep from bleeding to death. It nearly cost this person their life.

Well, yeah, that's my secondary fear: the legs.
If I manage to hold the circular saw with both hands, so no risks for the hands, but if at the end of the cut, I just can't correctly hold the saw while still spinning, the inertia will guide the blade to me if I still holding it... but then, that's why there's a blade guard... right?

Now, if for some reason the table or horse holding the piece to be cut fells towards to you with, the guard won't be able to close and again, it will go against you... is that how that accident happened?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cesar,

I'm not sure how the accident happened.

The person who got injured was a coworker whom I had worked with on a number of occasions at various places around the country.

I was talking to another coworker/friend who knew I was remodeling a bathroom and he asked if I'd heard about this other person's accident.

What he did tell me was that this other coworker cut the femoral artery using a circular saw....had a hard time applying pressure to it while dialing 911.....and nearly bled to death.

[Cesar Vega]

Perfect world; I use my right hand on the trigger, left on the forward grip, stand to the left of the saw and walk it along the cut.

But this only works for thin panels, right?
Again, you can only go as far as your arms + your column...
or
If you're on the left side of the saw and in front of the work, then you're using the thin part of the support shoe, right?

[Stephen Cherry]

One thing to remember is that experienced people are chopping themselves up with these saws regularly.


Two hands on the saw makes it pretty difficult for the saw to get to your fingers (although it wants to).

[David Cefai]

My take on this:

- Always hold the saw with two hands
Absolutely.
- Don't be inline with the saw
You can only be in line with the saw if cutting a short piece so this is not too much of an issue. However remember that a kickback will send the saw flying back and if you're in the way.........
- Don't change body position during the cut.
Doing this means moving your feet, means the possibility of tripping while holding a spinning saw. It also means the possibility of twisting the saw and getting kickback.
- Never use your hands to hold the cutting panel.
You ARE holding the saw with both hands aren't you?
- Use the wider side of the support shoe on the holding piece.
I would rephrase this as "Use the wider side of the shoe on the part which will not be loose at the end of the cut."

When cutting large panels all the above translates into standing by the "to be loose" piece with the saw riding against a fence clamped to the "other" side.

Make sure that the cord will not get caught by anything and that you will not cut it. Double check the ground, that there is nothing that can trip you up.

I support the cut off piece as well as the main panel. This usually means having to stop the cut to re-position the supports. Pull the saw back a few mm and let the blade spin down in the cut. When you restart ensure that the blade is properly aligned in the kerf and the blade is still pulled back. Take the opportunity to re-position yourself before you start the saw.

You will need to plane the cut edges to clean up where you stopped and restarted but on the other hand you should end up with an unaltered finger count and no blood on the wood.

I hope this helps. It has worked for me for 30 years.

[John Toigo]

I'll add a couple things.... Be careful where you put the saw down. If it's still spinning it could run on you. Don;t put the saw down on the cord. Just bear in mind - the blade doesn;t much care what it cuts. Wood & meat are all the same to the blade.

I'm right handed but I am very fond of my left-handed PC saw. I find it much easier to see what I'm cutting & don;t have to lean over the saw.

[Jeffrey Patrick]

Cesar,
If at all possible, you should seek the hands-on advice of a trusted co-worker or friend. You probably know someone with experience... ask them for help.

In reading all the advice above it is obvious that the primary danger with a circular saw is kickback. So the main thing to keep in mind is to avoid kickback. Some rules:
1. Don't try to cut any sort of curve... take great pains to keep the cut going absolutely straight.
2. If you have to stop cutting midway through... hold onto the saw until it comes to a complete stop without removing it from the wood. Before starting again, back it up a bit so the teeth are not engaged. Take care that the saw is heading in the correct direction, get a good grip, then turn it back on.
3. Don't ever go backward with a running saw!
4. Watch out for the offcut piece... don't let it fall awkwardly and pinch the blade.
5. Support the stock firmly.
6. Wet wood will often warp while being ripped... this may pinch the blade and cause kickback.
7. Keep out of the way as best that you can but don't compromise control for it.

You'll learn which rules you can shade after becoming very experienced. If you watch professional framers, they "break" the rules all the time. But, hopefully, they know what to expect and can compensate.

[Cesar Vega]

One thing to remember is that experienced people are chopping themselves up with these saws regularly.


Two hands on the saw makes it pretty difficult for the saw to get to your fingers (although it wants to).

You almost make me run to home depot to return it!

Most wood suppliers here offers free cutting service, so I can go with my cut plan and get all my pieces already cut.
I just need a cut here and there sometimes.
So, I bought this instead of a small table saw because it is less bulky, and I also thought it could be easier.

Now, that I read all this stories, seems a circular saw is actually more dangerous than a table saw.
What do you think about this comparison in terms of safety?

[Mark Beall]

You almost make me run to home depot to return it!

Most wood suppliers here offers free cutting service, so I can go with my cut plan and get all my pieces already cut.
I just need a cut here and there sometimes.
So, I bought this instead of a small table saw because it is less bulky, and I also thought it could be easier.

Now, that I read all this stories, seems a circular saw is actually more dangerous than a table saw.
What do you think about this comparison in terms of safety?

Personally, I'd say a table saw is more dangerous (as pointed out above, if you're holding onto a circ saw with both hands, it's really hard to cut off your fingers). However both are if used improperly.

For a lot of what it sounds like you might be doing you can do this:
- Get a piece of foam board insulation.
- Put what you're cutting on that.
- Hold down the piece by kneeling on the larger side facing where you want to cut (now you're not in the line of the blade). You can't do this with small pieces, but you don't want to be trying to cut very small pieces with a circ saw.
- Set the blade so that it just cuts through the wood (you don't want to cut all the way through the insulation board).
- Keep both hands on the saw as you make the cut.
- After the cut, let the saw spin down before putting it down on anything (sometimes those blade guards can get stuck).

mark

[Keith Westfall]

Now, that I read all this stories, seems a circular saw is actually more dangerous than a table saw.

In reality, the saw is no more or more less dangerous than any other tool. Left to itself, it won't do anything dangerous at all! Only when we get a hold of it, does it change it's possibilities.

While reading the manual, you discovered that there is no "right" way and a lot gets lost in translation.

As was suggested, if you are not sure, or comfortable with it, find someone to show you, but be aware that "they" might not do it right either. (asking 10 guys = 10 different answers).

Take your time, and you will discover that it is pretty easy to use and will be as safe as your working habits permits.

Don't rush into a cut, don't stretch beyond you easy reach, and BE AWARE at all times of what you are doing.

It is, and can be a very useful tool if used with care and attention.