# How to cut straight with a circuliar saw



## Redneck chan (Jan 22, 2011)

How do you cut 2x4s easily with a circuliar saw. Is there a jig I can make


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

By holding a small framing sqaure (the triangle one) fast to the board... Or just do construction for a couple yrs... The later take a lil time though...


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## Redneck chan (Jan 22, 2011)

firemedic said:


> By holding a small framing sqaure (the triangle one) fast to the board... Or just do construction for a couple yrs... The later take a lil time though...


I'll try the first one


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

It works


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

What Fire and tcleve posted is a skill that dosen't come easy to some folks.....who subsequently give up on it.DON'T,you really really need to learn this skill.The problem for most is as follows;muscle memory takes LOTS of reps to get this skill down,don't wimp out...keep at it.You can really help your self learn if you get what we call welding or finger clamps.Vise grip swivel pad thing....google it,get the 11 model with swivel pads.

With above helper clamp...clamp the snot out of a CLEAN pc of 2x4(knots suck when learning this skill)back behind you.....then practice with a razor sharp blade and start cutting potato chip pcs.Your' trying to build the muscles in your left hand...which am assuming is holding the square.And they sell a bigger version of that sq which is a very nice cutoff sq.Once you learn this technique you can start doing half laps like their nothing.

Please note that a wormdrive(yes we have a few)is NOT to be used by a right handed person doing the above technique!!!!If fact wormdrives really aren't for novices to begin with.They have some specialized uses and I really steer newbs away from them......for Righty's get that blade as far away from left hand as possible.

But cutoff sq's work great in framing......and are used enough around general workshop to make it worthwhile learning.Any negative comments come from guys who can't get the knack of it.BW


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

There's a lot of neat jigs for a circ. Try googling "Circular saw jigs"

Also.... don't assume your new saw's 90 degree setting is 90 degrees or that the blade is straight in the shoe. Its amazing how often new stuff is close but still out of whack. There will be instructions for checking in the manual. 

You probably know this but..... beware of cutting that 2x4 at a point inbetween the sawhorses. As you cut, the pieces will drop, closing the kerf, and pinching the blade. 

I had trouble until I realized I kept thinking about the blade. If you think about it, the leading edge of the blade you see, right where it first comes out of the wood, is just a dot. That's what I was thinking about when I started. I put my brain on that dot and willed it to go in a straight line, but of course it was just a dot and I wandered all over. 

Have you had geometry yet? You need two points to make a line, and three to make a line on your intended flat surface (or "plane" in geometry class). The shoe is for the plane, and the guide is for the line. If your brain is on the dot where the blade first comes out of the wood, you'll wander. So eyeball the cut before you make it. Check for obstructions. Square and true your tool and then trust it. When you cut think "shoe" and "guide" and you'll buzz straight. For safety start thinking "blade" again as soon as the cut is done.

And I agree with the strength and muscle training. Football players and trumpeters practice of the same reason.


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## Demosthine (Jan 18, 2011)

One method I've used for cutting 4"x4"s with a circular saw is by making a jig for it. It would work the same for a 2"x4". I don't remember where I got the idea, but I think it was a special Circular Saw Jigs download from PlansNow or Wood Magazine awhile back.

On you table saw, cut two *square* pieces of 1/4" hardboard that are approximately 6" square. Then cut a 2"x6" or 4"x6" piece to act as a spacer. Being very careful to make sure you screw everything together square and that both sides of the hardboard are lined up perfectly, screw the hardboard to the spacer, thus creating a three-sided "sleeve" that will fit around the 2x4. Clamp the sleeve to the 2"x4" or 4"x4" and use both hardboards as your guide. Your circular saw's plate should slide smoothly along it. When cutting 4"x4" boards, you'll have to flip the piece over and cut again using the other hardboard. This probably won't matter with a 2"x4" if you design it right.

Take Care.

P.S. A quick Google search yielded this jig and this jig. Check this page for several other similar plans. And I found the Cutoff Saddle at PlansNow.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Far too many moons ago I earned a living installing alum soffet on new homes. The pieces had to be cut down from the 12' sections to fit under the eves.

I built a jig similar to those shown in the links above. It was simply a 12' 2x12 used as a work table to hold the soffet sections, a couple of short 2x4's nailed to a piece of 1/2' plywood that fit under the 2x12 table, and two pieces of the same J channel used to hang the soffet nailed in place for the foot of the circular saw to slide in while cutting the soffet panels.

This set up was then placed on a couple of saw horses and I was able to cut through multiple soffet panels making a nice straight cut every time. The nice things about using the J channel was that it wrapped around the saw foot and prevented the saw from lifting and kicking back at me, which happened a lot when cutting vented alum soffet.

Of course I wasn't worried about any tear out with the alum. However, the same kind of thing could be made to cut wood but tear out would become an issue unless it was made so that the saw was very close to the piece being cut.


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## Demosthine (Jan 18, 2011)

I've never tried it, but I hear people swearing all the time that if you wrap the piece in blue painter's tape or masking tape, it will stop the tearout. You end up cutting through the tape. I really need to try this someday, but I never remember to have either types of tape on hand...


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

the square does work, just realize that there is a "bump up" in the square fence that may hit the underside of the saw motor, it does on both my saws. so i have to raise the saw cut 1/4" or so from max depth to clear it. I have made a cut off jig which serves the same purpose.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

BW's directions and cautions are spot on. I'm a righty and, the only circular saws I've ever owned have been Skil Worm drives. It can be intimidating at first, but the shoe riding against the edge of the square provides some degree of safety. But then, one could attach a larger plywood sub base. This would also help with tear out. A good blade will, too.
My square is pretty old and quite thick. The ones I see in the stores are thinner. If you can find the thick one, that's the way to go.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Nothing new about a cutoff sq.I bought this one back in the early 70's......and its a carry over from Porter Cable days.And if I had to guess,would say this pattern started in the 30's.You can see this style would deffinately not play nice with a wormdrive,haha.BW


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

Buy a 10' 2x4. Use a speed square to draw a line. Cut your line free hand. Repeat until you run out of 2x4. You'll know you've got it when you can split your pencil line consistantly. 

Speed squares are great but there's no reason to rely on them to make your cut. It takes extra time to move the square back and forth and align it with blade and line.

This is a great method for a short cut with a circular saw. For longer cuts on sheet goods you can make an inexpensive T-square type guide out of hardboard and 1x material.

J


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Maybe it's on sale at your Lowes too?


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