Before you start
- The blade. Sharp, clean and right for the job: DEWALT's track-saw manual says a fine-tooth blade for plywood. Fit and tooth counts are in blades.
- The guard. Check the lower guard swings freely and snaps closed. Never pin, tie or wedge it open.
- The cut list. Lay the parts out on the sheet before marking it — the cut list optimizer does it with the kerf allowed for, and the plywood calculator counts sheets.
- Marking. Mark both ends of a long cut and join them with a straightedge; measuring and marking covers the method.
Support the sheet so the kerf stays open
This is the step that prevents the most kickback. DEWALT's manual says large panels sag under their own weight and must be supported on both sides, near the line of cut and near the edges; cutting a sheet held only at its ends lets it sag, close the kerf and pinch the blade. Its track-saw manual adds a practical way to do it: 2 × 4s laid lengthwise between two sawhorses, under the panel, so it cannot sag in the middle. A platform you can build in an hour is in DIY track saw; sawhorses themselves are in sawhorses.
- Good face down. The blade's teeth cut upward, so DEWALT says to put the face where appearance matters downward: any splintering is on the face that is up.
- Wider part of the shoe on the supported side. Not on the piece that will fall off.
- Clamp the work. DEWALT says always clamp it; Milwaukee says never hold it in a hand or across a leg.
Set the depth
| Source | Rule | Reason given |
|---|---|---|
| DEWALT DWE575 manual | Expose half a tooth | The shoe supports the blade, reducing twisting and pinching |
| Makita SP6000 manual | No more than one tooth | Cleaner, safer cuts; less risk of kickback |
| DEWALT DWS520 and Milwaukee 2831 manuals | About 1/8 in (3 mm), no more | Best results; less blade exposed |
Each rule is the maker's own for its saw. DEWALT's DWE575 has a depth scale in 1/8 in steps to 2-9/16 in at 90°.
Setting depth on an ordinary saw
Disconnect the saw
Unplug it or take the battery out before any adjustment.
Hold it against the work
Lift the guard, set the saw beside the edge of the sheet with the shoe flat on top, and loosen the depth lever.
Set and lock
Lower or raise the shoe until the blade reaches your manual's figure below the bottom face, then lock the lever firmly. A loose lever lets the depth shift mid-cut.
Guide the cut
DEWALT's manual says to use a rip fence or a straightedge guide when ripping, because it improves accuracy and reduces binding. For crosscuts in boards, a speed square held against the edge and the shoe gives a square line. For long cuts in sheets, clamp a straightedge at the distance from the shoe's edge to the blade — or use a shop-made track whose base is trimmed by the saw, so its edge is the cut line. On a plunge saw, the rail does this — see track saws.
Making the cut
Line up
Set the shoe's front on the work with the blade clear, the kerf indicator or sight line on the mark, the guide against the shoe.
Stand to one side
Grip the saw firmly with both hands, your body to one side of the blade, never in line behind it.
Start before contact
Let the saw reach full speed before the blade touches the work. DEWALT warns that starting with the blade against the work or in the kerf can cause kickback.
Push steadily
At a pace that lets the blade cut without labouring; Milwaukee says to advance slowly to avoid splintering. Do not steer back to the line mid-cut.
If it binds
Release the trigger and hold the saw still in the cut until the blade stops. Find the cause before restarting.
Finish and wait
Let the guard close and the blade stop before lifting the saw away. A brake shortens the wait but, Milwaukee says, is no substitute for the guard.
Causes of kickback and what prevents each
| Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Sheet supported only at the ends | Supports on both sides near the cut and near the edges |
| Cut-off sagging or falling | Support the off-cut; never cut an overhanging piece upward from below |
| Long narrow rip strip twisting | Rip fence or straightedge; support the strip |
| Blade too deep | Depth set to your manual's figure |
| Forcing through a knot or nail | Let the blade cut; check stock for metal |
| Steering back to the line | Release the trigger, let the blade stop, withdraw the saw and start again on the line |
| Lower guard snagging below the work | Clear space under the cut |
From DEWALT's DWE575 manual. On a plunge saw, the riving knife and rail controls add further protection: see track saw safety.
Before each cut
- Blade sharp and suited to the material
- Depth set and the lever locked
- Sheet supported on both sides of the line, good face down
- Guide clamped, work clamped
- Cord or battery clear of the cut
- Eye and hearing protection on
Other ways to cut straight, including by hand, are in cutting straight. Keeping the blade sharp and clean is in blade care, and the saw's parts and guards in the circular saw guide.
Sources
Steps are those the saw makers give in their manuals; depth rules differ by maker and are attributed. Your own saw's manual governs.
- 1.
DWE574, DWE575 7-1/4" (184 mm) Circular Saws, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: Large panels supported on both sides near the line of cut and near the edges; the good face down because the saw cuts upward; the wider part of the shoe on the supported side; clamping the work; the saw at full speed before it touches the work and pushed at a pace that lets it cut without labouring; a rip fence or straightedge for rips; depth set to expose half a tooth so the shoe supports the blade; the kickback causes — support at the ends, sagging or falling cut-offs, long narrow strips, too deep a blade, forcing through knots, steering in the cut, a lower guard snagging; releasing the trigger and holding the saw still if the blade binds; the 2-9/16 in maximum depth in 1/8 in steps.
- 2.
DWS520 Heavy-Duty Track Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: Supporting a panel on sawhorses with 2 × 4s laid lengthwise between them to stop it sagging; a fine-tooth blade for plywood; about 1/8 in below the work for a plunge saw.
- 3.
M18 FUEL 6-1/2" Plunge Track Saw, Cat. No. 2831-20, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: No more than 1/8 in below the material; work secured to a stable platform and never held by hand or across a leg; lining up the sight line with the cut; letting the motor reach full speed before cutting; advancing slowly to avoid splintering.
- 4.
Plunge Cut Circular Saw SP6000, Instruction Manual. Makita.
Used for: No more than one blade tooth projecting below the work.
- 5.
M18 FUEL 7-1/4" Circular Saw, Cat. No. 2732-20, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: The brake no substitute for the guard; the 2-1/2 in depth at 90° of a 7-1/4 in cordless saw.
About this tutorial
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