How do I rip cut narrow wood using a circular saw?
I need to rip a 1″ x 4″ in half, and I’m not sure how to secure the piece of wood…if I clamp it down, the clamps get in the way of the saw. Does it make sense to screw the piece to a scrap board and leave enough overhang so that the saw blade can travel? There has to be a better way, right?
Suggestion by Gerald
Do it on the table saw — using the fixed adjustible arm for the distance…or go buy 1/2 inche strip…
Suggestion by Fred S
If you don’t have a table saw you can rent one on that small of apiece you will save your fingers
Suggestion by DIY Doc
Certainly a table saw would be the better option, but your notion does work. I do it often.
The issue might equate to screwing the 1 x 4 from the Bottom (The side that might not be seen in whatever purpose you intend)… to a piece of material large enough to accept the clamps without interfereing with the width of the saw PLATE. You might also consider a piece of 1x for the opposing side of the saw plate to glide over in a cut, to maintain stability. Obviously the CUT itself may not be as smooth as from a table saw, but that’s why sandpaper and planes were invented. The BRACE board need not be anymore than a piece of Luan or scrap plywood, etc. as long as it allows CLAMP space.
You could also perform the same process by clamping at an end, to midway, saw to the clamp. release the clamps; reset them BEHIND the cut, and proceed.
I guess I’m curious about the WHY of this? I’m going to assume you have a piece of 1×4 that needs to be 1×2~ +/- To FIT somewhere, and don’t have a 1×2 of the same material, like a piece of golden oak for cabinetry, etc.
Steven Wolf
Suggestion by unfinished_adolescent
Using table saw, set the arm distance from blade at 2″. Always stand to the left of the blade. After you feed it through about 2 feet, have another person gently pull the board through while you push it. The other person should be aware not to pull one way or the other, just str8 through.
how can i sharpen my circular saw blades?
i want to sharpen my blade because i dotn have very high rpm’s on my table saw and when i try to rip small boards my wood ends up smoking and being burnt im pretty sure that if i sharpened my blade it would help it slice through the wood
Suggestion by cara a
idk
Suggestion by eyespy
get a grinder,. or do it by hand with sand paper,..,
Suggestion by doug0102
You can go tooth by tooth with a file, or do what almost everybody does, take it to a sharpening place.
Suggestion by WJ
try maybe using a chainsaw file. Just be careful as that you don’t take the blade off balance, or it might wobble on the saw.
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Put the board between two pieces of scrap wood that is longer than your 1′ by 4′ board, and clamp the two pieces of scrap wood.
there should be a an attachment for the circler saw that slides into the saw to set like a rip fence
assuming the board is long enough, clamp it on one and and again a bit short of the middle. then use your saw on the other end until you get to the clamp. then reverse the clamps to the side already cut and finish the rest of the board
I would not use a circular saw to rip 1×4 It’s way to dangerous…….If you don’t have a table saw, then just go to the lumber yard and get one, Cheapest and easiest way……Not that much……I don’t know about you, but I like myself too much than to try something like that…….
I work at the Berkeley Tool Lending Library and we lend table saws for 3 days FREE!!!!
Always think about safety when using power tools……..
I have had to do this on job sites before as a handyman. The first thing you want to do is to make a jig. To do this take a piece of plywood I used 3/4″ about 12″ wide and as long as needed I used 96″ for length. Then take a 1′x6″ and screw to plywood screw each end and one in the middle. Now take your 1″x 4″ and put double stick carpet tape in 4 places cross the board now stick to plywood against the 1″x6″ fence on the jig this will hold while cutting set you rip guide on your saw and set depth of cut just below the 1″x4″ and rip in half. then remove from jig and remove carpet tape. You can get carpet tape at any big box store in your area.
i’d just go out and buy some larger stock, like 1X8, or 1X10, and safely rip that down instead! it’s cheaper than your fingers being sewn back on at the emergency room! if you have to use the wood that you have so that it matches something, then screw it to a larger piece of wood that you don’t care about, from underneath, like a 2X4 or 2X6, using 2″ screws, then rip cut it. even then, i’d center it on the 2X and cut through it into the 2X a 1/4″ or so. good luck, be careful.
You can mount the circular saw to the bottom of a scrap 2×12 with short screws and then turn it upside down. (You will have to make a plunge cut in the center of the 2×12). Then clamp another straight board to the 2×12 to use as a fence. This would create a sort of homemade table saw. It might be overkill for cutting a 1×4, but you can save the setup to use later.
You can also clamp the 1×4 towards one end, cut the board to that point and then move the clamp to the other end.
If you have material I suggest you make a jig to hold the board you are cutting. You should consider the guard on the saw so that you get your cut in the right place.
May be easier to go purchase some 1X 2 than to rent a table saw.
I sharpen mine with the same sharpening file I use on my chainsaw, it works well, and it is hell of a lot cheaper than going to buy a new one. It does take about 30 minutes to get them filed sharp again, but since the file itself only costs about 5 bucks maybe, and they last forever. Hope this helps!
Go to a hardware store and get yourself a sharpening tool / file. Other thing is that you might be using the wrong blade for that application. Try a different shape blade with more teeth. Low RPMs is never good for keeping blades sharp.
I had a similar problem. Bought a new blade that had hardened teeth and never had a problem again, that was 15 years ago. It can be too expensive to have them sharpened.
I would invest in a blade with carbide teeth. It will last longer and you need not worry about sharpening it.
buy a new one.. carbide is the only way to go.
and when that gets old.. buy a new one..
i wouldnt waste my time resharping a old blade
you can’t sharpen them, it is cheaper to get a new one.
I take mine to my saw sharping guy. He charges $ 5.00 for regular blades and 25 cents per tooth for carbide. But it may not be the blade. Try a new blade if you still have this problem it may be that the saw is out of alignment or that your fence is out of alignment. Both are easy to realign. Use a dial indicator to check the blade by running the indicator along the miter slot. You could use a combination square if you don’t have a dial indicator. If the blade is out of alignment you will have to loosen the trunnion bolts and adjust the alignment by moving the carriage. To check the fence slide the fence to the miter slot this should be parallel to each other. If not adjust till fence is parallel with the miter slot. These Two things will cause burning and possible kickback.
Sharpening circular saw blades is almost impossibe by hand. It requires special equipment where each tooth is ground exactly like the other. There are sharpening services that will do this for a fee. You have to weigh this fee against the cost of a new blade.