Used my circular saw for the 1st time - built my bench

[Mike Rees]

Hey gang,

Just wanted to let you guys know how I did this weekend. The bench is up, its sturdy, and I'm proud of myself !!! Some things I learned:

A. Its better to put the bottom panel for the shelf on before the top - I had to notch out my corners a lot more then I otherwise would have had to do if I could have dropped it straight down. The gaps are too wide, so it looks sloppy. It'll probably bug me for awhile.

B. Can't have enough Quick Grip clamps around ....

C. A good drill/driver is worth its weight in gold

D. It really takes a lot of practice to be comfortable w/ a circular saw - let alone any good at it.

To point 'D', I had more than my fair share of kickbacks. I had a number of nice smooth cuts, but I had more kickback than I would have ever liked. Sometimes it seemed no matter how I positioned the 2x material, it just wasn't happy. I think I have a tendancy to push down on the saw - which is not the way to go I've discovered.

I know you're supposed to keep both ends of the board level when cutting, but even when I put a 2x on the concrete choked up w/ some scrap 2x under each side, I still kicked back on the last sliver of cut. I was getting aggravated with the whole thing for awhile. At first I had only 1/4" of extra blade showing under the board. Then I moved to around 1/8".

Cutting sheet goods was another story - I did just fine w/ the saw and was very happy w/ my progress. Lobbing of the ends of 2x was easy for me too, but if I had a 8 foot board and needed 36" of it ---- I guess I just need more practice.

I'm wondering if it would have been easier to put the 2x under a miter saw ... ???

Mike

[Bill Arnold]

No pics -- it never happened! :)

Gaps? That's what moulding and 1" caulk are for!

[GERALD HARGROVE]

If you have a miter saw, yes it would have been easier. You also could have let the short end hang off the saw horses and drop once cut, that would prevent the kick back. But, you sometimes get a little splintering on the ends. For a first project, if it stands and does what you want, you succeeded. You can always build another one later.

[Mike Rees]

No pics -- it never happened! :)

Gaps? That's what moulding and 1" caulk are for!

Here she is.

[Mike Rees]

If you have a miter saw, yes it would have been easier. You also could have let the short end hang off the saw horses and drop once cut, that would prevent the kick back. But, you sometimes get a little splintering on the ends. For a first project, if it stands and does what you want, you succeeded. You can always build another one later.

I don't want to sound like a silly doof, but I'm quite fond of my bench. I've never really built ANYTHING before - so this is a accomplishment for me.

[Jim Rimmer]

I don't want to sound like a silly doof, but I'm quite fond of my bench. I've never really built ANYTHING before - so this is a accomplishment for me.

It looks good to me. Everyone on this forum had a "first" project and yours looks good.

[Matthew Hills]

Bench looks nice, and you're quite right about the addiction to the clamps! (other clamps are also needed at some points, but the quick clamps are hugely handy for a lot of things)

For crosscuts, you can make a crosscut jig (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Build/CircCrossCut.html) for your circular saw:
http://images.lowes.com/general/c/crosscutuse.jpg

Matt

[Bill Arnold]

I don't want to sound like a silly doof, but I'm quite fond of my bench. I've never really built ANYTHING before - so this is a accomplishment for me.
Everyone has to start somewhere and you did a very nice job on your first! I look forward to seeing future projects from you.

[glenn bradley]

Looks good. I rest my material on 2" thick white foam insulation for cutting but, 2X material is often wet and /or twisted and kickback is a problem. As Gerald said, letting the cutoff piece drop a bit can help but then splintering can be the issue. Practice, practice, practice.

[Homer Faucett]

Mike, you don't sound like a silly doof at all. It's easy to get caught up in all the tools and complicated joinery that is flashy and gets attention. Admiring neat tools and complicated joinery (and exotic lumber, finishes, etc.) is perfectly fine and natural, but your project looks very solid, and will perform a much needed service in your space.

My first workbench was built with the same tools and materials you used, and wasn't nearly as stout in construction. I have since replaced it, but it served me quite well for over 3 years. Nicely done.


I don't want to sound like a silly doof, but I'm quite fond of my bench. I've never really built ANYTHING before - so this is a accomplishment for me.

[Steven DeMars]

Not only does the bench look well built & sturdy . . .

I'll bet you will get more use out of that bench than you can imagine.

It will allow you to improve on any future projects just by having a good work surface to base from.

Keep posting pictures . . .

Steve:)

[Peter Pedisich]

Mike,

Nice bench! and by the way, after a few projects you won't even think about the gaps on the lower shelf. I did the same thing on my bench.

Learning by doing is the best way to learn.

Pete

[johnny means]

Well done. Nothing silly about a little pride in ones accomplishments. Just the other day I had to move one of my workbenches into some new space I got. Even after several years I found myself waxing nostalgic over it. It was the first thing I built in my own shop and the first step on a long journey of entrepreneurship for me.

That bench has seen me through the boom years and the lean years. I've had meals on it as well as naps. It's been a gathering place for friends and family. Unlike all the fancy machinery and tools around it has never failed me or broken. I've leaned on it in moments of deep thought, moments of brilliance, and moments of deep consternation. I counted on it, literally, when I was trying to figure out where the mortgage was coming from and I celebrated on it when the big payday came in.

Anyway, don't worry about looking like a "silly doof", your new bench is a big deal and you should be proud.:)

[Gary Kvasnicka]

Very well done. You might think about adding an vice, having a clamp already attached to your bench is very handy. I wish someone would have pointed this out to me years ago.

[John Noble]

Very well done. You might think about adding an vice, having a clamp already attached to your bench is very handy. I wish someone would have pointed this out to me years ago.

+1

Vises rule. So do clamps. With some clamps, a couple of good sawhorses, and a saw guide (no need to be fancy: I used a cheap 4 foot straightedge for a long time), there isn't much you can't do.

Nice bench. Not "nice for a first try", just "nice bench".

[Kelly C. Hanna]

The most important part of a circ saw is the blade. The wrong blade will bind and kickback easily. Also the wood itself can fight you...especially a 2x4, they can have some strange stresses that don't show themselves until it's too late.

When you use your circ saw, don't push down at all....just push forward and have a good grip on the saw and the work. Best results from ripping anything with your saw will come from a non stick blade like the Freud Diablo.

Nice bench! Always feels good to complete a project...especially your first!

[Mike Rees]

Thank you all for your tips and kudos - much appreciated !

[Jeff Willard]

Here she is.

Be sure to save a copy of that photo to compare to the condition of that shop in 2, or 5, or ?? years. People won't believe you when you tell them that the tools self-propagate. Actually, you'll have a hard time believing it yourself, and you'll need documentation to remain credible. Just like gremlins, they are.

"I'm wondering if it would have been easier to put the 2x under a miter saw ... ???"

See, It's starting already.

[GERALD HARGROVE]

The bench does look very good, actually much better than the one I built. Did not attempt to make you feel like a silly doof. I started out with similar tools and learned a lot as I went along. And now I am planning my next work table.

[Nathan Callender]

Great job! For the first time using a circ saw, you should be proud. The bench looks sturdy and well built!

As far as kickbacks with the saw, you want to use a blade where the teeth are pretty wide compared to the width of the rest of the blade. This will give you a little more wiggle room. So, don't use a plywood blade to cut 2x boards. :-) Also, pieces need to be supported in three places ideally - left, right, and under the saw. When cutting on the ground, if I'm not using foam, I will put scrap 2x under each side of the cut, and another piece directly under the cut. I then put one knee on the board I'm cutting to hold it in place. That way, even if I'm pushing down on the saw, it won't bind. The other thing you want to watch for is to make sure the cut is straight. If you twist the saw, it will bind and kick back.

Can't wait to see the next project.

[Mike Rees]

Great job! For the first time using a circ saw, you should be proud. The bench looks sturdy and well built!

As far as kickbacks with the saw, you want to use a blade where the teeth are pretty wide compared to the width of the rest of the blade. This will give you a little more wiggle room. So, don't use a plywood blade to cut 2x boards. :-) Also, pieces need to be supported in three places ideally - left, right, and under the saw. When cutting on the ground, if I'm not using foam, I will put scrap 2x under each side of the cut, and another piece directly under the cut. I then put one knee on the board I'm cutting to hold it in place. That way, even if I'm pushing down on the saw, it won't bind. The other thing you want to watch for is to make sure the cut is straight. If you twist the saw, it will bind and kick back.

Can't wait to see the next project.

I never thought to put a piece directly under the cut while I'm on the floor w/ it - good tip I'm anxious to see how that works out.

[John McCaskill]

I don't want to sound like a silly doof, but I'm quite fond of my bench. I've never really built ANYTHING before - so this is a accomplishment for me.

Looks pretty good to me. I've built lots O' stuff and have a shop full of tools, but am building a very simlar stand for my newly acquired Nova DVR lathe. Pics will follow once I get it as far along as yours.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

I know you're supposed to keep both ends of the board level when cutting, but even when I put a 2x on the concrete choked up w/ some scrap 2x under each side, I still kicked back on the last sliver of cut.

If I read you right Mike this is exactly how you should not use a circular saw. Unless you support the cut line you should not support both ends. Let the waste fall.

If you support but sides of the cut then you are almost guaranteed kickback. Your choices are to support just one side of the cut (and you will get some tear-out/splintering) or support under the cut as well as the sides. Think about the geometry. If you don't support one side then it will begin to dip as you cut it, and this will open up the cut as opposed to pinch the blade. If you have both sides supported then any downward pressure will result in pinching of the blade and thus kickback. If you support under the cut line with some sacrificial lumber then it is much harder to pinch the blade (but not impossible!).

Good luck!
Salem