Circular saw safety

[Tom Bender]

Circular saws are made two ways, the blade can be on the left side or on the right side. If you run the saw with your right hand and hold the wood with your left hand you want the blade on the right side. Sometimes the saw jumps, you do not want the spinny part to jump onto your hand.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have known a few old timers who had one of each. They often had the guards wired up. One would hang on a nail on each of two sawhorses. They were the lead guy and stayed on the ground. I think the tiredest I have ever been was from trying to keep up with these guys as they sent rafters up to us whippersnappers. There was very little talking or measuring, Just a tough old guy with a little book, a tape, a square, a right hand saw, and a lefthand saw.

[Tom M King]

My favorite 7-1/4" ones are the mirror image Porter Cable 347 and 743. I use either depending on the application. Right blade, and left blade of the same version. They also made the same ones with a blade brake. I have a right bladed one with the brake for the way I cut rafter tails in place. I liked those saws so much that I've bought like new ones off CL for backups.

10-1/4" is a right blade, and 16-5/16" is a right blade, only because that is the only way those come.

Worm drive circular saws typically have the blade on the left.

Common sense allows anyone to use either version safely. Without such common sense, anything with whirly sharp things should not be used.

I've never had a circular saw jump in my hands, and don't understand that comment. The user needs to be in control of it at all times.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

I had skill worm drive and it was a lot ez'r to see the line. When the light weight Makita came out that became the go to saw. I still use the makita but wear a full face shield when looking over the top of it to see cutting osb....

[andy bessette]

...Common sense allows anyone to use either version safely. Without such common sense, anything with whirly sharp things should not be used.

I've never had a circular saw jump in my hands, and don't understand that comment. The user needs to be in control of it at all times.

This.

I am right handed and prefer the blade be on the left.

[Andrew Hughes]

Anyone remember the Porter cable Sawboss.
It was a great side winder that’s why they discontinued making it. :mad:

[andy bessette]

My favorite is the 5-1/2" Skilsaw.

[Michael Schuch]

This was always my favorite for cutting down sheet goods:

479668
It has been a long time since I have pulled out any of my old circular saws since I bought a track saw. There is an occasional hole in a sub floor that needs cutting but not much on the woodworking side.

[Tom M King]

I have two of those Michael. One a Rockwell I bought new, and the other one a Porter Cable that was too good to pass up.

Andy, are you talking about the old, all metal 5-1/2"?

I've been meaning to line up my circular saws and take a picture, but without including the collection of old ones. I made a good living with a circular saw for several decades.

[andy bessette]

...Andy, are you talking about the old, all metal 5-1/2"?...

I have several of these, each setup with different carbide blades, one setup to cut just aluminum. These have long proven to be superior tools, and so handy in size.

https://i.postimg.cc/tJghrm2f/7165-MB657-JL-AC.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Thomas McCurnin]

When I was a framer, we all used Skill Worm Drive saws, which only had the motor on the right and blade on the left. If you've ever lugged one of those monsters around for just a few minutes, you would realize that it would be physically impossible for that saw to jump anywhere except going straight. Indeed one of the attributes of that saw is that once you gotten going to the right of your waste line, that saw would cut straight as an arrow.

[Charles Lent]

One hand on the handle and operating the trigger, the other hand on the motor housing or front handle, if it has one. The wood should always be clamped down somehow. The guard should always be operational, but with a lever to allow lifting the guard slightly when making angled cuts where the guard gets in the way. It's very difficult to cut yourself with a circular saw if the guard works and you have both hands in use hanging onto the saw handles.

Charley

[andy bessette]

One hand on the handle and operating the trigger, the other hand on the motor housing or front handle, if it has one. The wood should always be clamped down somehow...

This simply does not work for such operations as framing.

When doing precise work with the workpiece immobilized, I use my free hand to guide the left front edge of the base plate while simultaneously holding the blade guard lever open.

[Michael Schuch]

When I was a framer, we all used Skill Worm Drive saws, which only had the motor on the right and blade on the left. If you've ever lugged one of those monsters around for just a few minutes, you would realize that it would be physically impossible for that saw to jump anywhere except going straight. Indeed one of the attributes of that saw is that once you gotten going to the right of your waste line, that saw would cut straight as an arrow.

I have never been a framer... but by the time I get my Mag worm drive Skill saw from my shop to my house where I need it I am worn out and need a break before proceeding to use it! LOL! :)

[Tom Bender]

When I suggest that the saw jumps it could be that the wood moves, the saw catches and jumps, the operator looses footing, a bee stings or any number of causes. It may only happen once in a lifetime but that can be enough. The safer saw is worth considering.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have only had two mishaps in over 40 years. 1- setting the coasting saw down on on parquet flooring when the guard had stuck. 2- sawing into an 18 foot aluminum that I was using for a work bench (no injury either time). We have several horror stories that occurred in our town including a fatality.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Holding on to the Skil Mag77 with both hands? Clamping down the wood? Use a square to square your line? I would have gotten fired for any of those. The saw was designed to be really heavy, powerful and work all day using the length of the saw, its inherent weight, and your knee.

The weight of the saw eliminates any kick back if you're sawing in a straight line, and given the saw's length and weight, that's all it can do. Indeed, if you got off the chalk line for some stupid reason, and tried to correct, the saw might bind, but never jump around. Cutting a pile of rafters on the lumber pile? Just set the blade really deep, and yes, it would kerf the 2x8 below it. Use that kerf to cut that board, and so on. We did plunge cuts, bevel cuts, miter cuts with a framing square and used the saw's length to act as a square. During the first year of apprenticing, they gave us a small booklet on the Skill 77 and all the framing tricks. I couldn't find it, but found this video, which goes through some of the amazing things you can do with a Skil 77 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDfpl1_I904

While some guys, slammed a nail into the guard, given the prominent finger handle on the guard and the tilting mechanism, it was unnecessary, and one could easily plunge cut without disabling the guard, and disabling the guard made one wait 10 seconds or so until the saw blade stopped, and on a union job, that 10 second wait, done over and over again, made the worker less productive. Hence, you got fired if the foreman caught you disabling the guard.

[Tom M King]

Andy, I had to look for the saw I was remembering. It was a 6-1/2". I had a 77 year old carpenter, Mr. Randolph Pierce, working for me in 1977 that loved that saw. It was pretty light for its day, and could still cut 2x's. Skil 534

https://picclick.com/Vintage-Skilsaw-Power-Tool-Skil-Model-534-353531091128.html?refresh=1

I don't have one of these, but will start looking for one.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I can't see how the blade being in the right or left makes any difference if the saw jumps. It's an out of control device either way and you are in peril. If this is a problem with your saw, something isn't working correctly on it and you ought to figure that out before it hurts someone.

Put me in the worm drive camp, they are just better saws for all the reasons the guys above have said, plus the handle position further behind the blade gives far better leverage for controlling them. If weight is a concern, get one of the lightweight models. Added benefit of bigger right arms when using them to cut 2x.

[Tom Bender]

I can't see how the blade being in the right or left makes any difference if the saw jumps. It's an out of control device either way and you are in peril. If this is a problem with your saw, something isn't working correctly on it and you ought to figure that out before it hurts someone.


Steve you're being deliberately blind to the difference. Of course grabbing the wood right next to the blade is more hazardous than grabbing it on the opposite side of the saw.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve you're being deliberately blind to the difference. Of course grabbing the wood right next to the blade is more hazardous than grabbing it on the opposite side of the saw.

Tom, when I grab a 2x to crosscut with a circular saw, my hand is around 6" away at least. The closest I ever cut is with a speed square as a fence, which I rarely do as it's slower than just cutting to a line. When I cut a sheet, I don't even hang onto the sheet, just push the saw. The biggest danger that I have seen is actually the blade protruding out the bottom of the cut, and forgetting that it is there as I shut the saw down. If you are hanging onto the board closer than that, you are doing it wrong. I've seen it, especially when I see guys cutting a 2x across their knees, standing, while one handing a circular saw. That is obviously stupid. Proper control is have the board on a horse or similar, one hand holding it down, one hand running the saw. As the saw leaves the cut, the blade guard can close and the saw is safe to wind down. The hand holding down the work is shoulder width approximately away from the blade as that is the natural, comfortable position. Even if the saw kicks, you are plenty far away. You loose all leverage if your hands are too close together. Another reason I don't like sidewinder saws, the dominant hand is right over the blade with the only control being twisting your wrist. That's a much weaker move than simply changing your arm angle like you can with a worm drive.

Another issue, how can you accurately cut a 2x to a line with a right hand blade (assuming you are right handed)? You have to be able to see that line in relation to the blade to accurately cut it. Guide marks are useless when they are 3" or so in front of the blade, which most are, you are just guessing on angle of attack and follow through. Forces you to use a speed square to make an accurate cross cut, which slows you down. Being able to see the blade making he cut is the game changer.

My point, danger from a saw kicking (which is extremely rare) is only if you are close to the blade. If you are in the bite of that, you are setting up the cut wrong. Currently I am running four crews building houses, and I personally cut enough with a circular saw to wear them out fairly often. I'm not coming at this with a lack of experience.

[Mike Kees]

Steve ,I have used nothing but "sidewinder " saws my whole working career as a carpenter. I can easily cut square across 2x4 or 2x6 without even a line. I did experience worm drive saws on a grain elevator job one winter. I worked on a concrete elevator from beginning to end (9 months). I was a carpenter on this job and we were handed a brand new Skil brand wormdrive at the beginning of the job and told to write our name on it with a sharpie. This was my saw for the job. I immediately noticed the weight difference. What I discovered is these saws worked great for cutting the fir we used for whalers building the slipform. Every thing is a curve ,laid out with a long 2x4 as a trammel bar. So we were cutting lots of pieces with curves, the worm drives worked well for this job. At the end of this job I was offered this saw for like $50, I thought about it and declined. I personally find "sidewinder" saws far quicker and easier to use for framing. I think that saw choice is a regional thing in a lot of ways, I do not know any framers here in Alberta personally that use a worm drive saw. There probably is one somewhere but I have not met him yet.

[Tom M King]

I'm just used to a sidewinder, and can cut on either side of the line, or take just the line with one. I like lightweight ones which is one reason I like the magnesium 15 amp PC 347 and 743's. Also, I like the balance better since the right bladed saw is right in front of a right handed person. The right blade is my first choice unless the left bladed one is better for a particular application.

[Myles Moran]

I have a left blade and a right blade saw. Given the right blade saw is cordless (and the left blade saw is a worm drive), i end up using the right blade 90% of the time. I've found that using a jig saw though is my preferred cutting method a lot of the time, especially for breaking down rough sawn lumber. Given the amount of twist there can be in rough sawn lumber, getting it properly supported can be a pain. Worst case, if the jigsaw binds it won't kick back as dangerously as the circular saw would.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

You guys that can accurately cut to a line without seeing the line, I know you can do it, I've seen old pros do it, BUT can you teach a new hand to do it quickly and reliably? In my opinion its something akin to getting used to the way specific way you used to have to coax your old pickup to start. You knew how to do it but when you told your wife how, it inevitably got flooded and you had to intervene.

[Thomas Wilson]

My father had a circular saw that jumped consistently. When I borrowed it for a job while I was in college, I realized why. He had tried to sharpen it and set the teeth. One side was set more than the other. The saw naturally cut a curve. If you forced it to follow a line, it would bind and jump when the blade was fully in the kerf. I bought a new blade. Problem solved. Growing up in the depression, my father was loathe to buy something new when the old thing could be fixed.

[johnny means]

Steve you're being deliberately blind to the difference. Of course grabbing the wood right next to the blade is more hazardous than grabbing it on the opposite side of the saw.

I'm not sure left and right hand saws fixes the wrecklessness that gets your hand that close to the blade.

[johnny means]

You guys that can accurately cut to a line without seeing the line, I know you can do it, I've seen old pros do it, BUT can you teach a new hand to do it quickly and reliably? In my opinion its something akin to getting used to the way specific way you used to have to coax your old pickup to start. You knew how to do it but when you told your wife how, it inevitably got flooded and you had to intervene. It's like driving, you don't aim at the point imediately in front of you, you aim at a point further ahead.

[Tom M King]

I gave up trying to teach anyone else how to do what I do decades ago. I don't even think about it myself.

[Rod Sheridan]

This.

I am right handed and prefer the blade be on the left.

Me also, my brother has a matched pair, sometimes it’s nice to have a choice depending upon what you’re doing.

I have a Skill worm drive so it has a left side blade…..Rod