Handheld Circular Saw - How to Make Accurate Cuts at Any Angle

Handheld circular saws can be tricky tools to use accurately, they have a fence for cutting straight lines parallel and close to the edge of a board but how do you make a cut which is neither close nor parallel to an edge? With the help of some accurate marking out, a straight edge and some clamps the job is easy to do and you can achieve consistently good results.

So here's how to go about making accurate cuts with a handheld circular saw:

1. Mark the cutting lines onto the work.

2. Measure the distance from the edge of the blade's teeth to the edge of the tool's baseplate. Be careful which side of the blade you measure to, you want the cut to be on the waste side of the cutting line. Here the measurement is 36mm with the waste side on the left and 38mm with the waste side on the right.

3. Using the dimension you have established in step 2, mark new lines parallel to the cutting lines.

4. Clamp a straight edge to the work on the second lines that you have marked, not the cutting lines.

5. Support the work on both sides of the cutting line and ensure that there is nothing immediately below the saw blade's intended path. Taking all the safety measures reccommended by the manufacturer, start up the saw and guide it along the straight edge. Let the saw do the work and don't apply too much forward pressure.

And there you have it, you should have a straight and accurate cut on the waste side of your original lines.

Most circular saws have a v groove on the leading edge of the baseplate aligned with one edge of the saw blade. This can be used for establishing the dimension to the straight edge but again, be careful to make sure it is the correct side of the blade, here it is aligned with the left hand side (waste side on the right). I'm repeating myself but it is important, you want the cut to be on the waste side of the cutting line.

That's it for this post, go and have a go yourself and remember to enjoy DIY.