Making a Straight Cut - What Am I Missing: I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/circular-saws/how-to-cut-straight-with-a-circular-saw?pmcode=&_cmp=TFHContentEmail&_ebid=TFHContentEmail10/13/2015&_mid=67590&ehid=73A5119F6D6B55A335D41D8BD7D8D335A74FB2CE

proteus1 Loc: NEVADA

BRAINS

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

The saw sits ON the thin board, and the edge of the thin board actually goes on your cut line.

jerryc41 wrote:

I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/circular-saws/how-to-cut-straight-with-a-circular-saw?pmcode=&_cmp=TFHContentEmail&_ebid=TFHContentEmail10/13/2015&_mid=67590&ehid=73A5119F6D6B55A335D41D8BD7D8D335A74FB2CE

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

buckwheat wrote:

The saw sits ON the thin board, and the edge of the thin board actually goes on your cut line.

But why? When I clamp a board to guide the saw, the cut will be straight. So the only advantage here is having that thin board on the line? If I start the blade on the line and have the guide board in place, my cut will be straight. That's been working for me for years.

Robert Graybeal Loc: Myrtle Beach

jerryc41 wrote:

But why? When I clamp a board to guide the saw, the cut will be straight. So the only advantage here is having that thin board on the line? If I start the blade on the line and have the guide board in place, my cut will be straight. That's been working for me for years.

but, you are getting older now ( and shakier )
use the straight edge.

:lol: :lol:

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Robert Graybeal wrote:

but, you are getting older now ( and shakier )
use the straight edge.

:lol: :lol:

Yes, older and shakier, but when I clamp a straight board and guide my saw along it, I get a straight cut.

SmittyOne Loc: California

jerryc41 wrote:

Yes, older and shakier, but when I clamp a straight board and guide my saw along it, I get a straight cut.

From what I saw, he is using the thin edge as a straight edge, so that he doesn't have to figure in the width of the saw base assembly when clamping down his thick board. The thin board width is exactly the same as the base assembly to the saw blade. That automatically positions the thick board for the edge of the base assembly to run against.

And Jerry, I use your method, mark the line to cut, sit the guide the width of the base assembly less the width of the saw blade, clamp, and cut. Some people don't like all that measuring. Ha.

Bobbee

jerryc41 wrote:

I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/circular-saws/how-to-cut-straight-with-a-circular-saw?pmcode=&_cmp=TFHContentEmail&_ebid=TFHContentEmail10/13/2015&_mid=67590&ehid=73A5119F6D6B55A335D41D8BD7D8D335A74FB2CE

Cutting width measurement guide.

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

[quote=jerryc41]I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

It"s easy. The thin board is to line up the guide the board so it will be the correct distance so you get the correct cut. You will notice that he set the edge of the thin board right on the line to be cut and that the thin board was cuts to be the right distance for the saw blade. The correct distance from the guide board and the line to be cut. It eliminates all of the measuring and fiddling.

GreenReaper

[quote=jerryc41]I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

Hey Jerry, Here is what I did. I used a piece of 1x8 with a straight strip screwed to it, parallel. The distance from the edge of the 1x8 to the strip is the width of the shoe of my saw. All I have to do is clamp the guide to my work piece on my cut line. Fire up the saw and away I go. I made two one for pieces 8' long and one for short pieces. I got tired of wavy cuts. Should have added it's the distance from the edge of the blade to the edge of the shoe. Just make sure you have it lined up on the correct side of the line. Keep smiling :)

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

I clamp a piece of wood as a guide when I want to make a long straight cut with a circular saw. Why does this guy say to attach a thin piece of wood to the guide?

http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/circular-saws/how-to-cut-straight-with-a-circular-saw?pmcode=&_cmp=TFHContentEmail&_ebid=TFHContentEmail10/13/2015&_mid=67590&ehid=73A5119F6D6B55A335D41D8BD7D8D335A74FB2CE

The thin piece of wood becomes your line to cut, seen this presented several times, slightly different each time, first time I saw it was probably Norm Abrams, the straight edge guides the saw the thin wood is cut to be a placement guide, perfectly straight and in the right spot, Oh Yeah, but it does help a lot, saves all that clamping and reclamping to get it right.

zigipha Loc: north nj

I agree with the previous poster - you use the thin board to line up the assembly with the cut line, but use the thick part board as the piece that keeps the saw in place; you don't rely on the thin board to guide the blade, you use the thick board to guide the saw body

Don Fischer Loc: Antelope, Ore

Get rid of the side winder saw and get a worm drive. Then look right down on the blade and cut! Easiest way will still be a table saw!

wolfman43 Loc: Michigan/Florida

Jerry, the reason for the thin piece of wood is to prevent scratching of the finish wood that you are cutting. Notice, that the saw is sitting on top of wood. Normally I would use painters tape on bottom of skid plate to prevent scratching on finished wood. ( That is my thought on the thin board.)

smilex3md

With the thin board you don't need t measure the distance from the edge of the saw to the edge of the saw blade. You just line up the thin board with your saw line. Mush more accurate then measuring every time.

jerryc41 wrote:

But why? When I clamp a board to guide the saw, the cut will be straight. So the only advantage here is having that thin board on the line? If I start the blade on the line and have the guide board in place, my cut will be straight. That's been working for me for years.