Just drag and push - this is what you need to do when you are cutting anything with a circular saw. The wheel-like toothed saw is extremely useful when you need to apply less effort and yield a better cutting result than any other saw. And when the saw is a compact one - it gets even better. It becomes lightweight, easy to handle, and convenient to reach some of the narrowest of places. But you may ask - what is a compact circular saw used for?
If you don’t know how exactly you can use such a device, you can’t reap the benefit out of it, can you? So in this piece, we will look at some of the most common uses of a compact circular saw.
What Is A Compact Circular Saw?
A compact circular saw is simply the compact version of a regular circular saw. A circular saw is a power tool that comes with an abrasive blade that is commonly referred to as toothed.
It is used to cut different materials using a rotating mechanism. It rotates like a wheel at a crazy speed and cuts through the material pretty easily.
The History of the Circular Saw
The history of circular saw dates back to the civilization of Indus valley. Some historians opine that the base of this saw was grounded in the Lothal region of Gujarat. It was around 18th century when the circular saw was invented.
Back then, it was merely a rip-saw that could turn logs into lumber. Although we can locate the origin today, it is not quite confirmed as to who invented this machine first.
Since the first invention, the machine went through a lot of change and development. Sawmills used to use circular saws of smaller diameter to resaw the lumber dimensions to turn into lath and wall studs. And as technology advanced day by day, the application advanced, too.
You may also asked Inventing the Circular Saw: A Brief History
The 7 essential uses of a compact circular saw
Although there are a lot of innovative ways you can use a compact circular saw, here are 7 easy and regular ways you can use one.
Let's start with us.
- A Normal Straight Cut
- Use It As A Miter Saw
- Don’t Forget Bevel Cutting
- Cutting Long Plywood
- Firewood Log Cutting
- Cut Down Large Timbers
- Quick Rip-Cut
A Regular Straight Cut
It doesn’t matter if the saw is a circular one or a what; it is a saw in the end. So when you’re using such a power tool, it’s completely okay to use it as a straight cutting tool.
You can use the compact circular saw as a regular straight cutter. Simply use it on any material that you want a straight cut on and run it forward and backward. It will do the job pretty well.
Use It As A Miter Saw
Being lightweight and compact comes with a number of perks for this circular saw. One of the benefits is that you can easily attach a tilting shoe beneath it and convert it into a miter saw. Simply attach the shoe and carefully cut along the sides of the wood log to get the perfect side cuts you want.
With a tilting shoe attached, you can cut at an angle between 0 to 45 degrees. So keep that in mind when you are going for it. But before you use it, make sure you’re using the best compact circular saw you can get.
Don’t Forget Bevel Cutting
Obviously, as you can get a miter cut with the saw, it’s not quite a surprising fact that the machine can also be used as a bevel cutting one.
As for the tilt you get, it is exactly the angle you can afford for miter cutting. The range is from 0 to 45 degrees.
But you can’t reach the depth beyond 1.5 inches with it. So if your bevel cutting requirement comes with more than 1.5 inches of depth need, this is not going to work in that case.
You may need to get a bevel cutting saw instead.
Cutting Long Plywood
Another perk of using a compact saw is the uninterrupted cutting experience. Being lightweight and easy-to-handle, the device can be used to cut through long plywood with ease.
All you need to have is support beneath the plywood to keep it straight, and you use one hand to make sure the wood doesn’t move away.
Then simply drag the saw along with the length of the plywood, and you get a nice, long cut!
Firewood Log Cutting
Another brilliant use of a compact circular saw is to cut firewood logs into smaller pieces. Now, you do cut the initial logs with chainsaws and other heavy-duty ones, but to further cut the logs into smaller pieces, a compact circular saw works wonders.
It will make sure that the wood pieces are cut smaller for regular use in the fireplace. Plus, it won’t cause you more stress while you cut it with a mini circular saw.
Cut Down Large Timbers
Often, large timbers need to be cut down into small plywood. If you have such large pieces of timbers in your backyard waiting to be further cut down into plywood - use a compact circular saw. It will make your work pretty easy and will save a lot of time for you.
Quick Rip-Cut
If you want a quick rip cut, say about 2-inch one, and you don’t want to bring your table saw and all the equipment in it, you can use the circular saw in this case.
Using a simple edge guide attached to the bottom of the circular saw, you can easily get a cut like this in seconds.
Best Brands of Compact Circular Saw
There are many well-known brands that produced circular saws. To take a few names, we have Makita, Dremel, Tacklife, Genesis, Rockwell, and many more. You can find our compact circular saw buying guide to get to know more brands in this field.
As Walter Landor said,
“Products are made in a factory but brands are created in the mind”. That’s why brands are crucial when it comes to selecting a product.
Makita was founded in 1915 that aimed to become the leader in the power tool industry. Rightfully so, with innovative techniques and machinery know-how, Makita is now one of the leaders in this market.
Dremel was founded as a family business in 1935 which climbed up the ladder quickly with its expert manpower and ability to innovate. Now, Dremel produces some of the most efficient power tools in the US market.
Tacklife is basically an automobile-focused company that leads the power tool industry in equal manner. With its expertise and innovation in automobile gear, the company has been a successful one in power tool industry, as well.
FAQ
Ans. A circular saw is very well-suited for cutting large pieces of wood, metal, plastic, concrete, and other types of heavyweight materials. It is equally suitable for regular and DIY applications.
A miter saw is an angle cutter, while a circular saw is more of a handheld regular cutting machine.
Ans. Yes. As a machine with a seriously sharp edge, you need to be extra careful in using a circular saw. Always wear your safety gears before using one.
Final Words
So now that you know what is a compact circular saw used for, we hope you can easily use it on different occasions to get your jobs done in a faster and more convenient manner.Make sure you have read the entire piece thoroughly!
It’s not that you need to use it on every single cutting that we have mentioned, but when the time demands, you can simply use it as an alternative on the go! But when it comes to easing up your projects and woodworks, a circular saw is going to come handy and effective like no other tools.
Have a great woodworking project!
