Thread: Circular Saw Base Grips the Timber

Silicon is a no..no. Once on timber no finish will adhere to it.

Try with some wet & dry and smooth the surface.

If that doesn't give you the desired result use a wood working wax on the plate.

This is easly removed from timber using wax & grease remover.

Steer yourself away from anything with silicone as it will transfer to the timber and greatly affect whatever finish you put on.

Perhaps a simple waxing from a candle or UBeaut Traditional Wax (personal fave) will be enough get you out of strife. Just rub it on the sole, wait 10 minutes and buff it off...then hopefully you will dislocate your arm with the new found speed and ease of running your saw through a panel

Edit: Dammit. Bleeder beat me to it
If you want to make a more permanent solution, it might not hurt to lap the sole of the plate up through the grits (to at least 1200), but that's probably a bit of a purist's solution and may be somewhat extreme for a circy *shrug*

Originally Posted by RedShirtGuy

Steer yourself away from anything with silicone as it will transfer to the timber and greatly affect whatever finish you put on.

Perhaps a simple waxing from a candle or UBeaut Traditional Wax (personal fave) will be enough get you out of strife. Just rub it on the sole, wait 10 minutes and buff it off...then hopefully you will dislocate your arm with the new found speed and ease of running your saw through a panel

Edit: Dammit. Bleeder beat me to it
If you want to make a more permanent solution, it might not hurt to lap the sole of the plate up through the grits (to at least 1200), but that's probably a bit of a purist's solution and may be somewhat extreme for a circy *shrug*

Thanks Guys.
Without your timely intervention I would have stuffed up my first decent job before I had even started.

I think I have some fine wet & dry somewhere, so I might try and take some of the roughness out of it before I treat it with some wax.
Would ear wax work?

Originally Posted by Nordo

Would ear wax work?

Given that the project is speaker boxes, a clean auditory canal would be most beneficial...so why not kill two birds with one cotton bud




Well, at least I crack *me* up. Hehehe

Realistically, there shouldn't be too much friction even with what appears to be a rough finish on the base. Metal on wood doesn't exactly have a high coefficient of friction to start with.

The only times I have encountered a hard to push saw is when:

The leading edge of the base is digging in/against rough sawn timber,
The retractable blade cover isn't retracting properly and is jamming at the last bit of its travel meaning it drags on the timber,
The saw is being pushed at a slight angle to the direction of travel,
I'm cutting a 4 inch thick old, hard, hardwood railway sleeper, or
My foot is trapping the power cord.

I'd suggest making a saw guide (which will help with both stickiness and making nice straight cuts):
http://www.wwgoa.com/shop-made-circu...-easy-awesome/

And remember to push the saw along, letting its weight hold it down.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

My foot is trapping the power cord.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Realistically, there shouldn't be too much friction even with what appears to be a rough finish on the base. Metal on wood doesn't exactly have a high coefficient of friction to start with.

The only times I have encountered a hard to push saw is when:

The leading edge of the base is digging in/against rough sawn timber,
The retractable blade cover isn't retracting properly and is jamming at the last bit of its travel meaning it drags on the timber,
The saw is being pushed at a slight angle to the direction of travel,
I'm cutting a 4 inch thick old, hard, hardwood railway sleeper, or
My foot is trapping the power cord.

I'd suggest making a saw guide (which will help with both stickiness and making nice straight cuts):
http://www.wwgoa.com/shop-made-circu...-easy-awesome/

And remember to push the saw along, letting its weight hold it down.

Hi MS.
Thanks for all the experienced advice (I need it)

Yes, I am definitely going to make some saw guides just like the video.
My first cuts will be full length rips of the 2400 long sheets. But the cross cuts and trimming will be no longer than 620mm. So I will have two basic guides.
Then some cuts will be angled at various angles, so I will need a guide for each angle.

I have an old 200mm saw with a pressed steel base. It is nearly 30 years old, but still pushes through smoothly and easily.
I can't remember what the base plate looked like when I first bought the new 185mm saw, but it is very rough now and I doubt would even glide over butter!
With the 185mm, pushing your fingers along the base is like pushing your fingers along a very grippy surface - almost as bad as sand paper!!!

The speakers project is exclusively using standard 12mm c/d pine ply with normal dressed faces. And future projects should be similar.

Without having seen any images, I just wonder if a- the blade has been correctly fitted and b- is it sharp without any gum on it?

Hope you sort out your problems.

When doing your cuts are you using some sort of straight edge to guide the saw, or are you just trying to follow a line freehand?

Whilst I realise that cost is a factor, if possible, I would take it back and get a different brand.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Without having seen any images, I just wonder if a- the blade has been correctly fitted and b- is it sharp without any gum on it?

Hope you sort out your problems.

The saw was brand new with the supplied 24 tooth blade. The blade appears clean.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

When doing your cuts are you using some sort of straight edge to guide the saw, or are you just trying to follow a line freehand?

So far, I have been following a chalk line.
I have to be more accurate for my next project, and will be using guides for all cuts.

Originally Posted by cava

Whilst I realise that cost is a factor, if possible, I would take it back and get a different brand.

Even though I have done very little work with it, I can't see them taking it back with the condition of the base (even if it was originally in that condition).

I'm going to follow the advice of the first two replies. I'll post how I get on.

Hi Nordo, Apologies to state the obvious but is the blade the right way round? If yes you may have to go the sandpaper route if you are unable to return it?