Circular Saws - Left handed?

[Razor]

Evening all
I have always felt that hand cicular saws have their main (wide) location base on the wrong side for right handers. If I rest the wide part of the base on the large and/or fixed part of the timber being cut then as I cut and walk forward I always find that I walk into the large fixed bit of the panel.
So now is the time for one of you knowledgeable folk to tell me I have been using the saw incorrectly all of these years.
When in Bunnies the other day I noticed that the GMC battery circ saw had its lager base section on the right hand side, which seems to make more sense to me. But this is the only one I have ever seen like this.
There must be a secret I am not aware of.:confused:

Please let me in on it
Cheers
Ray

[John Saxton]

Ray, as I see it the large part of the base is on the left and for right haned people this means the major part of the base is supported by the remaining large piece of timber/sheet and the cutoff section then falls free of if supported drops to stop binding.

IF YOU'RE walking into the large part of the panel then you are using the saw correctly HOWEVER you have to adapt to do it safely.

To use the saw otherwise would be foolhardy being unsupported and problematic.

The support base of the saw is designed thus and would be best used with the large portion of the base against the straight edge.
Predominately manufacturers have not given due credence to those of our brethren who are left handed and they have had to become ambidextrous like it or not and adapt their usage of tools like the circular saw.

If you think that the saw in Bunnies is possibly going to work for you ask them if you can try it out first to see if it still suits.

OK I admit its a pain in the a*** the way you can walk into the main part of the sheet/timber but I have been known to climb on top of a sheet supported on a couple of trestles to follow the cut thru and safely I might add.

Cheers:)

[Razor]

Thanks Jhonno for your reply. As you say the major part of the base is supported on the remaining large piece of timber/sheet and the cutoff section then falls free. It just seems to me that all this would be better the other way around - ie on the right hand side, as the saw is made to be used in a right handed way.
Incidently I saw a Makita battery saw on Ebay last night with the motor and large base on the RHS. Maybe it is changing.:rolleyes:
Cheers
Ray

[DavidG]

I just swap over what hand I use in that case.

I am a bit Amppe....Am...Bugr Two handed.:D

[Eagle]

GMC have a Left Handed Circular Saw arriving this month. All you lefties check it out the balance is quite different to what you would have become used to!!

:) :)

[felixe]

:) Ripper,
One for each hand,
Rmmmm, Rmmmmmmmm, Rmmmmmmmmmmmm:D :D :D
(Btw I am interested )

[JDarvall]

Interesting the query on it being left handed.....I'm left handed and always been annoyed with right handed circular saws feeling awkward in my left hand......resorting to use my right hand.

anyway.

[Honorary Bloke]

Porter-Cable's MAG series offers both left- and right-handed versions. Don't know if they are available over there but they are excellent. Just choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. :)

[woodsprite]

I went to a DeWalt demo session at our local hardware (Home) about 6 years ago - and was really impressed with their range of left handed tools, including the circular saw. Can't remember any of the others but.... it's me brain doctor, seems to be leaking memories all over the place, especially the ones I think I need.....
Jeff

[Carry Pine]

Makita make a left handed battery operated circular saw.

[jaspr]

I'm with Razor - the damn things are very awkward to use on long cuts.

[Stuart]

GMC are planning to have one out soon - see the posts by Eagle for more info.

[Wongo]

Try Ned Flanders from the Simpsons.


:D

[Stuart]

You mean.....
http://www.springfield.ru/image/news/leftorium_sm.jpg
He's sure to have one!

[Wongo]

Yes that is. :D :D :D :D :D

[Razor]

Since I started this thread early this year I have found a solution. I purchased a circular saw with the handle (for the left hand) mounted on a steel plate that is threaded to take the handle and a retaining nut. The handle can be reversed to point out to the right of the saw. In this way my left hand grasps the main guiding handle with the trigger and my right hand takes hold of the small handle. It is in fact now a saw for left handers but as a right hander I find it comforable to use. The important thing is that the large part of the saw's support plate is on the large piece of board and I am able to make a long cut walking along side the bit I am trimming off.

[thebuildingsurv]

I heard they are bringing out a left hand hammer soon to.

[johnc]

I heard they are bringing out a left hand hammer soon to.

Surv,

Are you sure you are not confusing that with either the left handed screwdriver or maybe left handed smoke stirrer which I believe are meant to released first:p .

[echnidna]

Don't fergit the lefthanded swizzle stick :D

[SawDustJack]

Dont forget the left handed fags ( cigarettes ) , they been out for years ..

[Eagle]

I heard they are bringing out a left hand hammer soon to.

They actually do make a left handed hammer, the shaft is bent so the balance is suited to a left handed swing. Estwing I believe, but may only be available in the States.

[SawDustJack]

HHMM not sure about the left handed hammer from Estwing , will check and see though .. But HHHMM , who makes left handed nails ??

[jaspr]

Anyone see the article in the October 2006 edition of "Workbench". It has a buyers' guide article on circular saws.

It describes 3 levels of saw:

Consumer: spur gearing, 12-13 amp motor, stamped aluminium components, plastic cord, high-speed steel blade

Advanced: Helical gearing, 15 amp motors, magnesium and composite components, carbide-tipped blades

Professional: Worm gearing, 15 amp motors, magnesium and composite components, carbide tipped blades

Very interesting you say (actually it is an interesting article), but the point??

It turns out that spur and helical gearing always have the motor perpendicular to the bldae. Its called a 'sidewinder' motor.

The worm-gear version on the other hand, puts the motor parallel to the blade. This system turns out higher torque but lower blade speed, which makes them better for constant heavy cutting.

And finally the point of this ramble ... Worm-drive saws are always "blade-left". Sidewinders, on the other hand, are typically "blade-right". The article mentions a Porter Cable Mag Saw which is available in both blade-left and blade-right models.

One of the things to think about is that if you are cutting with the offcut on the right, the blade-right saws are supported on the main work piece, even though they give you a poor view of the cut. With blade-left saws, the sightline is better, but the saw is resting on the offcut.

You can thank me later, guys, for my retyping effort!

(By the way, I find I read a lot of woodworking magazines and I think WorkBench is technically very good. The basis for this comment? Well I'm not an expert woodworker, but do have a science bent. And have you noticed that many magazine articles get recycled through the magazines with different wrtiers/perspectives? I guess there are only so many woodworking topics anyway! There are a lot of poorly written, sometimes garbled and even inaccurate and contradictory descriptions of things technical. Workbench, I can't fault.)

jaspr