Perfect cuts with circular saw - How?

[only126db 10+ year member]

A light weight saw....sharp blade.....cut slowly....clamp a level/straight edge to material...triple check measurements......and you should be good.

 

[UCF52 10+ year member]

Here's a tip for ya that will save ya from putting saw kerf cuts in the top:
Buy the 3/4" styrofoam sheets that HD/Lowes sells, they come come 12" w x 48" L, put them under the MDF sheet to raise if off the table surface and that way you can set the blade depth lower and not hack up the table top surface when cutting the mdf sheet.

Phil

Woodlawn Cabinetry

I like that idea!

I'm sure with a lot of practice and the proper work area that is possible. For me though, I have to work in a garage filled with bullshit and I had to use little fold up chairs to support the wood. Making one cut involved rearranging chairs, moving wood and trash, clamping wood to the chairs, measuring once, cross checking with a previously cut piece, clamping my straight edge down, measuring again, and then ripping. It was about a 10-15 minute process per cut. I didn't do it often because it was such a pain in the ***. My table saw cut down that process to where I can make all cuts in about 20 minutes.

When I lived in an apartment last year I was using keg shells as supports for the wood and using weights to hold it down //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif ... it was terrible.

A light weight saw....sharp blade.....cut slowly....clamp a level/straight edge to material...triple check measurements......and you should be good.

x2. I will sometimes check my measurements 7 or 8 times before I cut. I really need to invest in a router - flush trim bit FTW!

 

[dbhittin 5,000+ posts]

*****s, i use a jig saw

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

ryobi is junk period... and by yourself its much easier to get the first big cuts done w a circ saw ...

I wouldnt say all Ryobi is junk. I have a Ryobi plunge router as well as 4 ryobi fixed base routers. Very, very nice tools for the price. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

I would say a circular saw will be much better than any really cheap table saw. Like most of these guys have said, find a nice straight edge, clamp it town, and go to town.

 

[UCF52 10+ year member]

*****s, i use a jig saw

Really? How do you keep long cuts straight? Flush trim?

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

When I lived in an apartment last year I was using keg shells as supports for the wood and using weights to hold it down //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif ... it was terrible.

What apartment complex? I bet that was a ***** to do on keg shells.

 

[Mr Cabinetry 10+ year member]

I wouldnt say all Ryobi is junk. I have a Ryobi plunge router as well as 4 ryobi fixed base routers. Very, very nice tools for the price. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have to agree with BJ on this one, I own quite a few Ryobi tools myself :

4 Cordless Drills

3 Fixed Based Trim Routers

2 Plunge Routers

1 - 3 x 21 Belt Sander

The only thing bad I would have to say about ryobi is the battery's for the cordless drills as I have had to replace a couple of the 14.4v battery's, but, Nicad's over time don't last forever either.

Phil

Woodlawn Cabinetry

 

[J31Rob 5,000+ posts]

I've made MANY boxes with a circular saw, I bought an accuracy attachment that slid on in front of the blade.. simple as following the line.

 

[UCF52 10+ year member]

What apartment complex? I bet that was a ***** to do on keg shells.

The Village at Alafaya Club - college housing. And yes, it was terrible... I would sometimes have to use my left leg as a clamp while I made my cuts. Not only did it ****, but it was pretty dangerous too. Haha, I am going to get flamed for this, but on one particular boxed I used a power sander in the living room so I could watch TV and sand my box at the same time. It sounds pretty bad, but if you saw the way we kept our place you would think it was fitting.

I since have moved into huge house in Avalon and pay less per month; go figure. The prices they charge for rent at those apartment complexes are ridiculous.

Shitty apartments for ~ $580 a month (with utilities)

or

Big half a million dollar house for ~ $500 a month (with utilities)

No more indoor sanding for me, lol.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

The Village at Alafaya Club - college housing. And yes, it was terrible... I would sometimes have to use my left leg as a clamp while I made my cuts. Not only did it ****, but it was pretty dangerous too.
I since have moved into huge house in Avalon and pay less per month; go figure. The prices they charge for rent at those apartment complexes are ridiculous.

Shitty apartments for ~ $580 a month (with utilities)

or

Big half a million dollar house for ~ $500 a month (with utilities)

per person? holy sh!t...i am paying $311 right now, and am moving into a house that is rather large for $700 amongst 3 people/month

 

[UCF52 10+ year member]

per person? holy sh!t...i am paying $311 right now, and am moving into a house that is rather large for $700 amongst 3 people/month

Sh!t be expensive 'round here.

Yea, it sucks man. The average price per room at a student housing complex is around $550 a month (before any overages on utilities). It may be higher.

We pay $2350 per month on a house now (w/o utilities). Split between 5 of us (and staggered of course based on room size and amenities //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif ), but that is a little high, we just weren't in the position to negotiate due to time constraints, but I would say you could get a 5 bed 3.5 bath 2 year old year hold house around here for $1900-$2100 a month. It is nice because due to a large room quantity requirement, we are in a nice upper class neighborhood; Pool and fitness center at the front and everything is very local. The community is kind of like a little city (for those of you who know Avalon, you know what I'm talking about).

It's unfortunate how expensive living is around here.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Sh!t be expensive 'round here.
Yea, it sucks man. The average price per room at a student housing complex is around $550 a month (before any overages on utilities). It may be higher.

We pay $2350 per month on a house now (w/o utilities). Split between 5 of us (and staggered of course based on room size and amenities //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif ), but that is a little high, we just weren't in the position to negotiate due to time constraints, but I would say you could get a 5 bed 3.5 bath 2 year old year hold house around here for $1900-$2100 a month. It is nice because due to a large room quantity requirement, we are in a nice upper class neighborhood; Pool and fitness center at the front and everything is very local. The community is kind of like a little city (for those of you who know Avalon, you know what I'm talking about).

It's unfortunate how expensive living is around here.

price sux, but it sounds like a nice place

 

[UCF52 10+ year member]

price sux, but it sounds like a nice place

Yea, it's nice, definitely too nice for us, but I hate hearing that people that I know from other schools in the state pay something around what you do.

 

[MemphisCherokee 10+ year member]

last box i did i used my worm drive circular saw

that ****ers a beast but if you get steady enough hands, you can get perfectly straight cuts

i dont have the manpower or table size to cut full sheets on my table saw so the first few cuts i have to do by hand. if im having a relativly shakey day, i just cut a bit bigger and use my hand planer or joiner to straighten the edge out

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

I am going to get flamed for this, but on one particular boxed I used a power sander in the living room so I could watch TV and sand my box at the same time. It sounds pretty bad, but if you saw the way we kept our place you would think it was fitting.

Haha, check out this picture I took in my room:

I guess let the flaming begin for both of us! My printer is still covered in MDF dust and that was over a year ago... and I wonder why my allergies are getting worse haha.

I pay $530 (after utilities) at Northgate Lakes and it's not too bad because of the location. I save a lot of money not having to drive to campus and get to get out on my bike every day. The apartments aren't bad here either; I'm in a 1600ft^2 four bedroom four bath completely furnished with new carpet and faux-wood flooring. Not bad but there is no where I can work on audio stuff here. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif