11 WORST CIRCULAR SAW MISTAKES!! And How To Avoid them...(DON'T DO THESE THINGS! Kickback/Binding)

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11 WORST CIRCULAR SAW MISTAKES!! And How To Avoid them...(DON'T DO THESE THINGS! Kickback/Binding)

Circular Saws are one of the most useful tools...and one of the most dangerous. This short video from The Honest Carpenter will show you 11 of the worst circular saw mistakes, and how to avoid them!

--Circular saws are as powerful as miter saws, but they're FREEHAND. Controlling this amount of cutting power is extremely important!

11 CIRCULAR SAW MISTAKES:
1. Getting in the cut path--keep all body parts free of the cut path!
2. Binding the blade--don't twist the saw, and don't let the wood close up on the blade. This sill bind the blade causing KICKBACK
3. Failure to prop the cut--make sure you lift your material off of the surface you're cutting on, possibly with scrap prop blocks. This will prevent you from cutting your work surface.
4. Setting the saw blade too deep--never let the circular saw blade more than 1/4" past the bottom of the material you're cutting.
5. Adjust the saw while in motion--don't do this! Don't adjust the depth or bevel while the saw is spinning.
6. Don't retract the saw while it's spinning--let the circular saw wind down before retracting it from a partial cut.
7. Removing the blade guard--pro framers will sometimes remove or pin back their circular saw blade guards. Don't do this!
8. Don't set a saw "blade down"--you're supposed to flip circular saws over when you set them down. This prevents an exposed blade from causing the saw to kickback or run away.
9. Starting up with contact--make sure your circular saw blade is not in contact with wood when you start it up. Pull it back just a bit, then spin up the saw.
10. Cord drag--be careful of you're cord getting hung up on the end of the board when you're pushing the circular saw forward in a cut.
11. Forgetting trigger discipline--keep your finger off the circular saw trigger until you're ready to cut with the saw!

Thanks for watching our 11 WORST CIRCULAR SAW MISTAKEs video!

Be sure to check us out at The Honest Carpenter Website:

Also, check out some of our other tool-related videos:
BEST SAW YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF:
USE A MITER SAW LIKE A RADIAL ARM SAW:
IS YOUR LEVEL ACCURATE:

[billyandrew]

Having cut off my forefinger at the middle knuckle with a circular saw, but not before it had shredded the flesh off the front and the vibration of the blade wrenching the finger off my hand entirely, I ended up having what remained of the finger glued back on with wire and a series of skin grafts from my inner forearm.
I have a a deal of difficulty, all these decades later, in using the finger and cannot close it to complete a fist or full grasp.
I had recurring nightmares for over a year, afterwards and, awake, had the sweats just thinking it could have been my whole hand or entire arm I could have cut off.
This comment is directed to those who have luckily stumbled upon this channel or this particular post.
Listen to this guy!
He ain't lying.
These things can quite easily kill you, if you don't take precautions, don't keep your wits about you, (even switched off that blade can still bite you!) and don't give it the respect it deserves.
Look on it as a psycho.
It hasn't killed you yet, but get too relaxed or complacent and it still just might!
And, yes, my mind is still cast back to that day _every_ time I pick mine up!
Obliged for the time you took to read this diatribe.

[American-Plague]

Always ask yourself "Where are my fingers?" before making a cut. This way, after you make your cut, you won't be asking yourself "WHERE ARE MY FINGERS?!".

[HawkeyeJ]

I work with my tools very infrequently, so I like reviewing these kinds of videos before I start on any project. You're helping me stay safe and professional. Thank you for your time and effort, it does a lot of good!

[dagwood]

40 years experience in carpentry. This guy nailed every point. FYI if it has a trigger, treat it like a loaded gun.

[stroys]

I’m 72 and an experienced DIYer. I’m totally self taught on all power tools and I still have all my body parts. There was one incident with a chainsaw that I won’t discuss, but I’m ok. I wish I had been told all these tips when I was just starting out.
You are doing a great service to guys and gals starting out. 👍🏻👍🏻

[tonyo_zhelev]

This is probably the most important video I've seen on DIY. Many people don't realize the power they hold in their hands and it is so eye opening to see a good safety video. Thank you also for the image of saws kicking and going off. Makes you respect those tools even more.

[mrCetus]

Good tips. Here's a couple more tips. If I want squared cuts on 2x's boards, I use a triangle angle guide so I don't have to worry about my cut line. When I cut larger boards, like plywood, I will anchor the board to my work table with clamps and then anchor an aluminum straight edge on the side of my cut line. That way all I have to do is keep the saw rail against the straight edge and, again, not have to worry about guiding the saw with my hand. It's a bit more work, but I get more accurate cuts that way.

[crsullivan]

Ive been a carpenter for 15 plus years and this is by far the best circular saw video ive ever seen, teachers should legit show this in apprenticeship school, its way more thorough then anything they ever showed us back in the day

[JP-sueg]

As a novice, I cannot thank you enough. Just bought my first circular & I've been so afraid to use it. So, grateful for your pro advice. I can now finally venture on my diy project with the necessary safety precautions you've given.

[KyleHarrisonRedacted]

Genuinely, one of THE most useful videos I’ve seen on this subject. No fluff, gets to the point, and and every bit of it describes why WITH demonstrations, and clear understandable problems, without being talked down too. Extremely well done sir, thank you.
The bit about trigger discipline is just.. that’s just the icing on this cake 😎

[PortalFPV]

I love how you point out treating the trigger just like you would on a firearm. Firearm safety was ingrained into me at a very young age, so I already instinctually treat most triggers this way

[gregcrawford]

I've been a carpenter for 30 years and I have to say, your videos are my go to for refresher safety and general tool/shop tips. Great to see a fellow North Carolinian making excellent and informative videos for all! Thanks!

[jerrydumas]

Even the most seasoned circular saw pro needs an occasional safety tip reminder. Good video 👍

[frankroublick]

I've been framing for a few years now and this is all solid advice. I'm grateful that my first boss went over all of this with me. Most of it is common sense, but learning the fundamentals is a huge part of avoiding injuries. Great video. How about a video like this for angle grinder operation? Metal cutting discs scare the hell out of me to this day despite having used them for years now lol

[davidgrinter]

Bought my first circular saw, and did lots of research to get a good saw but had absolutely no idea of how to use it - ended up having some binding of the blade. I wish I'd seen this video before I tried to use this very powerful tool. No injuries thankfully, but could have been.
I'm now extremely careful when using my circular saw, and very grateful for the information you have provided.
Thank you and well done !👍

[karennorris]

I'm a brand new diy-er and I find these videos to be so helpful. I told my brother I was a little bit intimidated by my circular saw, but so far I've taken every precaution and am making better cuts. Thank you for all the advice!

[davidmoran]

Disconnect power when changing the blade.

[lambdaguy]

Thank you! I go back and watch safety videos like this from time to time to remind myself of what I am doing. It's easy to get used to the same ol-sam ol and forget to be careful. Having a healthy respect for tools is always a great thing! And there are always things I learn! Great vid!

[tfan]

Great safety video, I just bought a circular saw but the manual doesn’t really show people how to use it safely so this is just what I needed, thank you

[brendaswann]

I am a 67 year old woman that has been a serious DIY’er and This Old House student. So much as I have practiced smart saw handling .... binding a blade has been an issue for me. Thank you for focusing on that issue. So many questions, so little platform, wish you where my neighbour. I am addicted to your channel and wish you much success.🇨🇦👏🏽🥰🇨🇦👏🏽🥰