How to Cut Thick Wood with Circular Saw – 4 Easy Steps

Without any doubt, a circular saw is the most reliable power tool specifically for woodworking or any Do-It-Yourself projects. It is a handy, versatile, and portable tool.

Basically, you can effectively use it for various projects. A circular saw is primarily used in cutting timber, plastic, or metal, as well as in the construction site for cutting concrete and masonry.

Broadly if you are cutting wood pretty much thicker than the blade size of a circular saw, it will be a laborious job. Don’t worry; this article will help you learn how to cut thick wood with a circular saw. Hopefully, you would pretty much make a strikingly thick cut with a circular saw if you correctly follow the instructions.

Cutting Thick Wood with A Circular Saw In 4 Easy Steps

Cutting thick wood is an intensive task and you need to be fully focused to finish the job successfully. However, you need to follow some steps to achieve a flowless operation. So, carefully read the below given steps to cut thick wood without any issue.

Step 01: Taking the measurements

At first, you have to know the blade plus wood thickness. Substantially estimating the wood thickness and the blade’s exposed part distance is a must. To be more specific, If the wood thickness is double or more than that compared to the blade’s exposed part, you will not be able to cut with the circular saw.

In particular, various saw and sizes of blades are broadly available on the market; you can pick your desired one from them. Generally, 6 Inches to 8 Inches dia blades are in the preference list of experienced artisans. However, you can follow their advice or use a few to find the most comfortable one.

Coming back to the measurement part, you must get it right, or predominantly your carelessness will ruin a good piece of lumber. After measuring, If the lumber piece thickness is almost double or less than double compared to the blade diameter, you are primarily set to proceed to the next step.

Moreover, you can distinctly replace the saw or the blade depending on wood thickness. Please don’t make a mistake, try your best to accurately measure the plate’s boundary to the predominantly straight ledge.

Also Read: How to Choose A Perfect Small Circular Saw. 

Step 02: Stabilizing the wood and saw

It is essential to use a clamp to secure the wood in place, and you can use a sawhorse to clamp it effectively. If you want to avoid both halves from collapsing down, don’t use a clamp on the notably offcut piece. If the weight of the somewhat offset chunk is not properly supported, it will eventually drop, this will result in a fracture or a prematurely broken piece.

Experienced workers find it comfortable to pretty much work on the ground, providing a Styrofoam under the timber piece for support. However, if the wood is distinctly heavy, you should give sufficient support to stabilize it, and if it starts to drag down while working, then you are in a great deal of trouble. Just being a little bit conscious will save you from massive injury also will help you achieve the desired cuts.

Step 03: Drawing lines

Be peculiar about the measurement, always use a proper square or scale and bold marker to draw a straight line onto the timber piece. It will be easy for you to develop a fundamental habit of making these lines precise and aligned. After drawing the lines, make sure they are broadly at a similar distance from one end to another. Once you are completely satisfied with the marking and alignments, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Step 04: Cutting the thick piece of wood

First of all, make sure the circular saw’s base is resting on the wood’s flat surface. You should look at the notch carefully, and it will tell you about which point the blade would primarily cut and you can adjust the saw position accordingly.

To get a widespread good view of the cutting, you can stand on a side that will help you follow and operate the blade through the cut line. To cut the larger timbers, you mostly have to alternate the timber position toward you and start notably cutting ¼ at a moment.

You would typically have to rotate the wood several times for a pretty much full stretch cut. Afterward, you can take a broadly long hand saw or reciprocating saw to get to the predominantly center of the wood.

Indeed, in most cases, dealing with a thick piece of wood is quite difficult and different from cutting one or two inches of wood. Basically, the thick timber element is undoubtedly dense and hard to cut. In fact, the bigger blade literally will give you a deeper cut. Try to use a sharp blade to get an accurate cut. Always remember to unplug the circular saw before any necessary adjustment.

Safety Precaution

Undoubtedly circular saw is quite an essential power tool. It’s effectively used in various jobs, mostly in woodworking; always keep in mind that you are not dealing with just the circular saw, you are working with a deadly blade too. So, wear thick gloves and safety goggles before starting the work.

Always unplug the saw before scaling the exposed part, and you should also keep it unplugged when you are taking a break. If you are a left-handed person, please be extra attentive while working as the blade is manufactured mostly for right-handed people. Wearing a mask will help you avoid inhaling the sawdust.

Final words

Finally, we are at the end of the article. I believe this article will help you to get a proper idea of how to cut thick wood with a circular saw. The easy to follow instructions and detailed guidelines are relatively simple, and even a beginner can get perfect results by following these steps.

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