On 8 Dec 2005 16:42:23 -0800, "Gogs" wrote:

Finally took the plunge and bought myself a circular saw, ended up
going for the Makita 5704RK (dont know if I have good or bad)

Pretty good saws. I've been using their bigger brother for timber
framing, which is about as hard a life as hand-held saws get.

It came with the run of the mill blade but I am intending to cut
laminate worktop with it so on the look out for a new blade.

Yes, I think the standard is a 40 tooth which is a bit of an "all
purpose" and ideal for nothing blade. A finer toothed blade would be a
good idea, although you don't need a blade specifically for laminates.
If you ever use it for ripping, you'll also find a 24 or 28 tooth rip
blade will increase the usable capacity.


Also does the make of the blade matter.

Some are better than others. Most are OK when new, but better grades of
carbide are less likely to chip. I'd recommend CMT or Freud as the best.
Axminster's own brand are pretty decent, I wouldn't waste my money on
Silverline.

You've probably spent about 100 quid on this saw and _all_ it does is
rotate a blade. How this blade does its job is absolutely crucial to the
overall performance.

Also when cutting say 40mm worktop with the Makita which has a max
depth of around 66mm I think, should the saw be adjusted in anyway or
just leave as is.

Apart from rebating (which I'd avoid with a hand-held saw) I always
leave the blade at maximum depth - whether I'm using a hand-held saw or
a cabinet saw. The logic is that this does as much cutting as possible
with a blade contact that's travelling vertically (relative to the
soleplate) not horizontally. Horizontal forces are what cause kickback
and that's a lot more dangerous than worryign about the "stick-out" of a
blade that's already guarded.

Take it you still put masking tape where cutting to stop any chipping.

Yes.

Also do you justt always leave the riving knife as is and what is the
exact purpose of it,

You can usually leave it in situ. It's rarely necessary to adjust it,
once set. You might need to remove it occasionally for rebating
(non-through cuts).

The main function of the riving knife is when ripping timber with some
drying stress left in it. If this causes the timber to "grab" the blade,
this can be very dangerous (kickback risk). It's much safer if this grab
is onto the riving knife, not the rotating blade.