On Mar 16, 11:56*am, Don Stauffer wrote:

Anyone know when the circular saw was invented, and did a reciprocating
power saw precede it? I realize the first power saws were water powered
rather than steam, so I guess power saws could go back quite aways.

Holtzapffel book II from 1875 omits the historical detail he had given
for the lathe, but he does give these references:
Gregory's "Mechanics", 1807, vol ii, p.324
Hassenfratz's Traite de l'Art du Charpentier, Paris, 1804
Oliver Evans "Young Millwright and Millers Guide", Philadelphia, 1821
Belidor's "Architecture Hydraulique", Paris, 1819
Rees's "Cyclopedia", Machinery for Manufacturing Ships Blocks

Holtzapffel mentions a steam-powered linear saw at the Portsmouth
Dockyard and illustrates and describes two steam-powered circular saws
there as the invention of Marc Isambard Brunel, who escaped the French
Revolution to England and designed much of the late-1790s ships' block
making machinery.

Jim Wilkins