I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

I'd agree about a decent blade. I also tend to clamp a guide to the work
if I need a decent straight cut - far easier than relying on the saw one.
I'd keep an eye on Lidl and Aldi - one of theirs is likely to be just fine
for DIY and at a keen price.

--
*By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?


I would *never* be without two sawboards (4 and 8 feet) so you need 18
mm plus sawboard thickness plus a bit depth of cut. That means you don't
need a particularly big blade which keeps the weight down.

As others say, good blade is the key. I'd expect to pay no more than
£100 total and spend the rest on a couple of saw horses / workmates the
same height, an adjustable roller stand, and some good trigger clamps to
make the rest of the work easier.

On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

I have one of these & it's without doubt the best circular saw I have
ever used. One of those tools that makes you smile when you use it;

http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p...MPtAo dZBYAKg

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 16/08/2013 19:10, newshound wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect
cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?


I would *never* be without two sawboards (4 and 8 feet) so you need 18
mm plus sawboard thickness plus a bit depth of cut. That means you don't
need a particularly big blade which keeps the weight down.


My 4' sawboard never leaves the van - unless I'm using it!

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Friday, 16 August 2013 18:38:25 UTC+1, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the

years but not for a while and products change all the time.



I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet

material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get

a good square straight cut in the right place.



I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago

to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts

of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and

clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.



In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense

to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin

that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as

worthless, like a laser.



With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade

but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a

given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.



Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I

wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds

of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it

seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and

price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.



Any views or advice chaps?

If you have other cordless tools with a decent battery system, or are willing to make the investment to get into a decent battery system - then consider a cordless circular saw.

I was fortunate to already have the DeWalt 18V lithium, and bought the circular saw (bare - no batteries or charger with it) - and it's been a revelation.

Previously I'd been using a corded Skil - but the DeWalt is lighter, better handling, stops near-instantly on releasing the trigger, and is *much* quieter than the Skil.

wrote:
On Friday, 16 August 2013 18:38:25 UTC+1, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the

years but not for a while and products change all the time.



I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet

material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get

a good square straight cut in the right place.



I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago

to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts

of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and

clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.



In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense

to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin

that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as

worthless, like a laser.



With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade

but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a

given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.



Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I

wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds

of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it

seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and

price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.



Any views or advice chaps?

If you have other cordless tools with a decent battery system, or are willing to make the investment to get into a decent battery system - then consider a cordless circular saw.

I was fortunate to already have the DeWalt 18V lithium, and bought the circular saw (bare - no batteries or charger with it) - and it's been a revelation.

Previously I'd been using a corded Skil - but the DeWalt is lighter, better handling, stops near-instantly on releasing the trigger, and is *much* quieter than the Skil.



the more teeth the smoother cut but slower.

Yesterday I had to cut a sheet of ply in the back yard with the tinny
old Power Devil (best £30 I ever spent) and my 6ft sawboard. Some of the
pieces needed to be triangular, so what was most useful was my set of 4
lengths of 4" x 2" studding, which could be shifted about to support the
workpiece/offcut in different positions. More versatile than 4 sawhorses.
What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes kickback
less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,
that's a definite advantage.

What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes kickback

less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,

that's a definite advantage.

Other way round to my understanding. An underpowered saw makes kickbacks more likely (but also more controllable). Kickbacks really shouldn't happen in man-made sheet materials, only in natural timbers where the kerf closes up behind the blade - usually when ripping down the grain.

On 16/08/2013 22:25, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect
cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

I have one of these & it's without doubt the best circular saw I have
ever used. One of those tools that makes you smile when you use it;

http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p...MPtAo dZBYAKg


Now you can never beat a recommendation from expert experience. Some
tools just have that factor don't they? I'll take a close look at that one.

Cheers Dave

On 17/08/2013 08:34, wrote:
On Friday, 16 August 2013 18:38:25 UTC+1, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the

years but not for a while and products change all the time.



I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet

material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get

a good square straight cut in the right place.



I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago

to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts

of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and

clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.



In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense

to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin

that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as

worthless, like a laser.



With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade

but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a

given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.



Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I

wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds

of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it

seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and

price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.



Any views or advice chaps?

If you have other cordless tools with a decent battery system, or are willing to make the investment to get into a decent battery system - then consider a cordless circular saw.

I was fortunate to already have the DeWalt 18V lithium, and bought the circular saw (bare - no batteries or charger with it) - and it's been a revelation.

Previously I'd been using a corded Skil - but the DeWalt is lighter, better handling, stops near-instantly on releasing the trigger, and is *much* quieter than the Skil.

I was a little tempted by the 18V Makita sold by Screwfix, since I
already have their 18V battery. There is some attraction to being able
to rip a sheet of something down without the need for mains.

On 16/08/2013 19:10, newshound wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect
cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?


I would *never* be without two sawboards (4 and 8 feet) so you need 18
mm plus sawboard thickness plus a bit depth of cut. That means you don't
need a particularly big blade which keeps the weight down.

As others say, good blade is the key. I'd expect to pay no more than
£100 total and spend the rest on a couple of saw horses / workmates the
same height, an adjustable roller stand, and some good trigger clamps to
make the rest of the work easier.

I couldn't agree mo The first job with a new saw should be to make
sawboards (or check the existing ones fit).
And certainly you can never have too many stands and clamps, though I'd
fairly well supplied for them at the moment.

On 17/08/2013 11:29, wrote:


What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes kickback

less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,

that's a definite advantage.

Other way round to my understanding. An underpowered saw makes kickbacks more likely (but also more controllable). Kickbacks really shouldn't happen in man-made sheet materials, only in natural timbers where the kerf closes up behind the blade - usually when ripping down the grain.

An awful lot of modern circular saws don't have a riving knife fitted.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:

I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Typically the edge speed for each blade size is similar on mains tools -
they just run the bigger blades a bit slower.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I

Yup a good blade will improve many saws.

wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

Well I have used a few different ones. My current one is a Site badged
Makita (SF were selling them off for silly money a couple of years
back). On the down side its a pressed steel sole plate, although it is
decent thickness and fairly solid. It runs very smoothly, cuts very
well, and is quite good at directing the dust out its dust port. The
supplied blade was actually ok for my needs and I have not yet replaced
it. The blade guard has a wheeled front end, and moves out the way
nicely - it also has a metal

The best saw I used was a mates 9" Hitachi - a very solid an accurate
machine, which was also ergonomically very nice - handles just where you
needed them and well thought out. It was perhaps larger than you need
for most applications - although the bulk did add to its overall
performance. They also do a 7" version of it that looks well made, so I
would be tempted to try one of those if looking for another saw.

The other saw I have is a 14.4V DeWalt cordless - has about a 5 or 6"
blade. Interesting that its blade is on the right of the saw rather than
the left[1]. Its light and easy to use. Adequate for 3/4 ply. It has a
thin kerf blade. Cuts nicely but slower. Main limitation is the
endurance of the relatively small batteries. Its not as accurate as the
Mak, but has the advantage that it can be used one handed. Very useful
to have, but I would not swap it for my main corded saw if I could only
have one.

[1] If you are right handed, makes it easier to use as a crosscut cut
off saw freehand - since the body stays resting on the uncut bit.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 17/08/2013 11:29, wrote:


What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes
kickback

less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,

that's a definite advantage.

Other way round to my understanding. An underpowered saw makes
kickbacks more likely (but also more controllable). Kickbacks really
shouldn't happen in man-made sheet materials, only in natural timbers
where the kerf closes up behind the blade - usually when ripping down
the grain.

The riving knife should limit the scope for that as well.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 17/08/2013 12:12, GMM wrote:
On 16/08/2013 22:25, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:


I have one of these & it's without doubt the best circular saw I have
ever used. One of those tools that makes you smile when you use it;

http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p...MPtAo dZBYAKg



Now you can never beat a recommendation from expert experience. Some
tools just have that factor don't they? I'll take a close look at that
one.

Cheers Dave

+1. Trouble is, my ancient Bosch just won't die (and it is green, not blue).

On 17/08/2013 12:54, John Rumm wrote:
On 17/08/2013 11:29, wrote:


What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes
kickback

less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,

that's a definite advantage.

Other way round to my understanding. An underpowered saw makes
kickbacks more likely (but also more controllable). Kickbacks really
shouldn't happen in man-made sheet materials, only in natural timbers
where the kerf closes up behind the blade - usually when ripping down
the grain.

The riving knife should limit the scope for that as well.



Binding is likely to occur with full size sheets when the surface you're
resting on (in this case my back garden) isn't 100% level.

In article ,
GMM GlMiMa-AT-yahoo.co.uk writes:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

I've been very happy with a Kress one I bought probably 12 years ago.
It's 1400W, probably twice the power of the one I had before and came
with a very good blade, and that made it much easier to use. It looks
like Kress still do it. I've bought a couple more blades since.

For a long time, Wickes also did it rebadged as their own (although
mine predated that).

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 17/08/2013 15:39, stuart noble wrote:
On 17/08/2013 12:54, John Rumm wrote:
On 17/08/2013 11:29, wrote:


What also occurred to me was that a not very powerful saw makes
kickback

less likely. When you're on one knee, stretching to do a long cut,

that's a definite advantage.

Other way round to my understanding. An underpowered saw makes
kickbacks more likely (but also more controllable). Kickbacks really
shouldn't happen in man-made sheet materials, only in natural timbers
where the kerf closes up behind the blade - usually when ripping down
the grain.

The riving knife should limit the scope for that as well.



Binding is likely to occur with full size sheets when the surface you're
resting on (in this case my back garden) isn't 100% level.

Yup, had that happen once... using long battens over the saw horses can
help.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:25:27 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:
I can see from searching that this has come up a few times over the
years but not for a while and products change all the time.

I anticipate that I'll soon want to make quite a lot of cuts in sheet
material (mostly ply up to say 18mm), where it will be important to get
a good square straight cut in the right place.

I already have an old cheapo circular saw. Bought 10 years or more ago
to trim an oak worktop, which it did very well, then abused on all sorts
of materials and now mostly used for rough work. It's pretty heavy and
clunky and even with a sawboard, it's not really reliable for perfect cuts.

In buying a new one 'for best', there are some features that make sense
to me like light weight and a cast base (rather than a bit of bent tin
that won't follow a guide easily), and some that are as good as
worthless, like a laser.

With applications like ply in mind, it doesn't have to have a huge blade
but it seems to me that a bigger blade runs at a higher speed for a
given rpm and that might make a difference to the finish.

Advice previously has been to get a cheap saw and a good blade. I
wonder how far this extends though. I'd rather not spend many hundreds
of squids but anything up to say 150 would be OK. Looking online, it
seems there's no clear relationship between any of these features and
price, although my instinct is to steer clear of anything too cheap.

Any views or advice chaps?

I have one of these & it's without doubt the best circular saw I have
ever used. One of those tools that makes you smile when you use it;

http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p...MPtAo dZBYAKg

i borrowed a friends neighbours son in laws one a couple of months back. it was indeed a good tool.
i did think about buying one myself. for some reason i went for a wickes one. i don't recal why.
i've not had the chance to use it yet, but since i started a project i've put off for 3 years, it'll
be used this week.

when i was a builder, we used to use mainly bosh, makita (i kept the drill as it was a keeper) and
stihl. all good tools, but damn expensive.


--

mhm x v i x i i i

On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:


Any views or advice chaps?


Not a huge diff between them .... I have a 30 yr old 7 1/4" B&D saw
..... does the job fine.

This might be of use:
http://www.diydata.com/tool/circular...rcular-saw.php

The most important thing is a clamp.
Either buy a proper clamp (I bought a 1.2m long one for sheets from
Axminster)


Or g-clamp on a piece wood as a guide .... there was a link a while back
for a neat home made guide using some sheet plywood

If anybody has that please repost

On 17/08/2013 19:40, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:


Any views or advice chaps?


Not a huge diff between them .... I have a 30 yr old 7 1/4" B&D saw
.... does the job fine.

This might be of use:
http://www.diydata.com/tool/circular...rcular-saw.php

The most important thing is a clamp.
Either buy a proper clamp (I bought a 1.2m long one for sheets from
Axminster)


Or g-clamp on a piece wood as a guide .... there was a link a while back
for a neat home made guide using some sheet plywood

If anybody has that please repost

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Sawboard
--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article ,
wrote:
Previously I'd been using a corded Skil - but the DeWalt is lighter,
better handling, stops near-instantly on releasing the trigger, and is
*much* quieter than the Skil.

Must be odd design somewhere if a battery tool is lighter than a mains
one. Are you sure it is a like for like comparison? Most cordless might be
ok, but have usually a lot less power than the equivalent mains.

--
*I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 17/08/2013 20:18, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 17/08/2013 19:40, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 16/08/2013 18:38, GMM wrote:


Any views or advice chaps?


Not a huge diff between them .... I have a 30 yr old 7 1/4" B&D saw
.... does the job fine.

This might be of use:
http://www.diydata.com/tool/circular...rcular-saw.php

The most important thing is a clamp.
Either buy a proper clamp (I bought a 1.2m long one for sheets from
Axminster)


Or g-clamp on a piece wood as a guide .... there was a link a while back
for a neat home made guide using some sheet plywood

If anybody has that please repost

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Sawboard

And make a four (or perhaps five) foot one too, while you are at it.

All ... saw a good post some time ago ... took me a while to track it
down ....... here is a great tip on how to use any circular saw for
accurate sheet cutting.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/4283497

On 19/08/2013 14:45, Rick Hughes wrote:
All ... saw a good post some time ago ... took me a while to track it
down ....... here is a great tip on how to use any circular saw for
accurate sheet cutting.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/4283497


That is a sawboard :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Monday, 19 August 2013 11:42:49 UTC+1, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,

wrote:

Previously I'd been using a corded Skil - but the DeWalt is lighter,

better handling, stops near-instantly on releasing the trigger, and is

*much* quieter than the Skil.



Must be odd design somewhere if a battery tool is lighter than a mains

one. Are you sure it is a like for like comparison? Most cordless might be

ok, but have usually a lot less power than the equivalent mains.



--

*I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter



Dave Plowman London SW

To e-mail, change noise into sound.

No, I'm sure.

It was a Skil Orca:

http://www.multifixsupplycompany.com...-circular-saw-

and a DeWalt DCS391:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcs...18v-bare/23296

The Dewalt has a smaller depth-of-cut (and a narrower kerf), but for panel work it's ideal.