Everyone knows it, but few want to work on it. Robust circular saws, better known as circular saws, are a part of almost every household where wood is used for heating. However, for safety reasons, even these multi-function machines have had their bell rung off, so to speak. What types of machines are now replacing them?
A circular saw for wood is a good but dangerous helper
Each of us under the non-literary term “circular saw” imagines a saw that has a large disc and a table in which the disc is placed. You can often imagine home-made pieces that had big gaps, mainly from the point of view of work safety. Injuries caused by a dangerous circularor the indiscipline of the people who cut on it, are still common even though modern circular saws are already safe. Old circulars are still available for purchase at various bazaars, and people still make them themselves.
Photo gallery:
ⓘ Photo: Shutterstock, GodhelmUK
The circular saw in its original form (a saw blade and a table from which the blade is extended to less than half its height) has a number of forms and uses. These are actually the predecessors of table circular saws, which still work on the same principle (circulating saw blade), but their possibilities of use are much wider and cutting with them is safer and more accurate.
Why are circulars still so popular and dangerous at the same time?
The classic table circular offers an incredible range of uses. If you put on a proper disc and the machine has sufficient power, you can easily cut a few nice cubes of wood for the boiler during the day. Then when you need to cut slats for a fence or a board on a shelf, you won’t replace the big wheel with proper teeth for a smaller one, because it’s a lot of work and you’ll be able to hold it in your hands. In addition, as befits and belongs to a proper circular, no covers and similar “bullshit” will get in your way.
I hope you understood the ironic tone of the previous paragraph and that we have discussed at least the basics of why the circular is such a dangerous tool.
In this video, you will find a “cool piece” of home-made circular saws powered by a tractor engine. I have no idea how much it can cost to cut a cubic meter of wood when your circular saw is powered by a not exactly economical engine, but against taste…
For both functions mentioned, both for firewood and for more precise cutting, there are much safer variants of circular saws.
Circular saw with a cradle for cutting firewood – a safer option
With a classic circular saw, you pushed the sawn wood with your own power to the rotating disc. From the cut wood on the classic circular saw, a piece of wood can fly right at you at any time. If your hand slips on a cut log, you may end up in the path of a well-spinned blade. In the event that you push the wood into the circular saw with really great force, your leg may even catch up and you can throw your whole body in the direction of the spinning disc.
That is why circular saws were developed, which are trained directly for cutting firewood. These no longer look like table circular saws, but are practically circular saws with a cradle. The disc itself is encased in a movable cover from above or from the sides. The movement of wood into the circular saw is carried out using a cradle, not by pushing it on the table. Once the wood is brought close to the circular saw blade using the cradle, only then does the blade itself begin to reveal itself. The principle of cutting firewood on a circular saw with a cradle is nicely demonstrated in the following video.
Price comparison of a circular saw with a cradle:
These circular saws (circular saws) with a cradle can be purchased for approx. 9 thousand. CZK. However, be careful what diameter the given saw allows you to cut. For cheaper models, the diameter of the cut firewood is set at a maximum of 15 cm. This also corresponds to the power input of these circular saws, which is around 2.5 kW.
Current price comparison of the best-rated circular of this type:
For circular models with a cradle in the price range from approx. 16 thousand. CZK you can already cut logs with a diameter of 25 cm and the power consumption of the circular saw of around 5 kW will help you with cutting.
Current price comparison of the best-rated circular of this type:
Replace the circular saw with a new table circular saw for straight cuts
If you plan to tinker and cut long longitudinal cuts, you can’t do without a table circular saw. But really forget about the old circular saws with fiddly set and determined “straight cut” using various slats or other temporary guidance of the cut material.
To you today even the cheapest models of table saws can ensure a straight and safe cut large-scale material. You can easily change the blade, adjust the height of the saw blade and adjust the cutting guide easily, and you will have the saw blade at least somewhat protected.
A very skilled lady will show you how to use a table circular saw correctly in the following video. 🙂
The cheapest hobby models of table circular saws start at a price of approx. 3.5 thousand. CZK. Professional formatting saws are a separate chapter that we will not open in this article.
If you do not make straight and long cuts very often, you may be able to get by with a hand-held circular saw (current prices here). If you know that you will be cutting shorter cuts (such as decking boards, fences, etc.), it is best to go for a miter saw (price comparison here).
Final recommendation: Before you buy an old circular…
Therefore, before you buy an old and dangerous circular at the bazaar (the price ranges from 4-6 thousand), so if you want it mainly for firewood, get a circular saw with a cradle. It is an investment in the safety of not only you but also your loved ones. If you want to cut straight cuts, look at the new table saws or reach for a hand-held circular saw or “mower”.
Author:
Ing. Ondřej Soukup
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2023-07-22 05:52:03
#Dangerous #circulars #replaced #safe #saws
