How to Use a Circular Saw without a Table? Safety & Efficiency Tips!

Having to use a circular saw without having access to a table is a possible situation you can find yourself in at any time. It may be within the comfort of your home or in your workshop, or even a gig where you have to leave your workshop.

It is possible to get the work done without having a table. In reality, there are various approaches to tackle it, and it all depends on what is available and which approach you find comfortable.

Apart from methods where you work with your circular saw in the absence of a table, there are other systems also where you can cut woods without even using a circular saw and table. Such methods may include the traditional or improvised application of foam boards, saw tracks, and sawhorses.

You will need items like markers, clamps, saw tracks, pencils, sawhorses, and foam board to use a circular saw without a table. This article will clarify the different ways to approach the situation and the steps that are involved. Let’s go table-less!

Steps for Using A Circular Saw Without A Table

We have included three different methods of using circular saw without a table. You can use any one of these, considering available supplies and comfort.

Steps for Using Sawhorses instead of Table

1. Mark the part you need to cut on the plank of wood using a pencil or marker. A ruler or compass, or protractor can be used to guide your marks accurately.

2. Get your sawhorse or sawhorses. Typically, you will need just one sawhorse or two. The number of sawhorses needed actually depends on the length or size of the workpiece, for the most part. Cutting out chunks from a plank mostly requires one sawhorse, while complex or bigger shapes require two sawhorses or more.

3. Carefully place the wooden planks or workpiece on the sawhorse(s) and cut. The marked region to cut is advisable to be in-between sawhorses. Ensure to place it such that the wood is still balanced to prevent falling off and causing injury after cutting.

Steps for Using Foam Boards Replacing Table

1. Get the appropriate size of foam boards. Foam boards are applicable when the workpiece you are to cut is wide. Plywood is a good example. It is wide and comes in different thicknesses and dimensions. You are allowed to use multiple forms that can make up for the size of the wood you are cutting.

2. Set the cutting depth of the saw blade in a way that the blade doesn’t exceed the foam thickness. That way, your floor or platform surface won’t be damaged in the process of cutting the workpiece.

Steps for Using Saw Track Instead of Table

1. Understand how saw tracks work. They are also known as plunge saws, and they can be combined with foam boards or sawhorse during usage. Saw tracks offer more precision and ease of operation in wood cutting.
2. Choose the perfect type of saw track. This step can boil down to a couple of factors which majorly consist of sizes and shapes of saw tracks. Also, there are portable options while others are attached to cutting boards. Utilizing compact saw tracks will have you clamping them to the workpiece before you go for the cuts.
3. Take measurements and mark out the points you will be cutting on your wooden workpiece. The marks can be curves, lines, regular shapes, or even irregular areas. Make measurements multiple times before you conclude on your marks and cut.
4. Use edge guides with your circular saws. Edge guides will let you fit the saw efficiently in a more productive manner.
5. As mentioned earlier, the blade’s cutting depth should cut through the plank and not the surface underneath.
6. Situate the guide at the base of the markings you intend for the circular saw.
7. Make sure the saw can move freely and don’t entangle the power cord of the circular saw.
8. Firmly hold the circular saw and pull the triggering switch. Move gently and ensure you don’t go out of line with the marks you made.
9. Let the chunk you cut drop off by itself instead of forcing it out of the whole piece.
10. Align your workpiece again and repeat the process for other marks that you have made on the workpiece.

Tips for Safety & Efficiency When Using Circular Saw

• The circular saw you are about to use should be in perfect working conditions. There should be no loose part that is shaking or vibrating awkwardly. Also, no electric wires should be exposed.
• Don’t change the blade or recalibrate your circular saw without disconnecting it from the primary power source. Always unplug before such actions are performed.
• Confirm if your blade is not blunt before you start working. While checking for sharpness, don’t verify the sharpness of saw blades with your fingers. Make sample cuts instead with scraps of wood that you can sacrifice.
• Wear your hand gloves, face masks, footwear, face shields, ear muffs, safety glasses, and other protective apparel before you start work. Get all the safety features of the saw active, too, before you commence work.
• Your walking path should be clear. Keep litters out of the way and let your electric cords be organized so that you won’t have to be matching on them while working.
• If you are working at home or at a place where children are available, keep the kids away from the working zone. Adults should also be on protective wears to protect them from flying splinters or any other dangerous thing. Or keep them in safe distance, at least.

Conclusion

Now, you have understood that cutting with a circular saw in the absence of a table is not impossible. It may appear like a complicated task at first but trust me; a few repetitions will get you to mastery if you are dedicated and have a preexisting experience using circular saws.

You have various approaches to choose from, depending on what you have and what you are comfortable with. The three approaches are mostly interchangeable, leaving you with the freedom of choice. It is good to watch and learn before manning the process by yourself. Requiring supervision by an expert will be just fine if you are new to the process.