How to Use a Chop Saw

Video Transcript

Now we're ready to cut. Before we cut let me explain what I'm using here. I'm using a chop saw, it's called the chop saw because it cuts in a chopping fashion. The trigger is up in the handle. The nice thing about this saw is that the guard keeps the blade covered at all times. You also want to make sure definitely you're wearing your eye protection during this process. You also want to make sure that when you're using it you line your piece up keeping it tight against the fence and holding it with one hand. Now where you hold it and how you hold it you have to be very careful of as well. Just watch where your fingers are, you don't want to take anything off. Make sure your hand is away from the blade as you bring it down. So again it's just basic it's no need to be afraid of the tool just to be aware of what's going on and stay focused on what you're doing. A lot of people at home may not have this tool and that's fine there's other hand saws and circular saws or whatever that you could by for cheaper, but because I'm working in my shop I'm going to use the quick and easy chop saw. So what I've done is for one of my dimensions created a line so it's nice to know where you're going. One of the things to remember when cutting with the line is there's a situation that occurs when you're cutting wood and I'll demonstrate it. If you notice there the saw blade, the thickness of the saw blade is cut into the wood. We call it a curf, it's not important what you call it really, but the thing of it is we have to remember that this dimension is being lost, this amount of wood is being lost in our cut. So if we want like in our apron piece 16 1/8 inches to that line that means we have to make sure the blade is on the opposite of what we started our measurement. That's kind of an important thing. A lot of people don't realize that until, it could be common sense I don't know, but that's kind of an important part of the process. So we want to make sure that we cut on the opposite along the line but on the opposite side, clear as mud. Now once you line it up I like to bring the blade down with my hand off the trigger, which is in the handle here. Line my piece up and like I said just on the other side of the line. Once I'm lined up I hold it in my place. Hold it in place, my hand safe distance from the blade. Easy as pie! Now, we'll do that to the other four pieces. We also want to make sure that we cut our table leg down and just for repetitions so you guys remember it, we're going to do the same process again. Right on the line, hold it place, bring it down. Easy as pie! Once our pieces are cut we're ready to assemble.

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