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Blumengarten

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Hi All!

I'm just learning how to do all this handyman stuff, so forgive me for asking stupid questions. Yesterday, I bought a Black & Decker circular saw off Craig's List for $10. The seller plugged it in, and it sounded like a circular saw to me, so I bought it. Today when I used it, the blade burned the wood. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong, or maybe it needs a new blade?

Thanks,
Joy
 

Kingsotall

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Could use a new blade but then again it's a black n decker. Low end of the spectrum on tool quality. IMHO.
 

Jimbo

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A dull blade will advance slowly, or not at all, and burn the wood. So will not following a true straight line cut.
 

Jadnashua

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It also depends on what you are cutting and the type of blade installed...they are not all created equal for various tasks.

Ripping plywood, cross-cutting studs, ripping studs, rough cut verses fine cut will all have different shape and quantity of teeth and variations in the set (angles) of the teeth and the width of the kerf (sawcut), and the smoothness of the cut.

Trying to use a plywood blade with fine teeth to cut a stud will burn the wood. Using a rough cross-cut blade to cut plywood where you don't want splinters will create a mess...so, it could be normal for what you did, but it's probably a dull blade.
 

Blumengarten

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I bought and installed a new blade yesterday and I didn't have that problem again, so either it was dull or backwards -- I couldn't tell if it was backwards because the writing was all worn off, so it probably was dull.

Thanks,
Joy
 

thefonz

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Dangerous tool in the hands of a beginner. Be careful of binding and kick back. Make sure the guard works freely and watch those fingers.
 

Gary Swart

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All of the blades I have seen have an arrow on the blade showing direction of turn. Might have been worn off of the original one. As noted, if you are going to be cutting plywood, get a plywood blade. For regular lumber which you crosscut mostly with just an occasional rip, a combination blade will work just fine. They do make planer blades that will give a smoother cut, but with a circular saw, that kind of cutting is difficult to do with a regular saw. There is one made that will made extremely smooth and accurate cuts, but you don't even want to know about how much they cost!
 

hj

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blade

If you have to see an arrow to determine which way the blade should be installed, you should not have a saw. Circular saws are not all equal. The motor amperage will tell you whether you have a tool or a toy. The lower the amperage, the slower you have to go with the cut. And then, a gear drive saw, while it is heavier than a direct drive one, will be a more robust tool even if it has the same amperage. Even which side of the saw the blade mounts can be a factor in its usability.
 
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