Circular Saws, Track Saws and Jigsaws for a Small Woodworking Business

Portable power saws are the saws you bring to the wood, rather than feeding the wood into a machine. The three most used in woodworking are the circular saw, the track saw and the jigsaw. Together they can do much of the cutting in a small shop, and they go wherever the work is.

For a small woodworking business, portable saws matter for three reasons. They let you start without a table saw. They make it easy to cut full sheets of plywood and long boards down to a size you can handle. And they let you cut and fit on site, for cabinets, built-ins, decks and repairs.

This post covers what each saw does best, corded versus cordless, what to look for, the blades to use and how to use each saw safely.

Circular Saw

A circular saw is a handheld saw with a round blade, a base plate that rides on the wood, and a spring-loaded guard that covers the blade below the base. It cuts boards and sheet goods quickly, straight or at an angle.

What It Does Best

• Breaking down sheet goods and long boards. Cutting a full sheet of plywood into smaller pieces before final cutting on a table saw or miter saw, or before carrying it into a basement shop.
• Straight cuts with a guide. With a clamped straightedge or a shop-made guide, a circular saw makes accurate straight cuts, which lets a small shop work without a table saw for many jobs.
• Site work. Cutting framing, decking, trim and panels where the job is.

A table saw is still more accurate and better for repeated cuts and small parts. Many woodworkers use a circular saw for rough cuts and a table saw or track saw for finished cuts.

What to Look For

• Blade size. The 7 1/4-inch saw is the standard size and cuts through 2x lumber in one pass. The blade diameter sets the maximum cutting depth.
• A sturdy guard that moves freely, and a base that sits flat.
• Bevel adjustment from 0 to at least 45 degrees, with a solid lock.
• Compatibility with a guide rail, if you want straighter cuts.
• A dust port that connects to a shop vacuum.
• Weight and grip. Choose a saw that feels balanced and comfortable to hold for long cuts.

Search for “7 1/4 inch circular saw” in your battery platform, or corded, and “circular saw guide rail” if you want a guide.

Track Saw

A track saw is a plunge-cut circular saw that runs on its own aluminum guide rail. The rail sits on the wood, often with grip strips underneath, and the saw slides along it for long, straight, splinter-free cuts.

• It cuts full sheets of plywood and panels as accurately as many table saws, without lifting a full sheet onto a saw.
• It straightens the edges of rough boards and cuts long panels for cabinets and furniture.
• It plunges to a set depth, which suits cut-outs and work such as flooring.
• It is portable, so it goes to site work and fits small shops.

A track saw is less suited to repeated cuts of identical parts, small pieces and narrow rips, where a table saw is faster and safer. For a small business working mainly with sheet goods, it can replace a table saw as the main cutting tool. Search for “track saw with guide rail” and check the rail lengths available.

Jigsaw

A jigsaw is a handheld saw with a short, narrow blade that moves up and down. It cuts curves and shapes in boards and sheet goods, and cut-outs such as sink holes in countertops.

What It Does Best

• Curved and shaped products: signs, cutting boards, toys and decorations.
• Cut-outs in panels.
• Quick cuts on site.
• Cutting materials other than wood, such as plastic and thin metal, with the right blade.

A jigsaw is a portable, lower-cost alternative to a band saw. A band saw cuts cleaner and squarer curves in thicker wood, so a business making many curved products usually moves on to one.

What to Look For

• Variable speed to match the speed to the material. Plastic, for example, needs a slower speed so it does not melt.
• Orbital action settings for faster rough cuts and straight-up-and-down action for clean cuts.
• Tool-free blade changes.
• Grip style. Top-handle and barrel-grip models both work well; choose the one that feels more controlled to you.
• A dust port or blower to keep the cut line visible.

Some jigsaws have a scrolling knob that turns the blade without turning the whole saw. It is useful for tight curves but not essential.

Corded or Cordless?

• Cordless saws are convenient: no cord to trip over or snag, and easy to use anywhere. Battery technology has closed much of the power gap, and most cordless circular saws, track saws and jigsaws handle typical woodworking well. They cost more, and you need spare batteries so one can charge while you use another.
• Corded saws cost less, never run out of power and are often lighter. They suit a shop where the saw is used close to an outlet.

If you already own cordless tools from one maker, buying saws on the same battery platform keeps costs down. See power tool battery care for getting the most from batteries.

Blades

• Use carbide-tipped blades on circular and track saws. They cut faster, stay sharp longer and cost less in the long run than steel blades.
• Use a blade with more teeth for plywood and finished cuts, and fewer teeth for fast rough cuts.
• Jigsaw blades are inexpensive, so buy several at once in the types you use: fine-tooth for clean cuts, coarse for fast cuts, and narrow blades for tight curves.
• If you need to press hard to cut, the blade is dull. Replace it.

Preventing Tear-Out

Circular saws and jigsaws cut on the upward stroke, so splintering happens on the top face. Cut with the good face down. A table saw is the opposite, so cut with the good face up there. Scoring the cut line with a knife, using masking tape, or a zero-clearance strip on a track saw rail also reduces splintering.

Using Portable Saws Safely

Canada’s Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) gives these rules for circular saws:

• Check that the lower guard moves freely and covers the blade. Never pin it back.
• Set the blade depth so the lowest tooth extends no more than about 1/8 inch below the wood.
• Secure the wood so it cannot move during the cut.
• Stand to the side of the saw, not directly behind it, to avoid kickback.
• Use two hands: one on the trigger handle and one on the front handle.
• Disconnect the power or remove the battery before adjusting or changing the blade.

For jigsaws and other reciprocating saws, CCOHS advises keeping the base firmly on the wood, knowing what is behind or beneath the material before you cut, clamping the work, choosing the right clean, sharp blade, and not putting the saw down until the motor has stopped.

Support the wood on both sides of the cut, so the offcut does not drop and pinch the blade, and make sure the blade will not cut into your sawhorses or bench. A sheet of rigid foam insulation on the floor makes a good support for cutting full sheets with a circular saw or track saw. Wear eye and hearing protection: circular saws are loud. For more, see woodworking safety rules.

Practical Tips

• A circular saw and a good guide can be a small shop’s first saw.
• Consider a track saw instead of a table saw if you work mainly with sheet goods.
• Use a jigsaw for occasional curves, and move to a band saw if curves become a large part of your work.
• Stay with one battery platform for cordless saws.
• Cut with the good face down on circular saws and jigsaws.

For the other tools a small woodworking business needs, see tools for a woodworking business, the table saw and the band saw.

Sources

• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, n.d., Powered Hand Tools: Saws, Circular, CCOHS
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, n.d., Powered Hand Tools: Saws, Sabre, Jig and Reciprocating, CCOHS