Makita7 1/4″ circular saw won’t cut 2X10
Hello,
I have a ? concerning circular saws. I purchased a makita 7 1/4″ circular saw a few months ago. I’ve only used it to cut 3/4″ pine.
Went to cut stair stringers today for the backsteps only to discover that the circular saw for some reason or other wouldn’t cut through the 2X10 . I could smell the wood burning so I turned off the saw checked the depth of the blade. Then gave it a 2nd try. No luck.
What could be the problem. The blade that came with the saw has 24teeth. Either there is something wrong with the saw itself or the saw blade. Couldn’t be the lumber could it? A circular saw should be able to cut through an ordianary 2×4 piece of lumber with ease. I’m wondering if I should return this saw.
Am I using the wrong blade?
Wanda
Replies
Wanda,
Are the teeth carbide or some non carbide junk blade that came with the saw?
Your circular saw should be able to cut through pretty much anything you apply it to, without any problems, maybe alittle 'loaded' with extra sappy stuff.
You mentioned you smelled wood burning which tells me your saw is trying to do its' thing but the blade isn't.
Chris, halfbreed AmericanCanadian.
You should always set the depth of the circular saw before plugging it in. The accepted rule of thumb is 1/4" deeper than the stock. You should have no problem cutting through 1 1/2" material with a 7 1/4" saw unless you are using an EZ guide or something similar. If you happen to have a 6" blade on it, that won't work. I'm guessing you haven't adjusted the depth of cut on the saw or had it hang up on the blade guard or something else, when you did. Check the manual and give it another try.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Hi,
I had the depth of cut set to cut a 2X4 (1 1/2"thick) before I attempted to cut the board. Then I checked it again just to make sure it was set correctly. The blade should have no problem cutting through a board that thick. The blade is approx. 1/4" below the thickness of the board.
Could be the blade. I just assumed a Makita power tool would come with a decent blade. The Makita compound miter saw I purchased came with a fantastic blade. I better get that blade checked out just to be sure. Shouldn't take anything for granted.
Wanda
Makita actually makes a pretty good blade. Any factory blade should cut a 2X without trouble, unless it's on backwards, or a specialty blade. The blade that came with the saw should be fine, especially if you haven't used it. Make sure the teeth are cutting up.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Hi Hammer,
The saw I have model number 5007FA comes with an electric brake and a 24T MForce carbide tipped blade. Not sure whether or not you'd consider that a specialty blade or not.
I have the wood well supported. And I'm using a guide. To prevent the saw from wondering away from the waste line.
Wanda
Could you have unknowingly hit a nail or two and knicked your blade?
Maybe, if it is a cheap blade to start with, and you blasted through a tough large knot, you could have overheated the blade. That could have done it in right there.
Alex
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.-Groucho Marx
Edited 10/23/2007 6:02 am ET by musashi
Wanda, when you have some problems, it's a good idea to go through the basics as a start. In many cases, the problem can be rather simple. A 24 tooth blade is a common configuration for a framing blade. It's designed to cut 2X framing material. It won't compare in smoothness of cut with a miter saw but it should eat through 2X framing lumber relatively easily. When I taught circular saw use, we always started with reading the owners manual. Next we would learn to make all the adjustments, change the blade and verify that everything was working as it should. The retractable blade guard is the major safety device on a circular saw. It should move fully back and forth without much effort. Turn the saw upside down and make sure it retracts fully above the shoe plate.Saw blades are fairly easy to inspect. Get a good light source over your head. Hold the blade so you can see the tips, If carbide, check for any sap build up, look to see if there are any chips or missing teeth. You can lay it on a flat surface, like your table saw top, to make sure it's flat. If the saw is not cutting all the way through the material, the shoe plate isn't making full contact or the saw is riding up. A blade guard that doesn't fully retract can cause this. When you use a cutting guide, you have one hand on the guide and one on the saw. Since a circular saw will bind if it twists in the cut, any slipping of the guide or failure to keep the saw straight will cause problems. If the saw plate isn't parallel with the blade, it won't follow a guide. If there aren't any problems with the saw, the next place to look is the operator. As I said, circular saws take some practice. They require the operator to physically hold them down to the work and advance through the cut. They will bind with the slightest twist in movement. Many users will pull back on the guard when starting the cut, just to prevent the guards spring from causing resistance. Gently let go once the cut is started. Watch out for where the cord is positioned. You don't want to cut that. My students would do dozens of practice crosscuts on a 2x4 learning to feel the saw and learning to follow a line. After straight crosscuts, we would switch to angle cuts and after those, bevel cuts. Using two hands on the saw gives the most control. Once you know how the saw feels, you can learn to use a cutting guide. It does take some practice.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Hello Hammer,
I'm not ruling out operator error. I've read the manual. The retractable guard is working fine. I just did a few test cuts using 3/4" pine. The saw cuts but it's slow going. (too much resistance) Very well could be the blade. The blade that came with the saw is relatively new. I've only used it once before to cut plywood and 3/4" pine. I haven't cut through any nails or nasty knots.
Does the saw feel the same when cutting at an angle compared to cutting across a board? Should I notice any difference in speed? I'm having to use too much force to just cut a piece of pine. Granted I was cutting it at a 45 degree angle.
I've got a contractor coming in on Wed. so I'll get him to test out the saw.
Wanda
"I just did a few test cuts using 3/4" pine. The saw cuts but it's slow going. (too much resistance)"
Something is seriously, seriously wrong. Cross-cutting 3/4" pine should be almost effortless. The blade does appear to be mounted the right way, so we can rule out that possibility. Look at the teeth on the blade. Do they appear burned at all? Take the blade off and look at the area where the nut clamps to the side of the blade. Is there any evidence that the blade is slipping?
-Steve
Where you find resistance is right when the blade guard should be engaging. Because you are on an angle, the guard is hanging up. Pull the guard open until you have advanced farther into the cut. This is typical for angle cuts like you are making. Most of us pull the guard back to get started. If you don't, the angle at which the guard hits the lumber will push the saw and bind the blade.PS make sure you aren't standing on the cord :-)Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Edited 10/23/2007 1:39 pm ET by hammer1
That saw should have no problem making a cut in 2x lumber. I second the previous post, the guard is hanging up because you are striking the edge of the board at an angle. Just lift the guard with the handle until you are a few inches into the cut.John White
Hi John,
After viewing a few videos online I noticed that the person operating the saw did indeed raise the guard for the first couple of inches before releasing it to work on its own. You guys were right. Solving the problem was as simple as lifting the guard to get the cut stated. Usually you don't have to do that when cutting at a 90 degree angle. You learn something new everyday. Operator inexperience! :)
I can finally get back to cutting the stringers for my backsteps. What a relief. Thanks guys.
Wanda
Don't be insulted when I ask this question: Are you plugging the saw into a 100' long extension cord?? After all of the good suggestions, this sounds fishy. You said you have done some test cuts with the board well supported so it doesn't squeeze together?
I lean a little toware Mudman's technique: add some depth to the blade. It makes the saw cut pine easier. After that I would take the blade off and make sure you have the blade installed correctly and the washers are not binding somewhere.
I wish I had he same saw but I still have my old 77 worm gear with a thin kerf blade for cutting timberframe stuff. This just sounds odd.
Hi,
Here are some pictures I took last night. You can see by the pictures I wasn't able to advance the saw more than 3" into the wood while trying to attempt to cut the stair stringers.
Wanda
Will the saw cut freehand? I have a saw whose blade is not aligned well with the sole plate, and it binds up when using a saw guide, especially if the blade is set for a bevel cut.
Try a new blade. They are pretty cheap, and even if you don't need it now, you will eventually. Always nice to have a spare! ;-)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
It occured to me that if you haven't used a circular saw before, it can take some getting used to. The retractable blade guard will push up as you advance the saw. It's on a spring so it can cause resistance. Going straight with the saw is very important. Any slight twisting may cause the blade to bind. This could cause burning or make the blade lift up, out of the cut. On some saws, if you loosen the depth adjustment too much, the blade guard can get caught and not work properly. Make sure you check that for smooth open and close all the way. You have to learn to resist the pressure the blade guard will cause. You shouldn't have to force anything.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Make sure the blade washers and blade nut (figure #s 1,2,&3 in manual) are on correctly, I had the same problem with the saw at work and it was all caused by the blade being installed wrong by the factory. After I got that fixed I love the saw. It is much better than my Bosch.
You say that you smell wood buring. If the stock that you're cutting isn't properly supported you could be binding the blade (maybe). By binding, I mean that the material you're cutting is pinching the blade, which is potentially dangerous.
Make sure the blade is installed correctly.The teeth should point away from you as you view the saw from behind. The blade may be slipping if the collar and nut are loose.If the wood is burning I suspect the blade is backwards.
mike
Edited 10/22/2007 12:11 pm ET by mike4244
Wanda
are you using the guide against a straight edge? If so, the blade may not be parallel to the guide.
Someone mentioned the possibility of the blade binding. I think that's a good possibility. After the problem has occurred, and you pulled the saw back out of the cut, what did the kerf in the wood look like? Was it of uniform width, or was it perhaps closed up at the entry end, so that it was pinching the blade?
If you smell wood burning, you should be able to see scorch marks on the wood. Are they at the beginning of the cut, the end of the cut, etc.?
-Steve
If you havent used circ saws for free hand cutting construction lumber much I suspect you are not pushing the saw straight. If you are looking at the blade and trying to follow a line that can cause problems. Instead use the kerf notch in the front of the shoe. Also for construction purposes you should keep the depth set to max. The saw will cut a lot more efeciently. The 1/4 tooth projection applies to cutting plywood where minimising tearout is a concern, but when cutting 2x stock using the full depth is faster and safer. If you doubt this, just try it. The saw is a lot less likely to bind or self feed when the depth is increased.
Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
The saw is less than a year old and under warranty. Take it back to the folks you bought it from and ask for customer service. If they don't replace the saw outright, ask them to take a test cut in 2 x material and show you how to work the saw. The problem is usually one of the following.
Defective saw blade or installed backwards.
Blade guard is binding.
Improperly installed or defective brushes can cause a lack of power.
Defective motor, does happen on new equipment.
Defective power cord on saw (I purchased a new drill years back with this problem) can cause a lack of power.
Good old operator error (no offense, my wife keeps a running list of my operator errors just in case God has gotten distracted and missed a couple).
Regardless, the folks you bought the saw from should take care of you. If they don't, contact Makita, they are a good company and will make it right.
Just a thought. Are you ripping or a crosscut?
Ripping a 2X4, 2X10 2X12 Etc. can be real hard on a saw blade. At least in my experience. For some reason I am assuming you are cutting construction lumber and you will very likely get twist and winds when dong so. I'd bet your blade is being pinched.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled