Tool Talk

[COL]

I've always struggle to cut wood .... any sort of long cut, and every circular saw I've ever owned will wedge solidly a saws depth into the wood (even if you try to run the saw down a length of wood for a straight cut).

Well I borrowed my ozito track saw ....

Ozito 165mm 1200W Plunge Track Saw Kit

Find Ozito 165mm 1200W Plunge Track Saw Kit at Bunnings. Visit your local store for the widest range of products.

www.bunnings.com.au

View attachment 241222


Absolutley mind blowing ..... it cuts straight and easily. No wedging, no grabbing .... just effortless straight cuts. He has 1.5meters of track. so you can cut most timber lengths.

I have an 8 inch Japanese Hitachi here that is 50 years old. Most of its life was cutting hardwood but it has never wedged. It usually has a carbide blade fitted for carpentry. It's too heavy for the new battery powered generation, but it built part of my house.

I'm not sure that I would buy something with a life as long as a saw from Ozito. I see the brand as being suitable for limited use jobs. The Hitachi can still be repaired if needed, even though that brand has been sold.

I have a Makita 5900B, has loads of power, had this for 35+ years.

MAKITA 2000W 235mm Circular Saw N5900B

A hardworking saw with the power to rip through most materials Sturdy steel safety cover with industrial durability High rigidity of rugged steel base provides stability Flat-end motor housing for easy blade changes

www.totaltools.com.au

You can buy these 2nd hand for reasonable price:

Makita 5900b for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Makita 5900b. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.com.au

 

[Antoine]

I have a Makita 5900B, has loads of power, had this for 35+ years.

MAKITA 2000W 235mm Circular Saw N5900B

A hardworking saw with the power to rip through most materials Sturdy steel safety cover with industrial durability High rigidity of rugged steel base provides stability Flat-end motor housing for easy blade changes

www.totaltools.com.au

You can buy these 2nd hand for reasonable price:

Makita 5900b for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Makita 5900b. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.com.au

 

[Antoine]

Like Col I also have a Makita 5900b which has done great service for over 30 plus years. Lots of work with hardwood on the North Coast of NSW, building houses, workshops, sheds etc. also cutting bricks & concrete when fitted with a masonry blade. The saw has never given any trouble, and has no trouble ripping longer lengths of timber. They were a basic workhorse saw for most builders.

 

[407HDI2.7]

I've always struggle to cut wood .... any sort of long cut, and every circular saw I've ever owned will wedge solidly a saws depth into the wood (even if you try to run the saw down a length of wood for a straight cut).

Use cheap solid soap bar as dry lube on the teeth and sides of the blades.
Can't remember where I learnt that from, but it was over 35 years ago.

 

[Peter C]

My long departed dad, often purloined mum's bars of Velvet soap to use on his hand saw blade/s.

 

[Roger Wilkinson]

My 5900B is probably 40 years old. It has had a noisy bearing for about 35 of those years but still keeps going.

I ripped a piece of 6" x 1" pine into two bits of 3" x 1" the other day with a little cordless Milwaukee circular saw, it was about 5 m long. The saw worked fine, though I did have to hold it carefully, but it ate a lot of battery.

Roger

 

[seasink]

use cheap solid soap

What kind of circular blade are you using? That works better on a hand saw.

 

[bob]

the shed straight edge is an old offcut of 16mm MDF, 100mm or so wide and 2.4m long, which also doubles as a saw guide for any circular saw in the shed. Seeing as the setup has never given me any grief I haven't bothered with the new fangled track kits....
It's also good enough to cut the proverbial beesdi.. extra off something to make it fit. Saws here are a mix of ancient Makita and Bosch, the 9" Makita is nothing flash but doesn't grab in the kerf, perhaps nice sharp blades are the answer ?
Yes the MDF stays straight, easy to check, lay it down, draw a line, flip it over and see if it matches...

Bob

 

[DoubleChevron]

so what you are all saying ..... Is I've only ever had cheap crappy circular saws that don't work properly. Sounds about right to me

 

[407HDI2.7]

What kind of circular blade are you using? That works better on a hand saw.

I believe it could be a Black and Decker default supply blade.
My shed is in disarray and I'm unable to look ATM.

There's no doubt soap works on hand saws and I don't have doubts it works on circular blades either. It's just that we don't have much of a feeling with an electric motor.

Perhaps @DoubleChevron is a big monster with biceps the size of thighs and is just pushing things to hard, or he's a lefty and using it backwards?

 

[driven]

The Makita is the best, no need for soap.
Here I am 6500 likes on YouTube

 

[Peter C]

I've also got a Makita 5900B, plus an AEG CS 825. Both inherited from my dad. I've hardly ever used either circular saws. On the very occasional times I have to saw something, it's quicker to just get out the hand saw, unless I'm sawing something lengthy.

Had to replace the burnt out armature on the AEG as it didn't hold up to the hard use he subjected it to by dad.

 

[seasink]

I think the B & D would have come with a simple steel wood cutting blade. You'll quickly change this for a tungsten carbide tip if there's much to cut. The small extra cost is well worth it. The difficult blade may have contributed to the AEG's demise.

 

[Greenpeace]

I've got an XU1 circular saw I bought at Bunnings about 25 years ago.
I've cut timber, Hardiplank, concrete, bitumen, bricks, pavers, tiles, steel, aluminium, compacted earth, dog bones, anything that doesn't move really. Just chuck whatever blade or disc in it (with an adaptor ring if necessary) and then try and kill it.
It did come with a spare set of brushes, but I filed those down and put them in my wife's old BMW's alternator about 15 years ago.
I guess it will die one day, but meh, it was something like $49.95 when I bought it, I won't shed any tears.

 

[bob]

I've got an XU1 circular saw I bought at Bunnings about 25 years ago.
I've cut timber, Hardiplank, concrete, bitumen, bricks, pavers, tiles, steel, aluminium, compacted earth, dog bones, anything that doesn't move really. Just chuck whatever blade or disc in it (with an adaptor ring if necessary) and then try and kill it.
It did come with a spare set of brushes, but I filed those down and put them in my wife's old BMW's alternator about 15 years ago.
I guess it will die one day, but meh, it was something like $49.95 when I bought it, I won't shed any tears.

My old 9" Makita came from Cash Converters, cheap as chips, covered in bumps 'n grinds paint 'n stuff, along with a 9" Bosch Blue angle grinder similarly adorned, 20-30 years ago ! They make some 'orrible noises but just keep on giving, they made 'em to serve back then.
Bob

 

[seasink]

When or if the rain ever stops I'm going to trim some 75 thick aged ironbark (Mugga?). The old Hitachi and an old TCT blade will get that job. The yard that sold it used a chainsaw.

 

[Peter C]

I think the B & D would have come with a simple steel wood cutting blade. You'll quickly change this for a tungsten carbide tip if there's much to cut. The small extra cost is well worth it. The difficult blade may have contributed to the AEG's demise.

I've not used the AEG for a very long time, but I think the blade is an odd size, so not very common.

 

[Beano]

I too have an old Makita which I bought at a garage sale ten years ago for $ 15, and though it was beaten up, I have done a lot of work with it. Including hacking up old furniture and wood to put in the wheelie bin.

I don't know a lot about electric saws and though I always use safety glasses, the way I sometimes plough through old hardwood, I am a little apprehensive about the blade shattering some time.
If it lets go at speed, results would be spectacular, but I value my femoral artery and other parts. I take it that twisting the saw while you are cutting is a big no-no, but maybe I should Google "power saw safety", or Youtube it ?

 

[Greenpeace]

I too have an old Makita which I bought at a garage sale ten years ago for $ 15, and though it was beaten up, I have done a lot of work with it. Including hacking up old furniture and wood to put in the wheelie bin.

I don't know a lot about electric saws and though I always use safety glasses, the way I sometimes plough through old hardwood, I am a little apprehensive about the blade shattering some time.
If it lets go at speed, results would be spectacular, but I value my femoral artery and other parts. I take it that twisting the saw while you are cutting is a big no-no, but maybe I should Google "power saw safety", or Youtube it ?

A mate of mine picked up some worn down 9" angle grinder discs at the dump once, to use in his 4" grinder. I did warn him that the rpms are much higher on a 4" grinder, but he used them anyway.
One exploded while he was cutting something in his front yard, half of the disc shot under the house, out into the back yard, and hit his missus in the leg while she was hanging out the washing.
She needed several stitches.

 

[Peter C]

Gee, would've been good to be a fly on the wall in that household that night.