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Honing your circular saw skills will pay
big dividends when you’re building decks and fences. Good techniques will
speed up your work, create stronger joints and show off your craft, since all
the cuts and joints are highly visible. In this story, we’ll show you how
to get a perfectly square cut on the end of a 6x6 post, cut notches and shape
deck posts with your circular saw.
You’ll need a circular saw with a
sharp 7-1/4 in. blade to make the deep cuts we’ll be showing. A 24- tooth
carbide blade (less than $10 at hardware stores and home centers) is a good
deck-building blade.
Square-Cut a 6x6 Post
1. Mark the
post for length and use a Speed square or combination square to draw a line
around the post. Make sure all the lines meet at the corners. Set the saw for
maximum depth and saw to the waste side of the first line. Rotate the post 90
degrees and using the first cut as a guide, cut the second side. Cut the third
and fourth sides the same way.
2. Cut the
wood remaining in the center with a sharp handsaw.
Here’s an easy method for making a smooth, clean cut on a
6x6 when you cut it to length. By rotating the post a quarter turn after each
cut, you can use the previous cut to guide the blade for the next cut. Since a
7-1/4 in. blade cuts a little less than halfway through, you’ll have to
finish the cut with a handsaw. To prevent kickback, position both sawhorses on
the keeper side of the line and allow the cutoff piece to fall.
Notch a 6x6 Post to Support
Beams
1. Cut the 6x6
to length and mark the notches. Set the saw to the depth of the notch as shown
and make both crosscuts. Then reset the blade to maximum depth and make the
four rip cuts. Cut to the waste side of all lines and stop at the crosscuts.
2. Complete
the rip cuts with a handsaw. Clean up uneven edges with a sharp chisel.
Create a sturdy connection by notching a 6x6 post to accept a
beam. You could make these notches using the technique shown in Photos 2 and
3, below, but the ripping method shown above is a little faster,
especially for long notches. If you’re using treated posts, brush a wood
preservative onto the freshly exposed wood.
Notch the Middle of a
Post
1. Mark the
notch on both sides and the top of the post. Unplug the saw and loosen the
depth adjuster. Hold the bed of the saw tight to the post and move the blade
until the teeth just touch the line. Tighten the depth adjuster.
2. Saw to the
inside of the lines on both ends of the notch. Then cut saw kerfs every 3/4 in.
across the notch. Just eyeball these cuts— they don’t have to be
perfect.
3. Pry out the
chunks. Then use a chisel to smooth the bottom of the notch.
Rail posts often require notching to fit around a deck joist
(Photos 2 and
3). Enclosed notches like these are easy to make with a series of
saw kerfs. After the chunks are broken out, you’ll have a little cleanup
to do with a sharp wood chisel.
Square Your Saw Blade
You can’t make
clean cuts unless the blade is square to the saw’s bed. Most saws have an
adjustment screw near the angle gauge for this purpose. With the saw unplugged
and the blade set to maximum depth, retract the blade guard and hold a square
against the bed and blade to make sure they’re exactly 90 degrees to each
other. Adjust the screw if necessary.
Next check to make sure
the blade is parallel to the saw bed. With the saw unplugged and blade fully
extended, hook a combination square or Speed square on the back of the bed and
slide it tight to the blade. They should line up. Most saws don’t have
adjusting screws for this. Make adjustments by carefully bending the bed
sideways until the blade and bed are parallel.
Cut a Decorative Post
Top
1. Screw
lengths of 1x6 together as shown to make a tight-fitting collar for your post.
Rough-cut your post about 4 in. longer than its finished length. Screw the
collar to the post about 7 in. from the end. Set the saw to cut a 45-degree
angle and adjust the blade to cut about 1-1/2 in. deep. Keep the saw bed tight
to the collar as you saw all four sides of the post.
2. Set the saw
to cut 90 degrees and the blade depth to 2 in. Remove the screw and adjust the
position of the collar to cut 1-1/2 in. beyond your first cut. Saw around the
post, using the collar as a guide.
3. Set the saw
to cut 3/8 in. Deep. Readjust the position of the collar and cut a decorative
groove around the post. Move the collar another 1/8 in. and saw again to make a
wider groove.
Photos 1 –
3 show one way to cut a decorative post top using a simple wood
collar as a guide for the saw. Make the collar by cutting two pieces of 1x6
about 1/32 in. longer than the post width and two more pieces 1-1/2 in. longer
than this. Screw the pieces together to form a snug-fitting collar. Slide the
collar over the 4x4 and secure it with two screws on opposite sides to hold it
in place. The holes left from the screws will swell shut and become nearly
invisible with time. Practice various patterns on a scrap 4x4 and keep track of
all the collar locations by marking the post before you reposition the collar.
When you have a design you like, simply transfer these marks to each post to
duplicate the cuts.
In Photo 1, we show cutting the
45-degree angles on the post top before cutting the post to length. The extra
post length supports the bed of the saw, making it easier to cut accurate
angles.
You can cut any size groove with a
circular saw if you’re patient enough to make multiple passes (Photo 3). But
you’ll save time and get better results using the same collar to guide a
router fitted with a straight-cutting router bit.
