Makita 18v Circular Saws - Good for Fine work?

[bagusbagus]

I have a task to create a bunch of custom kitchen cabinets, and need a way to cut up plywood accurately while also leaving a nice edge finish.
I do not have a tablesaw and do not plan to get one due to having nowhere to store it.

I'm currently looking at this 136mm compact Makita 18v circular saw, I like the form factor of it very much + all my other tools are 18v makita as well so I need to stick to the system I already have.
http://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-dss501z-18v...

-Would these circular saws be good for such task? I suspect I would need a better saw blade with finer tooth to achieve a better finish, but is it doable?
-Maybe anyone has this exact saw and can comment how good/bad it is?
-Will I be able to achieve a good finished edge while cutting plywood with such saw?
-Also are there any tracks you can buy for these saws so it can be used as a track saw? Or you can only use them with DIY made ''tracks''?
unfortunately my budget doesn't stretches to a good dedicated tracksaw + I think a circular saw is a more universal tool suitable for more tasks in future?

What do u think guys?

[B17NNS]

A TS55 is what you want.

Failing that get a budget track saw and a decent blade.

[buggalugs]

With care and practice you can get a nice result, I usually clamp a batton down to act as a track as those kind of guides are too easy to wobble with, also if you’re cutting something less than a cm or so thick the guide can end up lower than the piece in thin air. also do some test cuts and see where the cut goes vs where the little laser or 0mm mark is as it can be a few mm out. If you’re a 2mm blade tooth thickness out either side of a piece that’s getting very noticeable. I had a battery one, not that specific one but found that long cuts through thickish stuff say 18mm mdf was very hard on the battery and took a lot of power so got a mains one in the end. I’m just a DIY’er made a few bits and bobs these are just my observations.

[tumble dryer]

A bit OT, but also a bit on-topic.

I bought one of these and confess to loving it but, why am I always working off my left hand? Would it not make more sense to be driving the saw with my right hand??

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/bosch-gkt55gce-240...

[northwest monkey]

buggalugs said:

I usually clamp a batton down to act as a track as those kind of guides are too easy to wobble with

You know what, I'd never even thought of that

[Mojooo]

I have a standard circular saw and I use a jig to make cuts but I have to admit it would be so much easier with a track that you can extend (i.e put 2 together and so on)

[Smiler.]

You can get an excellent smooth finish with a jigsaw using a smooth cut blade. I've been cutting a lot of MDF recently & using such. I can't tell the difference.

The key (as is when using a circular saw) is a good set up. I always use either a length of timber batten or aluminium angle as a guide. The circular saw would be better for volume work.

I made a custom bench to which I can clamp the sheet material to be cut. It has a bigger surface area than a workmate & I find it much better/easier to set up for a cut.

I haven't made the switch to battery saws yet but the first one I will buy will be a jigsaw.

[Pistom]

I have one of those cheap Aldi track saws.

It wouldn't cope with regular use but for the odd one off project it is great.

[singlecoil]

B17NNS said:

A TS55 is what you want.

Failing that get a budget track saw and a decent blade.

My TS55 is thirteen years old and cut sufficient plywood for a good many kitchens.

When you use Festool you know where the extra money went.

[Initforthemoney]

tumble dryer said:

A bit OT, but also a bit on-topic.

I bought one of these and confess to loving it but, why am I always working off my left hand? Would it not make more sense to be driving the saw with my right hand??

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/bosch-gkt55gce-240...

I have also noticed that with all the different models, some are left and some are right handed.

They all do it.

[singlecoil]

buggalugs said:

With care and practice you can get a nice result, I usually clamp a batton down to act as a track as those kind of guides are too easy to wobble with, also if you’re cutting something less than a cm or so thick the guide can end up lower than the piece in thin air. also do some test cuts and see where the cut goes vs where the little laser or 0mm mark is as it can be a few mm out. If you’re a 2mm blade tooth thickness out either side of a piece that’s getting very noticeable. I had a battery one, not that specific one but found that long cuts through thickish stuff say 18mm mdf was very hard on the battery and took a lot of power so got a mains one in the end. I’m just a DIY’er made a few bits and bobs these are just my observations.

When you say "those kind of guides" are you referring to Festool (etc) saw tracks. If you are then I must say your comments don't make sense.

[kambites]

After trying lots of different things, I settled on making a rough cut a couple of mm too big with a circular saw (a saw table in my case but you could do it with a hand-held saw) then skimming the rest off with a brace clamped to the bottom and a bottom-guided router bit.

[buggalugs]

singlecoil said:

When you say "those kind of guides" are you referring to Festool (etc) saw tracks. If you are then I must say your comments don't make sense.

No I meant the little sticky out metal ones that come with non track circular saws, like the OP’s. Have a look at OP’s link and you’ll see the one I mean.

[kambites]

I assume you realise OP, that that saw doesn't come with batteries or a charger?

[bagusbagus]

kambites said:

I assume you realise OP, that that saw doesn't come with batteries or a charger?

Of course, all my other tools are makita 18v already so I'm balls deep in the system already and now just have to buy bare tools.

[bagusbagus]

Smiler. said:

You can get an excellent smooth finish with a jigsaw using a smooth cut blade. I've been cutting a lot of MDF recently & using such. I can't tell the difference.

The key (as is when using a circular saw) is a good set up. I always use either a length of timber batten or aluminium angle as a guide. The circular saw would be better for volume work.

I made a custom bench to which I can clamp the sheet material to be cut. It has a bigger surface area than a workmate & I find it much better/easier to set up for a cut.

I haven't made the switch to battery saws yet but the first one I will buy will be a jigsaw.

I wanted to believe that as well.. Until I got my first decent jigsaw, it can't cut straight 90 degree anything.. I thought my jigsaw was a dud...
now I have a top of the line 18v makita jigsaw, a sweet sweet thing,,however it's not able to do this kind of thing..It can produce a very smooth cut however it can't produce a perfectly 90 degree cut over a long distance.

[kambites]

bagusbagus said:

kambites said:

I assume you realise OP, that that saw doesn't come with batteries or a charger?

Of course, all my other tools are makita 18v already so I'm balls deep in the system already and now just have to buy bare tools.

Good. You wouldn't be the first person to buy it thinking it's a complete tool then find you need to spend another £100+ to be able to use it.

[Simpo Two]

bagusbagus said:

I wanted to believe that as well.. Until I got my first decent jigsaw, it can't cut straight 90 degree anything.. I thought my jigsaw was a dud...
now I have a top of the line 18v makita jigsaw, a sweet sweet thing,,however it's not able to do this kind of thing..It can produce a very smooth cut however it can't produce a perfectly 90 degree cut over a long distance.

Jigsaw blades get deflected by grain, I wouldn't use one if I wanted geometric precision.

As for a circular saw cutting plywood cleanly, I'd be concerned about the top edge ragging up - this will depend on the quality of the plywood and the direction of grain of the top ply. I'd do a test sample first, and if required, leave a few mm for planing to the perfect edge you want.

[singlecoil]

Simpo Two said:

Jigsaw blades get deflected by grain, I wouldn't use one if I wanted geometric precision.

As for a circular saw cutting plywood cleanly, I'd be concerned about the top edge ragging up - this will depend on the quality of the plywood and the direction of grain of the top ply. I'd do a test sample first, and if required, leave a few mm for planing to the perfect edge you want.

This is very true, ordinary circular saws are really for rough work and are popular with builders. Getting a clean cut requires either a table saw with a scoring blade or a Festool track saw (or cheaper imitations whereof).

[Slagathore]

singlecoil said:

Simpo Two said:

Jigsaw blades get deflected by grain, I wouldn't use one if I wanted geometric precision.

As for a circular saw cutting plywood cleanly, I'd be concerned about the top edge ragging up - this will depend on the quality of the plywood and the direction of grain of the top ply. I'd do a test sample first, and if required, leave a few mm for planing to the perfect edge you want.

This is very true, ordinary circular saws are really for rough work and are popular with builders. Getting a clean cut requires either a table saw with a scoring blade or a Festool track saw (or cheaper imitations whereof).

Does ragging up mean tear out?

I have the Bosch linked above with the standard blade and the cuts on Birch ply even without a backer board are completely clean. The end grain is so smooth, it almost doesn't even need sanding. I would assume quality of cut is down to the blade and how powerful the motor is so you can cut at an even pace.

Maffell make one with a scoring function, but it's silly money.

You can do decent work with a cordless circular saw and a straight edge, you just need to work out the distance from the straight edge to the blade and then if you are going repeated cuts, some sort of way of keeping the straigh edge consistently at that distance.

If it has to be dead on accurate, I would just get it cut at a local timber yard or pop in to a joiner and ask them to cut it.