Our Step By Step Guide To Making Plunge Cuts With a Circular Saw

Circulars saws are an excellent tool for making straight cuts in wood or rough cuts, but you can also use this essential power tool to make shaped cuts in wood including plunge cuts. 

To make a simple plunge cut with your circular saw, all you need to do is measure out your cut as a cutting guide, clamp your material and set the depth of your saw, the shoe of the saw should always be rested against the reference line as you tip your saw to make a plunge cut.

We have composed a small guide below which will cover if you can make a plunge cut with a circular saw, how to plunge cut plywood and how to plunge cut tile materials too. 

Let's get into it!

Can You Make a Plunge Cut With a Circular Saw? 

Making a plunge cut with a circular saw is very possible as long as you have a steady hand and some practice using one of these tools beforehand. As long as you align your circular saw up well with your layout marks for cutting and start slow you should be able to complete a plunge cut to make shapes in wood. 

Many people prefer a prefer to use a plunge saw or a track saw to make this kind of cut as the rails and enclosed blade make the device easier to use and tend to give a more accurate result, however, a circular saw can be used too.

How To Plunge Cut Plywood With a Circular Saw

To know the right way to make a plunge cut in your piece of wood, we have covered a small step by step guide below that will take you through how to achieve plunge circular-saw blade cuts in your material. 

• Step one - Position your plywood with solid wood support and so as its finishing side is down on the work surface, clamp the plywood in the place where the spinning blade will not cut and make sure it is tightly in place.
• Step two - Mark with your tape measure and pencil where you want to perform the plunge cut in the solid wood. 
• Step three - Choose the correct blade for this type of plunge cut, the blade should have lots of teeth and carbide tips, the sharp blade should additionally be set to the proper plunge depth for cutting your plywood. 
• Step four - Wear your PPE and hold the circular saw with both hands, place the front edge of the sole over the edge of the plywood then turn the saw on, slowly lower the saw down till it comes through the other side of the plywood. 

How Deep To Plunge a Tile Saw? 

In addition to making a plunge cut with a circular saw, you might be wondering how to make a plunge cut with a tile saw too and if it is possible. 

You can use a tile saw to make a plunge cut in the hole of a tile if needed, this could be for shower or pipes, the depth you cut at depends entirely on the size of the tile that you are cutting. 

The essential tool you need for this is a wet tile saw, as this has the correct blade for cutting through tile without too much dust.

How To Make a Plunge Cut With a Tile Saw

Making a plunge cut with a tile saw is simple as long as you have the correct blade and mark your tiles cutting guide properly. 

We have gone through the cutting process in simple terms below. 

• Step one - Mark and measure your tile where you need it to be cut with a scribe mark, use something that will not wash away due to the water.
• Step two - Place the tile underneath the cutting wheel then lower the blade down into the centre.
• Step three - If your wet tile saw blade does not go all the way through then flip over and repeat on the other side. 

Last Words

To conclude, making a plunge cut with a circular saw is simple with some practice, always wear safety equipment before cutting and mark where you need your cut to be, never force your plunge saw through the material and go at a slow speed to avoid damaging the material or blade.