A circular saw is specialized equipment that is used for cutting wood, laminate, some types of wall panels, sheet materials such as plywood, OSB, chipboard. When carrying out a number of construction and repair work and carpentry operations, the presence of a stationary sawing installation can significantly reduce time costs and improve the quality of the result. If it is not possible to purchase a factory-made model, then you can assemble a circular saw with your own hands. To make it yourself, you will need the most common metalworking tools and the skill to work with them. The more necessary materials and parts are available, the cheaper the project will cost.
A stationary circular saw is designed to perform fairly large volumes of work. The design of the implemented option in two forms is presented in the diagram below. It also indicates main installation dimensions, which are recommended to be used as a starting point for self-assembly.
In the drawing, the numbers correspond to the following structural elements of homemade equipment:
- 1 – frame (bed);
- 2 – side panel;
- 3 – starting device;
- 4 – mechanism for adjusting the height of the table, 13 – its stops;
- 5, 6 and 7 – two halves of the sawing table with a base;
- 8 – electric motor;
- 9 – platform for installing the motor;
- 10 – studs (M10);
- 11 – saw;
- 12 – shaft;
- 14 and 16 – driven and driven pulleys, respectively;
- 15 – belt;
- 17 – switch.
Advice! To improve personal safety when operating a homemade mechanism, its rotating parts located under the table should be covered with lids. A protective cover must be installed over the disk during equipment downtime.
It is better to place the starting device in a visible place on the panel (made of dielectric material) so that access to it is free. It is also recommended to equip the machine emergency switch. It is convenient when it is large in size.
Focusing on your own needs, you can improve the unit by making it with a jointer or planer. To do this, it is enough to secure a drum with knives on the existing shaft, and make a slot of the appropriate size in the table for it. This will allow you to expand the functionality of the created installation: plan lumber on it, chamfer and select a quarter from wooden blanks.
If you plan to regularly perform carpentry operations using homemade equipment, it is recommended to equip it with coordinate table with several guides. They need to be fixed at different angles. To organize productive work, it should also be possible to regulate the speed of the electric motor and quickly replace disks if necessary.
Selection of materials and parts
When creating a homemade circular saw, it is necessary to maintain an optimal balance between its functionality, safety during operation and manufacturing costs. To achieve this, you should select materials and parts with the desired characteristics. To reduce costs, you need to start from old or unused equipment that is available.
Materials for making a bed with a table
To make a bed (frame) you can use channel or metal corners(sizes from 25×25 mm to 50×50 mm are sufficient). If these materials are not available, then the most economical option is to purchase them at a scrap metal collection point. The legs of the machine will use water pipes or profile metal pipes.
Advice! Frame elements must be connected to each other using electric welding, because bolted connections unwind under the influence of vibrations.
When assembling the frame, it is also necessary to weld spacers at the corners to impart rigidity to the structure. To make it easier to move the machine, you can equip it with durable wheels (with a metal rim) equipped with locks. It should be borne in mind that the more massive the unit being created, the more stable it must be in order to avoid injury.
Metal pipe frame
The main requirements for a table for a circular saw: resistance to mechanical influences (vibration, shock), the ability to withstand workpieces weighing more than 50 kg without deflection, and surface smoothness. These properties characterize sheets of the following materials:
- become;
- duralumin;
- silumin;
- PCB;
- moisture-resistant plywood;
- organic glass.
If you use moisture resistant plywood, then it should first be covered with zinc-coated sheet metal. The use of chipboard or OSB is not recommended due to the instability of these sheet materials to vibration influences.
Important! The strength of the table is of great practical importance. If it cracks or becomes distorted due to deflection, the disk may jam. This can lead not only to damage to the workpiece, but also to injury.
To carry out various work (for example, cutting logs into boards), you need to equip a table side stop. It performs the same function as a guide bar for a hand-held circular saw: it ensures even sawing of lumber. Moreover, its use makes it possible to obtain workpieces of different sizes.
Guide stop must be strictly parallel to the disk to avoid jamming of the latter. It can be made from a wooden block or a metal corner. In the first case, only hardwood should be used. To be able to adjust the working gap, the stop must be removable. It can be fixed using clamps or in special grooves (bolts) made parallel to each other on the working surface of the tabletop.
Selection of engine and starting equipment
The easiest way to use a drive for the considered version of a homemade circular machine is single phase electric motor. Its power must be selected taking into account the upcoming load. Indirectly, you can navigate by the diameter of the installed disk:
- if it is 350 mm, then for normal operation of the unit you need an electric motor with a power of 1000 W;
- for a disk with a diameter of 170 mm, a 500 W motor is sufficient.
In the latter case, you can make a drive mechanism from an engine from an automatic washing machine. It is able to work for a long time at an average load level. For disks with a diameter of 350 mm, an electric motor from an industrial ventilation unit is suitable. It should be secured firmly to ensure proper engagement of the belt drive. For this reason, it will not be possible to reduce the level of vibration by installing the motor on shock absorbers: it will constantly oscillate.
You can also equip homemade equipment three-phase electric motor(at 380 V) of suitable power. To start it from a 220 V network, you will need to additionally install working (phase-shifting) and starting capacitors into the electrical circuit. It should also be taken into account that the engine power will be less than the nominal value indicated on its plate or in the passport.
Starting equipment should be selected based on the power of the motor, on which the maximum current in the circuit will depend. A good option is to use a start button in conjunction with thermal protection - this will protect the electric motor from burning out the windings if the current increases when the disk jams. It is better to install the protection in a separate electrical panel attached to the side panel of the machine on the convenient side.
All connections must be well insulated so that the wires do not short-circuit to the frame of a homemade circular electric saw. The on and off buttons should be pressed without any effort. Due to the frequent storage of equipment outdoors, the electrical part must be well protect from getting wet. The simplest thing is to cover the installation with oilcloth or similar waterproof material.
Gear, shaft and disc
To transfer rotation from the electric motor to the disk, the best option is to use V-belt together with pulleys from the car engine. The use of gears is not recommended for safety reasons. This is due to the fact that if the disk jams, the belt will simply slip, and the gear drive, due to its rigidity, can cause failure of the entire drive unit.
Advice! If you use pulleys of different diameters, you can change the speed of the disk and install different types on the machine. This is true if there is no motor speed controller.
Shaft manufacturing It is better to entrust it to a specialist by ordering it from a professional turner. Moreover, when you plan to make a circular electric saw more functional by equipping it, for example, with a plane. But the simplest option is to buy a ready-made factory-produced part. A sample of it is shown in the photo below.
Disc for circular saw It’s easier to buy ready-made than to make it from a sheet of tool steel. The problem is one of balancing. An imbalance of the saw during operation of the equipment leads to its rapid failure and reduces the level of safety of the work process. If you have a circular saw for wood, you can remove the saw blade from it.
It is necessary that the diameter of the disk corresponds to the corresponding parameter of the sawn timber: for example, for 100 mm logs you will need to use a saw measuring approximately 350 mm. This is due to the fact that the disk should not protrude more than a third of its diameter above the working surface of the table.
Ignoring this requirement not only leads to a deterioration in the quality of sawing workpieces, but also increases the possibility of injury.
Algorithm for assembling a homemade circular saw
The assembly of a woodworking machine according to the drawing given earlier is carried out in the following sequence:
- a rectangular frame is made from the corners;
- four legs are welded to it at the corners of the required height;
- at a height of about 200 mm from their lower edge, they make a binding from the corners;
- a shaft is mounted on the upper frame;
- fix the driven pulley on one side and the disk on the other;
- a table with a lifting mechanism is made and attached to the frame;
- on the lower frame they make a platform from corners or sheet metal for the electric motor;
- the drive pulley is fixed on the motor shaft;
- put the belt on the pulleys;
- On and off buttons and an electrical panel are mounted on the side panel of the unit;
- using wires of a suitable cross-section, connect the elements of the electrical circuit of the equipment (motor, buttons, protection);
- supply power to the machine from a stationary network.
The final stage is checking the functionality of the assembled equipment. First, you should make sure that all moving parts rotate freely: to do this, simply twist the drive pulley by hand. After which you can start the unit in test mode. If strong vibration is detected, you will need to check the reliability of the bolted connections and fixation of the disk.
You can make a circular saw with a table consisting of two halves or a solid one. In the latter case, you will need to cut a rectangular slot in it for the disk. The design of the machine with a table consisting of two halves is shown in the video below. This video also demonstrates the design of the lifting mechanism for these parts.
Important! To prevent the possibility of the saw jamming due to the connection of fragments of the workpiece being cut, it is recommended to install a riving knife. It should be located at a distance of approximately 3 mm behind the disc.
To regulate belt tension, the electric motor must be installed so that it can be moved. The easiest way to achieve this is by creating larger slots than required for the motor mounting bolts. In this case, the expansion of the holes should be carried out in the direction of belt tension.
If you completely follow the drawing, you will need to make a more complex belt tensioning mechanism. The process will be carried out by pulling up the platform with the electric motor using studs and fixing it with locking bolts in the desired position (in the drawing these structural elements are indicated by the number 10).
The entire design and assembly process can be greatly simplified if circular saw blade. In this case, there is no need to install a number of parts (motor, disk, shaft, belt, starter). But the capabilities of the created model will be limited by the power of the tool used.
Homemade circular anyway must be grounded. It is also additionally recommended to install a residual current device or differential circuit breaker in the panel. These measures will protect against electric shock if the machine body is energized, for example, due to breakdown of wire insulation. It is better to select components for the electrical part of a circular saw so that they are suitable for repair and easy to maintain. Free access to equipment components will help you easily replace failed parts.
A circular saw is a tool that no home craftsman can do without. This equipment is especially relevant for a country house or cottage. But working with a manual machine is not always convenient, and factory machines are quite expensive.
A way out of this situation may be to make this device yourself. The basis of this machine can be not only a hand-held circular saw, but even an electric drill or grinder.
Making a bed for a circular saw with your own hands is very simple. For production you will need the most regular lumber and quite a bit of time.
Before you think about the design of the upcoming machine, you need to calculate the load to which it will be subjected. The main thing in the bed is reliability and stability. For powerful production saws, the base is a welded reinforced metal structure. But you don’t need such a unit to use it yourself.
If you have just decided to make your own woodworking machine, then you need take into account the main parameters equipment. Since saws can be different, naturally, the design of the bed can also be different.
First of all you need determine the power of the tool. As a rule, for home use, equipment is chosen whose power parameters do not exceed 850 Watts. But, for example, when building a summer house or country house, it is often necessary to cut a very large amount of wood.
That is, more circular power is required. But experienced craftsmen do not advise buying saws where this figure is more than 1250 watts. Installing this equipment in a home workshop is absolutely not justified. And working on it will only increase electricity costs.
The greater the productivity of the machine, the more stable the base is needed. For professional circular saws, as a rule, a base is installed, welded from steel profile. Sometimes these frames are even concreted into the floor. Because vibration of the device can cause danger to life.
Technical features of circular machines
Depth of the proposed cut. The thickness of the material that will be processed on your machine depends on this parameter. This figure in semi-professional and professional machines ranges from 5 to 8 cm. For cutting boards and thick plywood, this is quite enough.
But working with logs on this machine will be inconvenient. In addition, you need to take into account that this characteristic is reduced in a homemade saw. The depth of the cut will be approximately 1 cm less. But this can be avoided if you provide in the table frame the ability to lower or raise the disk.
When making a tool with your own hands, you need take into account the frequency of its rotation. If you need a circular saw to prepare building materials, then this figure may be less. If a clean and even cut is needed, then the rotation speed is needed quite high. This is needed, for example, for making furniture.
But even in this case, there are certain nuances. This saw is not suitable for cutting plastic materials. Due to very high tool speeds the disk is warming up, and the plastic begins to melt.
Therefore, it is better to choose a device where the rotation speed is no more than 4500 rpm; in this case, the bed for a circular saw can be make from wood. The vibration of this machine is low and additional reinforcement of the table is not required.
Well, in the end, what needs to be considered is the location of the buttons and other controls on your machine. When assembling the saw with your own hands, do not forget that access to the control panel must be safe. This rule is even more important when the open part of the saw is located at the bottom of the tabletop.
In this design, it is best to place the panel with switches from the outside of the machine or make a rising tabletop. This design is also convenient for servicing the device. Then, when you have taken into account all the nuances and little things, you can begin directly assembling the table.
Making a circular saw with your own hands
The simplest version of the frame for a circular saw is a structure made of boards and thick plywood. Moreover, the tool is directly attached to the bottom of the stationary tabletop. A special slot is made in the table top for the saw.
The dimensions of the table can be changed according to how convenient it is for you to work on it. As an example, an average table is described, the height of which is 110−120 cm. But a lot depends on the height of the person working with the equipment. You can also change the length of the tabletop according to your wishes.
If you plan to work with boards that are longer than 2.6 m, then the cover on the frame will need more. In this case, changes must be made directly to the design and additionally add some supports(legs). Otherwise, the table will create strong vibrations.
For countertops usually plywood is used, which has a thickness of at least 5 cm. But you can also choose plexiglass or fiberglass slabs. But professionals do not recommend using chipboard; this material is not reliable enough.
Tools and materials for assembly
For a circular saw, it is imperative to provide guides. They help cut wood much more accurately. This design welded from angle steel and fixed to the lid with clamps.
It is not advisable to attach stationary guides, since in the future you will not be able to change their position.
To build a table you will need the following materials:
- sheet of iron;
- plywood sheet;
- timber measuring 50×50 mm;
- board size 50×100 mm;
- steel corner for guides;
- two clamps;
- hand circular saw.
You also need to first prepare all the tools that will be needed to assemble the table:
- Screwdriver, electric drill.
- Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
- Tools for measurements (tape measure, square, ruler).
- Hand cutter or milling machine.
When everything is prepared, you can begin assembling the table itself. Sometimes craftsmen assemble countertops from unnecessary dining or kitchen tables. But this design is unlikely to last long. Therefore, it is much more reasonable to make all the design elements yourself. In this case, you can also take into account your personal needs.
Making a table top for a circular saw
Assembling the table begins with making the tabletop. The plywood sheet is marked so that the two edges of the lid are the same size as the edges of the iron sheet. Plywood is cut out using a hacksaw or jigsaw.
The edge of the cut can be processed with a milling cutter, but this operation is not necessary. Since the main parameter in the frame is reliability, and not an attractive appearance. The tabletop is rubbed “roughly” with sandpaper.
Mark the bottom of the tabletop slot for circular circle. To do this, you first need to measure the dimensions of the sole of the unit. The easiest way to do this is to unscrew the disk from the device and simply circle the desired part of the saw. These measurements are required to determine the seat.
Using a hand cutter, the bars are selected to a depth of approximately 0.9−1.1 cm. If you do not have a cutter, then this work can be done using a chisel, but it will take much more time.
Then, when the seat is made, try the saw on and, if necessary, adjust the recess. Mark the slot locations for the circle and fixing the fasteners. If you need the circle to rise and fall, then you need install the pendulum mechanism for the countertop.
In this case, the slot must be made in the shape of a truncated pyramid. In this case, the hypothetical top of the pyramid will be directed downward. Directly the frame for the lifting mechanism is best make from steel angles, which are welded to each other.
Making a table frame
The markings for fixing the transverse and longitudinal slats, which serve as stiffening ribs, are best installed on the underside of the tabletop. The planks themselves are made from timber. You will need:
- Two transverse parts, length equal to the width of the table top minus 7-9 cm on each side.
- Two longitudinal ribs, the size equal to the length of the lid minus 7-9 cm on each side.
Then you need make sockets for self-tapping screws. The slats must be fixed on the lid so that the tabletop extends 7-9 cm beyond the edges of the frame. The fasteners must be as reliable and durable as possible.
The first fastener should be installed approximately 40-50 mm from the edge of the rail. The distance between the screws is approximately 23−25 cm. All details need to drill through. The self-tapping screw is attached to the side of the lid so that its head is completely recessed into the wood.
First, the transverse ribs are secured. In order for the table top to be as strong as possible, the edges of the slats must first be apply wood glue. The structure is fixed with clamps, and without removing them, screws are screwed in.
Allow the tabletop to dry completely. Afterwards, the longitudinal slats are installed in the same way. Then the parts of the frame are pulled together, installing two fasteners on each side. Now the clamps can be removed.
Attaching the legs (supports)
The table legs are made of timber. The height of the supports is selected individually. In practice, it is most convenient to work at the machine when the tabletop located at hip level. Before fastening, each support must be planed so that the leg goes down to an angle from below. So, the area of the base of the support should be slightly larger, in contrast to the area of the top.
It is best to secure the legs using steel corners. They need to be pressed a little so that the base of the machine is in the “spacer”. This gives the table extra durability. Bolts with washers are used as fasteners; they are secured with their heads facing outward. Otherwise, during work you can be injured by the protruding parts of the fasteners.
The whole structure will be more stable if additional supports are tightened with diagonal slats. They are attached in pairs on each side of the machine.
Cover surface polished and varnished or use a steel sheet for coating, which is attached to self-tapping screws. At the very end, the instrument is attached directly to the prepared place.
On the table top you can make additional markings, it will help you cut wood smoothly and correctly. The control panel of the circular saw is located on the outside of the machine. As a rule, it is mounted on one of the table legs. That's all, your DIY circular saw is ready.
The household often lacks a circular saw, especially if major renovations or construction are underway. Not everyone can afford industrial products - they are too expensive. But you can make a circular saw yourself, using materials that are available in the household.
Design - main components, their purpose
A do-it-yourself stationary circular saw is created with advancement in several possible directions:
- adapting existing hand tools using the motor and circular saw for new capabilities;
- improvement of industrial products to expand functionality;
- assembly of individual parts, manufactured mainly in-house.
A stationary circular machine includes several main components: a table, a shaft, a motor and some others, the characteristics of which are not so important.
The table is used for fastening woodworking mechanisms. It can be assembled entirely from metal, which is preferable, especially for machines with a high-power engine. Wood also makes good circular tables. But it is necessary to take into account that the tabletop should be covered with a sheet of metal, otherwise the wood will soon wear out. Tables must be very rigid and stable, capable of withstanding considerable load during work. The surface is made perfectly flat; protective shields must be installed above the rotating parts.
For a homemade circular machine, a washing machine motor is quite suitable. Portable tools are less suitable: their commutator motors are designed only for short-term work. They have very high speeds, low efficiency, and are afraid of clogging. You can use a three-phase electric motor, but if the household does not have 380 V, you will need to purchase capacitors to make it work on 220 V.
The most critical component is the shaft. Use a ready-made one, if available, or machine it from round metal. The work on the lathe is performed in one setup, then the assembly with the working parts is checked for centering. Even minimal runout is unacceptable, otherwise during work it will become stronger, at which it is unacceptable to work. Seats are provided on the shaft: for a circular saw and for pulleys on the other side. You can also make grooves for planing knives.
Main parameters - calculation of power, speed, gear
The characteristics of the circular saw, the engine and the maximum thickness of lumber that can be cut are interconnected. The maximum speed for which it is designed is indicated on the purchased circular disk. The number of revolutions transmitted by the engine to the shaft should be less. The engine power affects the maximum permissible saw tooth diameter. The diameter must be at least three times the thickness of the material, otherwise sawing will be difficult. It is believed that to cut materials 100 mm thick, you need a motor of at least 1 kW of power.
The transmission is made only by a V-belt - if foreign objects get under the saw, the material jams, the belt slips on the pulleys. Injuries in such cases are practically eliminated. It is important to choose the right gear ratio. We take into account two indicators: engine speed and the maximum permissible speed of the circular saw. We calculate the required pulley diameters. A pulley with a large diameter is installed on the engine, and a smaller one on the circular shaft to increase the number of revolutions.
The revolutions of the shaft with a circular saw are as many times greater than the engine revolutions as the diameter of its pulley is smaller than the diameter of the pulley on the engine.
Woodworking machine - a capital product for the home
To work with wood in large volumes, it is better to have a machine that allows you to cut the material, plan it, and select a quarter. A fairly powerful electric motor and a rigid table are required. We present a structure made of steel angle and sheet steel. It provides a cutting depth of 60 mm; you can plan boards 200 mm wide. A three-phase motor of 1.1 kW, 2700 rpm is used. To connect to 220 V, capacitors are required.
1 – machine frame; 2 – panel; 3 – starter; 4 – device for height adjustment; 5.7 – work table of two halves; 6 – base; 8 – engine; 9 – platform; 10 – M10 studs; 11 – circular disk; 12 – shaft; 13 – stops of the lifting mechanism; 14 – driven pulley; 15 – belt; 16 – drive pulley; 17 – switch.
The work table has dimensions of 700×300 mm. In the drawing we see that the height of the entire structure is 350 mm. The height is not sufficient for comfortable work; the circular saw will have to be installed on an additional platform; it weighs only 35 kg. You can increase the length and width, increase the height up to 1200 mm. We adjust the remaining sizes to fit them, but the design features remain unchanged.
First we make the bed frame from steel corners 25x25 mm. If we are not going to increase the height, we make another similar lower frame. For a frame with a higher height, first we weld four legs from the same corners to the upper frame, and then we tie them at a height of 15–20 cm from the bottom. The lower frame has grooves for the engine platform locking bolts. Two studs are welded to the back side of the platform, which go into holes on the back of the lower frame. By tightening the studs, we tighten the belts, then we lock the platform by tightening the nuts on the studs that go into the grooves.
To adjust the height of the table in relation to the saw, we use a simple lifting mechanism. It consists of racks, in the upper part of which we cut grooves at an angle of 45°. A total of eight racks are needed - four on each side. We weld them to the frame with grooves located in a mirror image. We attach cross members to the outer posts. We drill holes in the middle of each of them and weld nuts. Threaded shafts will move along them to regulate the lift.
Their ends rest against racks welded to frames assembled from 75x50 mm corners. We weld studs into them on the side opposite the grooves for the adjustment mechanism. The table consists of two equal halves and is attached to the frames with countersunk bolts. The adjustment mechanism works like this:
- loosen the nuts on the racks;
- we turn the screw, which presses on the stop, raising or lowering the table;
- tighten the stud nuts;
- We perform a similar adjustment for the second half of the working surface.
The design can be simplified without installing an adjusting shaft. Raise and lower the table manually. If you assemble the table not from two halves, but from one piece, you will only need four racks for the lifting mechanism.
Hand-held circular saw - turning into a stationary one
It’s easy to make a stationary one from a hand-held circular saw, expanding its capabilities. The first thing you need is a table. A convenient material is Finnish plywood, which, unlike ordinary plywood, is laminated - the workpieces glide well over the surface during processing. It is thick enough to withstand a lot of weight, moisture resistant, and easy to process. You can use ordinary 20 mm plywood, but you just need to paint it, or better yet, cover it with sheet steel or textolite.
You need to understand that the depth of cut will decrease by the thickness of the cover. You will need a large diameter disk so as not to reduce functionality compared to a portable tool. We make the dimensions of the tabletop sufficient to ensure that the workpiece fits in width. It should be added that on a wide table you can additionally strengthen an electric plane and a jigsaw, which will make the machine universal.
Using drawings and explanations, it is not difficult to make additional accessories for a circular saw that will expand its capabilities.
We mark a rectangle of the required dimensions on a sheet of plywood, cut it out, and process the edges. Using the sole, we apply a hand-held circular saw to the surface and mark the attachment points with a pencil. We make a slot for the circular saw. You can slightly deepen the attachment point using a milling cutter, but not more than 10 mm, so as not to weaken the tabletop. This manufacturing method will allow you to bring the cutting depth closer to that indicated in the circular saw’s passport.
From the boards we make a frame (tsars), which we install from below to strengthen the structure. We fasten four boards into a box, glue them to the tabletop, securing them with clamps. We screw self-tapping screws into the boards across the table. We countersink the holes for them from above so that the heads of the screws are hidden. We attach the legs to the frames of the stationary saw, preferably with bolts, washers and nuts. The table should be provided with additional rigidity, so we make spacers at the bottom of the legs.
We make a limit bar equal to the length of the working surface. In it we drill two grooves perpendicular to the disk, in which the bar will move and be fixed at a certain distance from the saw blade. It remains to make changes to the control system: we fix the control button in the on state with electrical tape. We install an outlet connected to the network on the drawer. We install a switch in the gap in the wire going to the saw.
Some aspects of the execution of homemade devices
No matter how well a circular machine is made, individual errors can lead to its performance being limited. This concerns, at first glance, seemingly trifles. Let's start with the bearings for the shaft. Installing conventional ones is justified if the machine is used from time to time. For a homemade device with permanent use, it is better to install self-aligning bearings. They consist of two rows of balls and are adjusted by tightening the clamping nut. Be sure to install a cover to protect against dust and chips.
On the working surface we apply a scale in centimeter increments. This will make woodworking much easier when determining the width of the cut. Many people neglect to install a protective shield over the disk, but in vain - treatment for chips getting into the eye or in more serious situations is more expensive.
When working with various materials, it is often necessary to adjust the speed of the circular saw. A homemade design, as a rule, does not have the ability to regulate engine speed. There is only one way out - the use of pulleys of different diameters. They are installed on the motor shaft. If you decide to order pulleys from a turner, immediately make a solid pulley with two or three different diameters.
Many people want to install a three-phase electric motor on a sawing machine, without having 380 V. They will need capacitors designed for a minimum operating voltage of 600 V of paper or oil-paper type.
We calculate the capacitance of the capacitors based on the power of the electric motor: for 1 kW - 100 µF for the working capacitor Av. We take the capacity of the starting joint twice as large. The SB trigger is a button that automatically returns to its original position. Startup is simple: turn on SQ, press SB for a couple of seconds. After starting, the button is released, as soon as the engine picks up speed, you can cut.
If a person lives in a private house or has a garden plot, then having a stationary circular saw in the arsenal of a home craftsman is not only desirable, but sometimes necessary. Unfortunately, the cost of an industrially manufactured sample of such a saw does not correspond to the frequency of its home use, and for some Russians it is simply unaffordable. At the same time, making a “circular” with your own hands is quite simple, using the drive of a sewing machine or a regular electric drill. However, the quality of work performed and the range of operations performed largely depend on the bed of the circular saw.
Bed design
The simplest circular saw frame, the drive power of which does not exceed 0.8...12 kilowatts, is quite easy to make with your own hands from thick plywood and wooden blocks. For the drive, you can use an electric drill “BOSCH GSB 19-2” (power 0.85 kilowatts) or “DWT SBM-1050” (power 1.05 kilowatts), which is attached to under the stove using a special bracket. The length of the bed will depend on the length of the material being cut. For the table, you must purchase bakelite plywood with a thickness of at least 50.0 millimeters. Of course, a wooden bed is not suitable for professional work, but in order to unravel boards and quickly saw through bars, such a homemade design is quite sufficient.
In general, the bed will consist of a base and a tabletop (desktop). Of course, when manually making a circular saw yourself, you must strive to simplify the design as much as possible. The design of the work table will primarily be determined by the design of the cutting blade mounting unit. Homemade circular devices use either a circular disk mounted directly in the chuck of an electric drill, or (more preferably) a two-support shaft driven into rotation by an electric motor through a belt drive.
Making a countertop
At the first stage of making a frame with a wooden tabletop with your own hands, the existing sheet of plywood is placed in accordance with the existing sketch or drawing. In order to reduce the number of cuts, markings are carried out from the edges of the sheet. The tool used is a fine-toothed hacksaw or a jigsaw.
A slot for the disk is marked on the underside of the sawn piece. The cut can be made with a finger cutter, securing it with your own hands in the chuck of an electric drill. In order to maintain the straightness of the cut edges, a simple homemade copier made from two metal corners is attached to the tabletop with clamps.
Further work depends on the mechanism for attaching the circular saw blade. The easiest way is to install it manually on two bearing supports, and drive it through a belt drive from a separate electric motor or from an electric drill.
To add additional rigidity to the tabletop, it is advisable to attach stiffening ribs along its edges, which can be made from bars or aluminum corners. The stiffeners are fastened to the table using self-tapping screws. To give greater strength to the entire structure, an additional layer of epoxy glue can be applied to the joint, which will fix the block to the tabletop along the entire plane of the joint.
The distance from the edge of the tabletop to the block should be 2.0...4.0 centimeters.
After this, in accordance with the selected drive design, the circular disk support assembly is attached. For reliable fastening, it is better to fix the bearing housings to the frame using a screw, threaded connection. In this case, the countersunk screw heads are located on the upper plane of the tabletop and should not protrude above its plane. The upper working surface of the desktop should be coated with wear-resistant varnish and polished.
For greater safety when working with a homemade device, it is advisable to install a swinging protective cover over the cutting edge of the disk.
Base design
For safe operation of a homemade circular saw, the table must be installed on a sufficiently rigid and durable base. To make it manually, the master’s imagination is given complete freedom. The base can be made in the form of a wooden base, but it is better to weld it from a corner (such as an aquarium frame) in accordance with the size of the tabletop.
Some manufacturing nuances
The main parameter that determines the design of a homemade “circular saw” is the thickness of the boards being cut. For household work with your own hands, it is usually not necessary to saw wood thicker than 15.0 ... 20.0 millimeters. To change the depth of the cut, you can use and/or make a special mechanism for lifting the disk, but this will significantly complicate the design of the homemade product.
When choosing a drive motor, the rotation speed of its shaft should be taken into account. Using a belt drive, you can change the speed with your own hands. If you intend to use an electric drill as a drive, then preference should be given to models with variable chuck rotation speed, then using such a hand-made circular saw will be a pleasure.
Conclusion
Despite the primitiveness of the described design, it will significantly facilitate DIY homework, from carpentry operations with boards to cross-cutting thick branches cut from garden trees.
It is difficult to cope with repairs, construction or gardening work without a circular saw. Alas, working with a manual device is not always comfortable, and buying an expensive machine is impossible for obvious reasons.
Talented craftsmen are able to solve this problem by making a homemade circular machine with their own hands. What tools and materials are needed for this? What to consider before starting work? How to extend the service life of the received product? First things first.
Requirements for a homemade circular saw
Contrary to misconception, to make the device you will need ordinary lumber and tools. But before thinking through the design, you need to think about the bed - the element on which the machine will be installed.
The main requirements for it are reliability and stability. Typically, a welded metal structure is used for production processes, but it will not work for domestic needs. Since a tabletop circular saw for wood will not cut the most voluminous materials, it does not require the most powerful engine, and the bed can be made of wood. There is no need for additional fixation (mounting in concrete), and possible vibration during operation will be reduced to a minimum.
The second requirement is the selection of the optimal power of sawing equipment.
Otherwise, the installation will not be justified, and a lot of electricity will be required to operate the machine.
Also, when developing a circular machine project, it is necessary to take into account the following equipment parameters:
It is better to place the buttons on the outside of the circular saw or provide an opening tabletop for them.
Now - a few words about the main design elements for small household work.
Machine components
In addition to the bed, an important element is the power unit. Some experts advise installing factory hand saws, but their power is not always comparable to that of real machines. In addition, you can make a mistake with the disk size. Therefore, it is better to assemble the power unit from two parts - the engine and the shaft for the disk.
An arbitrary asynchronous type power plant operating from a 220 V network is suitable as the first one. Its power does not exceed 1200 W, and the rotation speed is up to 4-4.5 thousand rpm. It is better to take standard pulleys for mounting the cutting element on the shaft, which have a tension system for reliable fixation and transmission of torque.
You will also need to do:
- support bar (a workpiece length limiter that can move relative to the plane of the saw element; makes it possible for the user to adjust the width);
- table top;
- legs (requires timber with a section of 30x30 or 40x40 mm).
When selecting the height of the table legs, the user's height is taken into account. The tabletop parameters are selected in the same way.
If long workpieces are to be sawed on a circular saw, more legs will be needed, otherwise the structure will begin to vibrate.
Suitable tabletop material is thick plywood of at least 50 mm, plexiglass or fiberglass. Chipboard is not recommended - it is not very reliable and can crumble during operation.
Tools and materials
In order to summarize what has been said above, a complete list of required materials is provided below:
- sheet of plywood/plexiglass/textolite;
- boards 50x100 mm;
- wooden bars;
- steel corner for guides (preferably);
- a pair of clamps;
- hand circular saw.
Motors from washing machines, angle grinders, and drills can be useful for manufacturing. However, their service life may be nearing the end, so they will not be suitable for a stable functioning machine.
An old kitchen table can serve as a tabletop, but it is better to assemble the frame yourself.
Before starting work, check that you have the following tools:
- screwdriver or drill;
- hacksaw/jigsaw;
- tape measure and pencil.
Now it's time to start producing the machine
Stages of work
We have examined the main design features, we have stocked up on the necessary tools, it’s time to get down to business and understand how to make a circular saw with your own hands so that it becomes a reliable assistant in any construction matters.
Making a countertop
Marking and cutting out the table top. Based on the dimensions of the parts that will be processed on the machine, a sheet of plywood is cut out with a jigsaw. After this, it is rubbed down with sandpaper. On the underside of the tabletop, a place is marked for the slot of the circular disk. The dimensions of the sole of the unit are also measured by applying it from the outside; To do this, remove the blade from the saw and trace the required part, thus determining the seat.
Planting bars are chosen to a depth of approximately 10 mm (depending on the size of the disk). Then the saw is tried on; if there is not enough space, the hole is deepened.
Installation of slats. It is better to place transverse and longitudinal slats on the wrong side of the tabletop. The planks themselves, in the amount of 4 pieces (a pair of each) are made of timber.
For transverse ones, the length should be 7-8 cm less than the width of the tabletop on each side.
The slats are attached to self-tapping screws, for which nests are pre-made. The fastener is fixed so that its head does not protrude above the tabletop.
Check that each side of the surface extends 7-8 cm beyond the edges of the resulting frame.
Final fixation of elements. First, the transverse ribs are attached. The edges of the slats are lubricated with wood glue for maximum strength. Next, the structure is fixed with clamps and self-tapping screws are screwed in. When the glue is completely dry, the same is done with the longitudinal slats. Then the parts of the frame are tightened together with two fasteners on each side. The clamps are removed.
Making legs
After selecting the bars, the following actions are performed:
Marking and cutting out the workpiece. The height of the legs (length of the beam) should be such that it is convenient to work. Typically the tabletop is located at hip level; this must be taken into account.
Adjusting the angle of inclination of the supports. At the bottom of each support, a portion of the material must be planed so that the leg is positioned at an angle. The area of the base should be less than the area of the top (the junction with the table top).
Fixation of legs. It is recommended to use steel corners, installed by surprise, to give the structure additional rigidity and stability. The fasteners are bolts with washers; they are fixed with the head facing outward so that you do not get injured while working on them.
Screed supports. Another operation to give greater stability. In pairs, fasten the legs diagonally on each side of the frame.
In this basically simple way, you can make a high-quality circular saw for wood with your own hands in little time and money.
Useful video
For a more complete understanding of the entire manufacturing process, watch an interesting video on this topic.
Safe work on the table saw
Homemade cutting or sawing equipment requires a special approach to work. The following safety precautions will help you avoid injury.
- Sawing workpieces with knots, cuttings, or icing is undesirable, and with metal inclusions is prohibited.
- When sawing wood longer than 2 m, stands or support frames are used. To receive the sawn material, the assistance of one person from the opposite side will be required.
- The workpiece is fed smoothly, without pressure or sudden movements. Otherwise, the disc may break or get stuck in the wood.
- You cannot push the remaining part of the small-sized material with your finger - there are special pushers for this.
- Cleaning the work surface is done with brushes, but not with your hands.
- It is mandatory to use glasses, long sleeves, and, if necessary, a respirator.
- The saw blade can only be replaced when the machine is switched off.
- Regularly remove shavings, sawdust or other waste from the work area.
- Monitor the condition of the teeth of the working element. If they are misaligned, the disc should be changed or the teeth sharpened. Otherwise, the gap under the disk may increase, and the operation of the equipment will again become dangerous.
Even a novice craftsman can cope with the manufacture of a homemade circular saw for wood, if he foresee in advance the important aspects of the future design. During the production of the unit, ensure compliance with the dimensions, reliability of fastenings, and stability of the elements. In order for the equipment to serve for a long time, it is worth following the operating requirements for hand-held circular saws. The above recommendations will help extend the life of the installation.