How To Rip Board With a Circular Saw: Work Like A Pro!

Last Updated On April 1, 2023

Want to rip board quickly with a circular saw? Or, Looking for easy ways to rip boards for home projects?

Congrats! You are in the right place. In this article, we will discuss some easy and quick ways so that you can rip a board with a circular saw like a pro!

Most of the time, you may be stuck with a board due to the absence of a table saw. But, you can go with a circular saw with some simple steps including- securing the board, drawing a guideline, looking for cutting measurements and going with the flow. 

Want more details on how to rip a board with a circular saw? Go through our details article and follow our easy and quick step-by-step guide to rip the board like a pro!

How To Rip Board With a Circular Saw

To rip the board with a circular saw, you have to secure the board first. If you don’t secure it, you have to hold the board with your hand which is only possible through a single-handed circular saw. Otherwise, nailing is a must and you have to nail the board to the sawhorses to secure it. 

Now, draw a guideline on the broad so that you can get a precise cut. Keep the edge against the board and use a pencil to draw the line. Once you’re done with the guideline, go to the circular saw and look for the cutting measurement. You will find the blade is pointed at 0 and the measurement goes up to 4 to 5 inches, varying from saw to saw. 

Next, set your saw where it’s lined up with an edge of 2 inches. Finally, pinch the two-inch mark, set the saw on the board, and slide your finger along with that board. Go with the flow and rip the board precisely.  Also, you can use the rip fence as it will work as a guide bar and help to get desired thickness.

Required Tools For This Project

When you’re in a cutting process with a circular saw, you need different project tools with multiple safety accessories.

Project Tools

• Circular saw
• Tape measure
• Corded drill
• Drill bit set
• Hammer and
• Spring Clamps.

Safety Accessories

• Safety glasses
• Hand Gloves and
• Ear Plugs.

Required Materials For This Project

Materials completely depend on your project type. If you want to simple rip cuts for small projects, you may need some screws, plywood scraps, wing nuts, and sawhorses. Now, not everything will fit on any project. So, let’s check what size of materials you should pick before ripping a broad.

• 2 wing nuts
• 4-6, 5/8-inches screws
• 2x, 2 meters long saw horses
• 2x, 1/4-in. carriage bolts.

How To Rip Board With a Circular Saw- Step By Step

How Do You Rip a Short Board With a Circular Saw?

Ripping a shortboard is easier compared to a larger board. First, you need to nail the board in a single sawhorse but expand the length you want to cut. Next, take one or two finished nails and position them at the other end.

After positioning the nail, draw a straight guideline using a sharpened pencil. Then, grip the saw properly and set up the blade point at the mark. Finally, slide your hand toward the mark and push until the blade goes to the other end. Keep your hand steady to get a precise cut.

Is It Really Difficult to Rip Narrow Boards With a Circular Saw?

Yes, it is a little bit difficult to rip a narrow board with a circular saw. As sometimes the G clamps get in the way of the circular saw motor, it becomes hard to guide the board. To make the ripping simple, you should cut the boards on rigid foam board insulation.

Now, the foam insulation won’t allow the saw blade to cut the pavement. As a result, you can rip a narrow piece quickly. Besides, always use support as it is quite risky to work with narrow wood. 

As kickbacks are a big issue to rip narrow boards, take any of your adult family members or friends and teach them proper ways of supporting.

Can You Rip a 2×4 With a Circular Saw?

Yes, you can rip a 2×4 with a circular saw but you have to use a high-quality thin kerf blade.

Normal circular saw blades include around 10 to 30 teeth. As these teeth are designed to cut large amounts of materials, you can’t rip a 2×4 with such blades. Besides, these blades may cause splintering that damages the workpiece. 

To get rid of such issues, you have to use a high-quality thin kerf blade to rip a 2×4 with a circular saw. As these blades are thin and sharp, you can rip workpieces without splintering.

Useful Tips

We have tips for both improving accuracy and keeping you safe while working. Let’s dig into these tips.

Tips For Improving Accuracy

• Always use a sharp blade to prevent splintering
• Keep sure the blade has all teeth to avoid kickbacks
• Always use quality and strong sawhorses to secure the board
• The board should have a straight edge which will help to get a straight cut

Tips For Safety Measures

• Wear an eye protector to keep your eyes safe from dust
• Always use an earplug and mask while ripping
• Wear safety gloves at hand to avoid serious injuries
• Unplug the saw before changing blades or using any lever
• Make sure the wire is organized to avoid accidents
• Take support from anyone while ripping narrow boards
• Keep sure you have a good grip before starting the cutting.

Bonus Tip

• Make sure the blade is appropriate for wet wood before trying to cut wet timber.

Final Words From Gears Guider

Finally, we are at the end of our detailed article. As we tried to cover all the related information, we hope you’re clear about how to rip board with a circular saw. Also, we come here with some related queries that may help you to rip the board like a pro!

Now, If you want to rip boards quickly, you have to know the steps of using a circular saw properly. Besides, it will help to improve your skill and saw efficiency. 

So, set the saw in the proper position and rip the board with a circular saw in seconds!