Circular saws offer great power and some real nice precision for cutting through lumber. Of course, the user in charge of the tool has to know how to make the most of it too.
Got experience and your DeWALT circular saw still is not cutting straight or square as it should? Then you need to try some of the things I’ve put on the list below to solve this problem and get it cutting right again.
DeWALT Circular Saw Not Cutting Straight or Square – 4 Solutions
- Worn Out Blade
Dull blades are the biggest reason for a tool not cutting straight and accurately like it normally would. That’s because they have a tougher time cutting through things, and are harder to control.
Blades go dull after a certain point. That’s no shock with how much work DeWALT circular saws in particular put their blade through, depending on how regularly you use the tool.
All the use will wear it down. It won’t be as sharp anymore, and start having trouble cutting through things it’d normally cut through easily. In short, the blade will start losing its edge, literally.
When it gets to that point, it’s time to put a new one on the saw. In fact, I recently got a new one for my DeWALT circular saw too since my old one wasn’t cutting as good, which you can see down here:
Unless users let it get REALLY bad, it won’t be too obvious that the blade is dull just by looking at its appearance. You’ll have to decide for yourself when its time to change to a new one.
As a rule of thumb though, it’s best to assume that you need a replacement when the current one starts chipping the things you’re cutting through, and having trouble with easy tasks.
- Sawdust Coated Blade
A blade going dull because of wear is one thing. There’s also artificial dulling, though. This is when it starts behaving like its dull, even though it’s relatively new and should be fine.
Not taking good care of the blade on your DeWALT circular saw will cause this. Cleaning it and regularly getting rid of sawdust is a big part of that.
Sawdust builds up around the blade, and especially its edges. That’ll make it act much less sharp than it truly is, and that’s why it’ll have trouble cutting through pretty much anything.
I like cleaning it up after each use or two, and you can see just how clean my DeWALT circular saw looks due to that in the picture above.
Cleaning up sawdust doesn’t take long either. All you need is some compressed air and a cloth. Use the air to blow off as much dust on the tool and its blade as you can. Then, wipe it clean with a cloth.
A clean blade will be much sharper than a dirty one. If there’s nothing else wrong with it, you’ll notice just how much easier it is to cut straight after a good cleaning!
- The Blade Needs Tuning
If nothing seems to be wrong with the blade and it’s not dull, maybe it’s just not aligned properly? Tuning is a big part of getting DeWALT circular saws to work properly, after all.
Tuning helps ensure you get the most out of your saw. A tuned blade will cut a lot sharper than one that isn’t tuned, and it’ll last a lot longer too.
Additionally, it’ll cut more accurately too. Adjusting the blade to the DeWALT circular saw gives users a better idea of controlling it during operation.
Tune the blade if you haven’t done so in a while and it’s having trouble cutting straight. Adjust the blade on the base plate until it’s perfectly square to it.
Using the saw will get it out of tune after some time. Remember that this is a regular thing you’ll have to do to keep the tool as efficient as possible so you can cut straight or square.
- Is The Washer On The Wrong Side?
There’s a small, flat nut that plays a big role in distributing pressure across the circular saw’s blade and keeping it in place. That little thing plays a big role, and its called the washer.
If the washer is on the wrong side or placed incorrectly, it won’t be able to help keep the blade in control. It’ll be unstable and make it harder to align cuts.
That instability could be what’s making it hard for you to cut straight with your DeWALT circular saw. The fix is simple, though. Just get the washer in the right spot.
Normally, it should be facing away from the tool. The manual will give you a better idea of where it needs to be on your particular model.
With a properly placed washer, your DeWALT circular saw will be a lot easier to control and start cutting straight without trouble!
