I’ve been kicking this can down the road for years, but I finally got a job that involves cutting so much melamine board there’s no way I’m doing it with a circular saw.
I watched multiple safety videos before even opening the package, and now I’m just sitting here staring at it wondering whether I should fire it up and cut off a finger or two. I’m fucking terrified of this thing.
If I’m ripping long pieces – long enough that the outfeed end has to be held up – I will stop about half way and pull the work piece the rest of the way through. I won’t do it with short pieces and it’s not necessary for those anyway. Are there any safety risks I’m not accounting for?
The risk is that if a kickback occurs while you are gripping on the work piece, it could pull your hand and arm towards the saw. You will not react quickly enough if a kickback happens. That being said, since the parts are longer, if you are keeping your arm far enough away that a kickback couldn’t pull you close enough then I could see the cut being done somewhat safely. Still, I would say that an outfeed table or roller stand is a worthy investment to make long cuts easily and safely.
That’s what I thought. I don’t get anywhere near the saw if I’m pulling material through it for exactly the reason you mentioned. A roller stand would definitely be a better option in my case. All it takes is to be a little careless for a one second one time. Thanks for the feedback!