How to Cut a Center With a Circular Saw

Mark the corners of the center cut on the work material with a tape measure and pencil. Use layout tools to lay out lines between the corner marks. Use a tape measure to measure the thickness of the material.

Release the depth adjustment knob attached to the saw's base plate. Slide the base plate up or down to adjust the saw's depth of cut. Adjust the saw's cutting depth to the thickness of the material. Secure the depth adjustment knob to lock the saw's cutting depth.

Rest the nose of the saw's base plate on work material's surface and lift the rear of the base plate away from the material's surface. Align the guide mark on the nose of the base plate with one of the layout lines. Retract the saw's blade guard and align the blade with the layout line. Check the blade's position to ensure that the blade is not touching the work material.

Grip the saw's upper handle with one hand and the pistol-grip handle with the other hand. Tighten your grip on the handles and activate the saw. When the blade reaches full cutting speed, slowly lower the blade into the work material along the layout line. Keep the nose of the base plate firmly against the material's surface as you lower the rear; the stabilized nose acts as a pivot point. Lower the spinning blade into the material until the saw's base plate rests flush against the material's surface.

Push the blade through the center of the material until you reach the end of the cut line. Hold the saw completely still and release the saw's trigger. Allow the blade to spin to a stop before removing the saw from the work material. Align the saw's nose with the adjacent cut line, retract the blade guard and lower the saw into the material. Use the plunging technique to cut through all sides of the center-cut shape.