How can I square up slots cut with a circular saw?

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP












5















I used a drop-saw to create these slots:



enter image description here



Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:



enter image description here



My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.



I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.



Are there other options?










share|improve this question
























  • do multiple cuts using the drop saw

    – jsotola
    Jan 18 at 4:44















5















I used a drop-saw to create these slots:



enter image description here



Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:



enter image description here



My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.



I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.



Are there other options?










share|improve this question
























  • do multiple cuts using the drop saw

    – jsotola
    Jan 18 at 4:44













5












5








5








I used a drop-saw to create these slots:



enter image description here



Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:



enter image description here



My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.



I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.



Are there other options?










share|improve this question
















I used a drop-saw to create these slots:



enter image description here



Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:



enter image description here



My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.



I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.



Are there other options?







woodworking






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Jan 17 at 14:15









isherwood

47.4k456121




47.4k456121










asked Jan 17 at 8:57









me--me--

1284




1284












  • do multiple cuts using the drop saw

    – jsotola
    Jan 18 at 4:44

















  • do multiple cuts using the drop saw

    – jsotola
    Jan 18 at 4:44
















do multiple cuts using the drop saw

– jsotola
Jan 18 at 4:44





do multiple cuts using the drop saw

– jsotola
Jan 18 at 4:44










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















12














Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.






share|improve this answer


















  • 1





    Exactly what I was going to propose.

    – Michael Karas
    Jan 17 at 13:05






  • 2





    To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

    – JimmyJames
    Jan 17 at 15:27


















4














A handsaw or jigsaw does the job, but it usually results in visibly less sharp final cuts. It's very difficult to keep perfectly parallel, and you usually have more tearout with those saws.



I'll often simply raise the blade back up partway and tilt the front of the workpiece upward to square it with the cutting arc of the blade. It'll help to have a cut mark on the underside of the piece as well.



Move slowly, alternately watching the upper and lower faces of the board to check cut depth. Adjust blade height and board angle incrementally until the right combination is found.



Brace the workpiece against the fence or use a jig block to prevent it from shifting sideways. Keep the blade spinning at full speed while it's engaged with the workpiece to prevent grab, saw jump, and tearout.






share|improve this answer




















  • 1





    I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

    – JPhi1618
    Jan 17 at 15:37






  • 1





    If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

    – Mazura
    Jan 17 at 15:40



















2














If you do this with a hand saw use one that has the teeth of the blade sharpened flat instead of angled out with set like a typical hand saw. This will lead to a smoother cut that remains even with the sides of the slot.



Saw with set in teeth:



enter image description here



(Picture Source: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Tools/Sharpening/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws.htm)



** Saw with no set in teeth:**



enter image description here



(Picture Source: http://www.blackburntools.com/articles/saw-tooth-geometry/index.html)






share|improve this answer

























  • Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

    – Machavity
    Jan 18 at 1:18


















0














If you haven't already- adjust the blade to full depth, this will make an almost vertical cut. Make the cut from both sides to your line. There should be a very small point of wood in the slot which you can clean up with a file or coarse sandpaper wrapped around a ruler.






share|improve this answer






























    -1














    There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.



    But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).






    share|improve this answer






















      Your Answer








      StackExchange.ready(function()
      var channelOptions =
      tags: "".split(" "),
      id: "73"
      ;
      initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

      StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
      // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
      if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
      StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
      createEditor();
      );

      else
      createEditor();

      );

      function createEditor()
      StackExchange.prepareEditor(
      heartbeatType: 'answer',
      autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
      convertImagesToLinks: false,
      noModals: true,
      showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
      reputationToPostImages: null,
      bindNavPrevention: true,
      postfix: "",
      imageUploader:
      brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
      contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
      allowUrls: true
      ,
      noCode: true, onDemand: true,
      discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
      ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
      );



      );













      draft saved

      draft discarded


















      StackExchange.ready(
      function ()
      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155094%2fhow-can-i-square-up-slots-cut-with-a-circular-saw%23new-answer', 'question_page');

      );

      Post as a guest















      Required, but never shown

























      5 Answers
      5






      active

      oldest

      votes








      5 Answers
      5






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      12














      Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.






      share|improve this answer


















      • 1





        Exactly what I was going to propose.

        – Michael Karas
        Jan 17 at 13:05






      • 2





        To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

        – JimmyJames
        Jan 17 at 15:27















      12














      Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.






      share|improve this answer


















      • 1





        Exactly what I was going to propose.

        – Michael Karas
        Jan 17 at 13:05






      • 2





        To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

        – JimmyJames
        Jan 17 at 15:27













      12












      12








      12







      Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.






      share|improve this answer













      Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered Jan 17 at 12:46









      batsplatstersonbatsplatsterson

      11.3k11434




      11.3k11434







      • 1





        Exactly what I was going to propose.

        – Michael Karas
        Jan 17 at 13:05






      • 2





        To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

        – JimmyJames
        Jan 17 at 15:27












      • 1





        Exactly what I was going to propose.

        – Michael Karas
        Jan 17 at 13:05






      • 2





        To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

        – JimmyJames
        Jan 17 at 15:27







      1




      1





      Exactly what I was going to propose.

      – Michael Karas
      Jan 17 at 13:05





      Exactly what I was going to propose.

      – Michael Karas
      Jan 17 at 13:05




      2




      2





      To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

      – JimmyJames
      Jan 17 at 15:27





      To chisel it out, lay the board flat with the waste side up. Set the edge of the chisel on the line where you want the slot to end i.e. from the one handsaw kerf to the other. Press down to make a mark. Check your line. Place the chisel back in the line with the bevel towards the slot. Then with a mallet, a deadblow hammer, or side of a claw hammer, tap the chisel. The grain should split easily and the extra bit of waste will pop out.

      – JimmyJames
      Jan 17 at 15:27













      4














      A handsaw or jigsaw does the job, but it usually results in visibly less sharp final cuts. It's very difficult to keep perfectly parallel, and you usually have more tearout with those saws.



      I'll often simply raise the blade back up partway and tilt the front of the workpiece upward to square it with the cutting arc of the blade. It'll help to have a cut mark on the underside of the piece as well.



      Move slowly, alternately watching the upper and lower faces of the board to check cut depth. Adjust blade height and board angle incrementally until the right combination is found.



      Brace the workpiece against the fence or use a jig block to prevent it from shifting sideways. Keep the blade spinning at full speed while it's engaged with the workpiece to prevent grab, saw jump, and tearout.






      share|improve this answer




















      • 1





        I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

        – JPhi1618
        Jan 17 at 15:37






      • 1





        If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

        – Mazura
        Jan 17 at 15:40
















      4














      A handsaw or jigsaw does the job, but it usually results in visibly less sharp final cuts. It's very difficult to keep perfectly parallel, and you usually have more tearout with those saws.



      I'll often simply raise the blade back up partway and tilt the front of the workpiece upward to square it with the cutting arc of the blade. It'll help to have a cut mark on the underside of the piece as well.



      Move slowly, alternately watching the upper and lower faces of the board to check cut depth. Adjust blade height and board angle incrementally until the right combination is found.



      Brace the workpiece against the fence or use a jig block to prevent it from shifting sideways. Keep the blade spinning at full speed while it's engaged with the workpiece to prevent grab, saw jump, and tearout.






      share|improve this answer




















      • 1





        I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

        – JPhi1618
        Jan 17 at 15:37






      • 1





        If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

        – Mazura
        Jan 17 at 15:40














      4












      4








      4







      A handsaw or jigsaw does the job, but it usually results in visibly less sharp final cuts. It's very difficult to keep perfectly parallel, and you usually have more tearout with those saws.



      I'll often simply raise the blade back up partway and tilt the front of the workpiece upward to square it with the cutting arc of the blade. It'll help to have a cut mark on the underside of the piece as well.



      Move slowly, alternately watching the upper and lower faces of the board to check cut depth. Adjust blade height and board angle incrementally until the right combination is found.



      Brace the workpiece against the fence or use a jig block to prevent it from shifting sideways. Keep the blade spinning at full speed while it's engaged with the workpiece to prevent grab, saw jump, and tearout.






      share|improve this answer















      A handsaw or jigsaw does the job, but it usually results in visibly less sharp final cuts. It's very difficult to keep perfectly parallel, and you usually have more tearout with those saws.



      I'll often simply raise the blade back up partway and tilt the front of the workpiece upward to square it with the cutting arc of the blade. It'll help to have a cut mark on the underside of the piece as well.



      Move slowly, alternately watching the upper and lower faces of the board to check cut depth. Adjust blade height and board angle incrementally until the right combination is found.



      Brace the workpiece against the fence or use a jig block to prevent it from shifting sideways. Keep the blade spinning at full speed while it's engaged with the workpiece to prevent grab, saw jump, and tearout.







      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited Jan 17 at 15:00

























      answered Jan 17 at 14:49









      isherwoodisherwood

      47.4k456121




      47.4k456121







      • 1





        I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

        – JPhi1618
        Jan 17 at 15:37






      • 1





        If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

        – Mazura
        Jan 17 at 15:40













      • 1





        I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

        – JPhi1618
        Jan 17 at 15:37






      • 1





        If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

        – Mazura
        Jan 17 at 15:40








      1




      1





      I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

      – JPhi1618
      Jan 17 at 15:37





      I've used this method, and many miter saws have a settable stop so the blade doesn't go too deep if you're worried about that.

      – JPhi1618
      Jan 17 at 15:37




      1




      1





      If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

      – Mazura
      Jan 17 at 15:40






      If you wanted to make that whole thing a notch, cut a bunch more slits, bonk 'em out with a hammer, and then use your technique but move it back and forth too. Keep it against the fence and your hands free of where they would collide with the saw when it binds.

      – Mazura
      Jan 17 at 15:40












      2














      If you do this with a hand saw use one that has the teeth of the blade sharpened flat instead of angled out with set like a typical hand saw. This will lead to a smoother cut that remains even with the sides of the slot.



      Saw with set in teeth:



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Tools/Sharpening/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws.htm)



      ** Saw with no set in teeth:**



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://www.blackburntools.com/articles/saw-tooth-geometry/index.html)






      share|improve this answer

























      • Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

        – Machavity
        Jan 18 at 1:18















      2














      If you do this with a hand saw use one that has the teeth of the blade sharpened flat instead of angled out with set like a typical hand saw. This will lead to a smoother cut that remains even with the sides of the slot.



      Saw with set in teeth:



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Tools/Sharpening/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws.htm)



      ** Saw with no set in teeth:**



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://www.blackburntools.com/articles/saw-tooth-geometry/index.html)






      share|improve this answer

























      • Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

        – Machavity
        Jan 18 at 1:18













      2












      2








      2







      If you do this with a hand saw use one that has the teeth of the blade sharpened flat instead of angled out with set like a typical hand saw. This will lead to a smoother cut that remains even with the sides of the slot.



      Saw with set in teeth:



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Tools/Sharpening/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws.htm)



      ** Saw with no set in teeth:**



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://www.blackburntools.com/articles/saw-tooth-geometry/index.html)






      share|improve this answer















      If you do this with a hand saw use one that has the teeth of the blade sharpened flat instead of angled out with set like a typical hand saw. This will lead to a smoother cut that remains even with the sides of the slot.



      Saw with set in teeth:



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Tools/Sharpening/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws/8_Sharpening_Hand_Saws.htm)



      ** Saw with no set in teeth:**



      enter image description here



      (Picture Source: http://www.blackburntools.com/articles/saw-tooth-geometry/index.html)







      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited Jan 18 at 1:34









      Michael Karas

      44k53482




      44k53482










      answered Jan 17 at 23:59









      Lowell WeaverLowell Weaver

      211




      211












      • Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

        – Machavity
        Jan 18 at 1:18

















      • Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

        – Machavity
        Jan 18 at 1:18
















      Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

      – Machavity
      Jan 18 at 1:18





      Welcome to DIY.SE! Can you add something that demonstrates or illustrates your answer?

      – Machavity
      Jan 18 at 1:18











      0














      If you haven't already- adjust the blade to full depth, this will make an almost vertical cut. Make the cut from both sides to your line. There should be a very small point of wood in the slot which you can clean up with a file or coarse sandpaper wrapped around a ruler.






      share|improve this answer



























        0














        If you haven't already- adjust the blade to full depth, this will make an almost vertical cut. Make the cut from both sides to your line. There should be a very small point of wood in the slot which you can clean up with a file or coarse sandpaper wrapped around a ruler.






        share|improve this answer

























          0












          0








          0







          If you haven't already- adjust the blade to full depth, this will make an almost vertical cut. Make the cut from both sides to your line. There should be a very small point of wood in the slot which you can clean up with a file or coarse sandpaper wrapped around a ruler.






          share|improve this answer













          If you haven't already- adjust the blade to full depth, this will make an almost vertical cut. Make the cut from both sides to your line. There should be a very small point of wood in the slot which you can clean up with a file or coarse sandpaper wrapped around a ruler.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Jan 17 at 21:22









          NiteowllNiteowll

          1




          1





















              -1














              There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.



              But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).






              share|improve this answer



























                -1














                There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.



                But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).






                share|improve this answer

























                  -1












                  -1








                  -1







                  There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.



                  But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).






                  share|improve this answer













                  There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.



                  But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Jan 17 at 13:24









                  Jim StewartJim Stewart

                  11.2k11232




                  11.2k11232



























                      draft saved

                      draft discarded
















































                      Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange!


                      • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                      But avoid


                      • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                      • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

                      To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                      draft saved


                      draft discarded














                      StackExchange.ready(
                      function ()
                      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155094%2fhow-can-i-square-up-slots-cut-with-a-circular-saw%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                      );

                      Post as a guest















                      Required, but never shown





















































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown

































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown






                      Popular posts from this blog

                      How to check contact read email or not when send email to Individual?

                      Displaying single band from multi-band raster using QGIS

                      How many registers does an x86_64 CPU actually have?