Can I use a circular saw instead of a miter saw?

While a miter saw is more accurate and better at angles, a circular saw is more portable and best for rough cutting dimensional lumber. And a miter saw is used for cutting across the grain (cross-cut) only. While a circular saw can do both but with less accuracy.
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What can I use if I don't have a miter saw?

The following options can be used instead of a miter saw.
  • A table saw with the blade tilted, the miter fence, or a jig.
  • A circular saw with the footplate adjusted or a jig.
  • A jigsaw with the footplate angled or a jig.
  • A hand saw with a miter box.
  • Taking advantage of your local tool library.
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What is an advantage of the circular saw over the miter saw?

Circular saws do have more versatility than miter saws. Every cut you can make on a miter saw can also be done on a circular saw, plus a few more. This is why my dad (and some others on the internet) recommend starting with a circular saw. But circular saws are tedious to use.
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Can you make miter cuts with circular saw?

When extreme precision isn't required, you can cut 45-degree miters using a portable circular saw and speed square. 7. Hold the square against the board, then guide the saw along the square to make the cut.
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Should I buy a circular saw or a Mitre saw?

A circular saw excels at breaking down sheet goods, and a miter saw is best for cutting down longer boards. A miter saw is more precise, due to the handheld nature of the circular saw. A circular saw is less expensive than a miter saw, and it's more portable. A miter saw is safer to use than a circular saw.
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Miter Saw vs Circular Saw: Do you Really Need Both?



Are circular saw blades and miter saw blades interchangeable?

Circular saw blades are designed for use with miter saws, table saws, radial arm saws, cut-off saws and standard circular saws. Many circular blades can be used interchangeably between devices.
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Can you use a circular saw to cut baseboards?

You can also cut baseboard molding with a circular saw, but the vertical type of cut needed for baseboard requires that you tilt the base of the circular saw to 45-degrees.
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How do you cut a corner trim without a miter saw?

5 Ways to Cut the Angle
  1. Using a Hand Saw. If you don't have any power tools at all, once you have made the appropriate measurements as talked about above, all you then have to do is to use any kind of handsaw to make the cut. ...
  2. Using a Table Saw. ...
  3. Using a Circular Saw. ...
  4. Using a Jigsaw. ...
  5. Using a Reciprocating Saw.
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Can you miter with a jigsaw?

One feature that is cool about jigsaws is that they can cut at angles, too, just like circular saws and miter saws! Yep–they can cut straight angles (which is considered “0” degrees), along with 15-, 30-, and 45-degree angles.
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Why does my circular saw not cut straight?

What Causes a Circular Saw to Not Cut Straight. A faulty circular saw is likely to have issues such as an unstable blade or a warped blade edge. The problem could also be the way you operate the saw. If you do not operate the circular saw properly, it will not cut straight.
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How do you cut a 45 degree molding with a circular saw?

Two 2x2s screwed to a piece of plywood, spaced the thickness of your molding, would do. Screw a thin rail down across the top at a 45 to guide your circular saw. Be sure to hold the piece down firmly and cut slowly with a fresh blade. Great answer & the best method for clean accurate cuts.
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What saw can I use to cut baseboards?

The power miter saw is the most widely used for baseboard cutting. It cuts clean miters or straight, 90-degree crosscuts with precision and little or no splintering or grain-blowout.
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