Opinions on circular saw laser

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Travis Porter

Travis
Corporate Member
I don't have that one, but I do have an add on version for a DeWalt mitersaw that I used to use.

It made the blade offset in my saw so that was annoying. The one I have is two parts, one on each side of the blade. It only comes on when the blade is in motion and the guard is open (meaning the saw is partially down). Overall accuracy, was fair. I felt that I can do better just by bringing the blade down and eyeballing it.

Do note, my comments are for one style/brand of aftermarket laser. I have no experience/knowledge of the units that have built in/integrated lasers.

PS - Note the fact I said I used to use.
 

ErnieM

Ernie
Corporate Member
I have a built-in laser on my saw - I never use it. I find my eye following the laser instead of the cut line. Most annoying.

Ernie
 

SGalley

New User
Scott W. Galley
I bought the Irwin version. The line was to the left of my miter saw blade, but left about a 1/32" gap. Also, you can't see it when working outside during the day, so you better work the night shift:wsmile:
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
I bought the Irwin version. The line was to the left of my miter saw blade, but left about a 1/32" gap. Also, you can't see it when working outside during the day, so you better work the night shift:wsmile:
+1
 

Matt Schnurbusch

New User
Matt
I bought the Irwin version. The line was to the left of my miter saw blade, but left about a 1/32" gap. Also, you can't see it when working outside during the day, so you better work the night shift:wsmile:
+1
At first I liked the laser. But only being on one side of the blade, and having to adjust for it being off the line is major PITA!
 

smitty62

New User
Dick
First of all, I need to apoligize for a misstatement--I meant to say a table saw. Why I said circular saw is beyond me-I'll blame it on senility for now. No, I don't make boxes with a circular saw!!:embarrassed: THAT would take some skill! (No pun intended) The comments re the miter saw are pertinent though. Has anyone used one on a table saw?
Dick
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
I've never seen one on a TS. I can't figure you'd get a line with a zero clearance insert or if you had the blade lowered to a safe working height. It would have to be generated from somewhere near the centerline of the arbor & thereby obstructed by the table top.
 

MikeCSmith

New User
Mike
The device you are looking at will not work on a table saw. I do not know of any add on device that will work on a table saw to give you a laser light. The device you are looking at will work on a circular saw or miter saw and works best on a miter saw because the laser light is transmitted in a circular motion as the saw blade turns. I have purchased the Irwin for a friend of mine who has a problem seeing, and this did help him. It works for him the same as other people have mentioned in that it puts the laser light about a 32 of an inch from the cut line, but this is easy to get use to.

If you need a laser for your table saw, you might have to use a zero clearance throat plate which will give you a slight lead on the cut line. Or you can make a "sled" for you saw which will show you your cut line. You can get instructions on how to make a sled from many different sources.

Here is a link on how to make the "super sled", but you can make this sled a lot less compleicated by just making the base so that you can see where you will be cutting on your circular saw. If you need help with this, send me an e-mail. I really think that anybody who used a table saw should have some type of sled, it makes using a table saw a lot easier.
 

DavidF

New User
David
I bought the add on "work light" for my dewalt mitre saw that actually throws a shadow down the blade and the teeth are highlighted perfectly and in focus. Works better than I would have imagined. Better than a laser I would say.
 

Glennbear

Moderator
Glenn
My old Craftsman TS had a plastic disk in the tabletop that one could mark with the saw cut line. My granite topped Ridgid of course does not have this, I have affixed a piece of tape to the tabletop and marked it by crosscutting a board and marking a line on it. I too am a victim of presbyopia and find it easier to align to a line than the edge of blade teeth. :wsmile:
 

SteveHall

Steve
Corporate Member
I have one of these lasers on an old 10" chop saw and do not like it at all. The red line is wider than a pencil line, creates such a bright light that has so high a contrast to the surrounding piece that it makes it difficult to see any pencil marks (knife, chaulk, etc.) on the piece being cut, is nearly impossible to adjust perfectly in line with the edge of the cut, and requires one on both sides of the blade if you ever intend to alternate between which side is the "keep" side.

A better (and cheaper) option is simply more light. You can buy a daylight spectrum fluorescent flood light plus a clamping reflector (~$10 at HD) if you want to put light directly on the cutting zone. Better would be two (~$20), one for each side of the blade to eliminate shadows. Another cheap option is a 4' two-bulb T8 fixture (~$15 at Walmart) suspended directly over the work area.

It is surprising how much increasing footcandles helps you to see fine detail. My Architectural Graphics Standards recommends a minimum 200 footcandles in "Factory, difficult assembly areas" all the way up to 1,000 footcandles for "Factory, exacting assembly". I would say that woodworking, especially using dangerous saws to cut to <1/64" accuracy qualifies more toward the latter. But I bet very few of us have even 20!

I just got the new Milwaukee sliding miter two days ago and it has a built-in light on either side of the blade. Wow, does that help to cut right on the line! Not only can I see the blade but I can see its exact relationship to the cut line mark. I've also recently exchanged some of my old incandescent fixtures for daylight spectrum fluorescents and the increased brightness really helps me be more accurate.

I can't recommend brighter lighting enough, for the same price as the saw laser you could probably add area lighting at the saw station and one or two others.
 

Trent Mason

New User
Trent Mason
My circular saw is the only tool I own that has a laser and I don't pay any attention to it. I'd much rather eye it and get it right, rather than messing up a cut because I was paying attention to some line that might or might not be accurate. :BangHead:
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
First of all, I need to apoligize for a misstatement--I meant to say a table saw. Why I said circular saw is beyond me-I'll blame it on senility for now. No, I don't make boxes with a circular saw!!:embarrassed: THAT would take some skill! (No pun intended) The comments re the miter saw are pertinent though. Has anyone used one on a table saw?
Dick


Dick, I have one of the devices that you linked to installed on a SCMS, and I would NOT recommend using it on a table saw. The reason why is that since the operator is working above and behind the blade, there is a high risk that the laser would shine into the operators eyes - not a good thing.

There is a laser made for table saws and straight line rip saws that will do what you want. It is called a "line generating Laser". I have two of them; one for my SLR and a spare. These are not inexpensive though...

There are others that are made for sawmills that do the same thing. The SLR/TS versions are basically a long tube that you mount in the ceiling, and you line the laser line with the blade. They are just about mandatory for a SLR.

Here is a link to a well known brand:

http://www.cemarelectro.com/products/cl800-series.htm

Scott
 
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