Preparation and assembly

When setting up a folding saw, it is important that you choose a suitable place to work that is flat, level, and free of loose materials, debris, or debris. Check that the flip saw is secure and does not move.

Your power supply must come from a safe point with enough capacity to start a powerful motor, often around 2000w. This supply should have some form of circuit protection, preferably a sensitive switch that trips in the event of an accident. If you are using a 110v transformer, locate it next to the outlet and use a suitable 110v extension cord for the chainsaw. DO NOT connect a 240v extension cord to the 110v transformer on the saw!

Sensibly route the power cord to the tilt saw away from the work area and do not hang it from the ground in any way that creates a tripping hazard.

Gather your personal protective equipment (PPE), which should at least include proper safety glasses and a good push stick if you are using the swing saw in tabletop cutting mode. Hearing protectors are a good idea if you are in a confined space or if using the saw for long periods and absolutely essential if cutting aluminum (special blade required) (as the noise from these blades can be terrible! ) If a dust extraction system is not used, then the use of face dust masks should also be considered, especially if large amounts of material are being torn up or if working in a confined space.

As always, wear sturdy steel-toed boots, comfortable clothing, and pack anything that is loose and can get into the blade. Wearing rings and other jewelry is also not recommended. Helmets are necessary if there is a danger from above or if large sections of wood are carried overhead.

Your stock of material should be located close at hand and stacked securely, removing a single length should not cause the stack to collapse!

This writer likes to position the saw so you don’t have to walk around it to get the freshly cut workpiece to the job site and then stack materials on the left side for convenience. This leaves a clear path between the tilt saw and the job site. Being efficient means getting more work done with less effort!

If lengths greater than, say, 1 meter are cut, some form of lateral support will be necessary. Either commercial saw stands or custom modified ‘saw horses’. This writer uses metal folding type sawhorses with a piece of wood crate screwed to the top; making them exactly the same height as the ‘bed’ of the miter saw. Three is ideal, two to the left and one to the right to catch the cut. Two left are needed as the material can become smaller and smaller if multiple sections are cut from a single length. This is essential for safe work and to prevent the blade from catching the workpiece when cutting.

Plan your work to minimize the number of times you need to “flip” the saw to table mode and vice versa, if you can. For example; Make all the table saw cuts first and then switch to the miter saw cuts. However, this is not always feasible or practical, and fortunately, most rotary saws are quick to change.

Working with a folding saw

If it has been configured as described above, it will work easily and efficiently, and most importantly, safely!

miter saw cuts

The material should be carefully placed on the flip saw and slid to the area to be scored and cut. Dropping heavy material onto the saw bed will eventually ruin the tilt saw’s precision settings and may even damage the saw.

Long lengths should be marked from the left and short lengths, say less than a meter, should be marked from the right. This is to ensure that the longest side of the material to be cut is to the left, as this is the side that you will be holding firmly while the saw does its work.

Place material under blade and secure handle with blade guard release DO NOT PRESS THE IGNITION SWITCH AT THIS POINT.

Gently pull the saw down until the blade almost touches the material and adjust the material from side to side, until the blade is on the waste/cut side of your mark.

Return the saw to its resting point and holding the workpiece firmly, start the engine.

As you wait for the blade to reach full speed, listen to it. Familiarize yourself with the sound of the engine and watch for anything unusual. Sometimes small pieces of material get caught in the guard mechanism and can rub against the blade until they fly off without warning! Stop, turn off the power and immediately investigate any unusual sounds!

With the blade at full speed and with a good sound, gently pull the saw down and through the workpiece. Get familiar with how the blade feels and cuts, learn to judge how much pressure to apply, and don’t slow the blade down excessively, about 10% is about right. Once all the material is through, gently return the saw to its upright position, turn off the motor and wait for the blade to come to a complete stop.

All set, you should now have the correct size work piece. Ready to move to the workplace for fixing.

Never leave a tilt saw running between cuts. On a busy site, a running engine can be dangerous and deceptively quiet.

table saw cuts

Bend down the ‘head’ of the saw and secure as instructed in the manufacturer’s instructions (they vary a bit), ‘flip’ the saw and listen for the locator latch click. Always visually ‘double check’ that the saw bed is locked in position.

Always use the riving knife and blade guard when cutting wood, again according to the manufacturer’s description. This prevents the wood from sticking to the blade after the cut and prevents the blade from “throwing” the wood towards you at a certain speed!

Install the fence or fence if making a parallel cut using the graduated marks on the base of the saw table or by measuring between the fence and the blade with a tape measure.

If you’ve set up the saw per the instructions above, you should have a clear area in front of the flip saw (it’s very tempting to stack material behind you, but as you can see, this is a mistake).

Once you’re ready, turn on the flip saw and walk away from the machine with your material in hand. Once again, listen to the motor as the blade spins at full speed and place your material on the leading edge of the table and line it up with the fence.

At this point, the blade will be running at full speed, feed the material carefully but firmly into the blade, maintaining firm sideways and downward pressure on the material in the guide fence and table bed. Once you’re halfway there, you have the option to stop, remove the material, flip it end to end, and go the other half until you find the first cut. Shorter lengths can be passed straight through in one go, keeping your hands well away from the blade or using one or two push sticks.

Personally, this writer doesn’t like to get any closer to a moving sheet than about 100mm or 4″ – I’m sure I know plenty that run much closer than this, but hey, I like all my fingers!

clipping management

Always know where your clipping will go. Small ones can fly away if not handled properly and long cuts can tip over and catch the blade, also causing problems. A good support is the answer, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the cut.

restrictions

Assuming you have the correct size saw for the job at hand and can physically cut through the material. The only limitation you’ll find with a folding saw is having to continually switch the machine between the two modes if the job demands it or if you don’t plan your cuts properly. Rotary saws mean you have to look ahead a bit and think about what you’re doing.

As with many combination machines, there is some compromise to flexibility. With flip saws, this can mean that the table saw base is a bit small or the miter saw capacity is a bit less because it doesn’t have a slide arm.

Ultimately though, using a folding saw is simple, coupled with good capabilities and versatility, meaning a folding saw can handle most jobs, whether on site or in the home workshop.

further reading

Amazon stocks several hundred books on this topic; look for power saws, table saws, or miter saws for the best results.

Reviews can be found on most tool supply sites these days.

recommendations

Choose a suitable and safe place to install the folding saw, ideally away from other workers.

Make sure the flip saw is on a firm base and does not move.

Use a safe and secure power supply and proper cable routing.*

Make sure your ‘push stick’ and personal protective equipment (PPE) are close at hand.

Place materials by hand and stack them safely to your left (facing the saw).

Make sure your route from the folding saw to the job site is logical, clear and safe.

Plan your work, dividing jobs into miter saw and table saw modes.

Use lateral supports if the material is more than one meter long.

Mark material from the left unless the cut is less than one meter, then mark from the right.

Hold the workpiece firmly and do not allow the blade to touch the material until it reaches full speed.

Never leave the saw running between cuts.

Always use the riving knife and blade guard when ripping material.

Keep your hand or fingers at least 100mm away from a moving blade.

Clean up the sawdust and store carefully for next time.

Carefully clean the blade with a light oil if you will not be using the saw for several weeks.

Keep the saw storage area locked and the saw under an old sheet or blanket.

warnings

Your protected power supply must come from a safe point with enough capacity to start a powerful motor, often around 2000w.

If you are using a 110v transformer, locate it next to the outlet and use a suitable 110v extension cord for the chainsaw. DO NOT connect a 240v extension cord to the 110v transformer on the saw!

Sensibly route the power cord to the tilt saw away from the work area and do not hang it from the ground in any way that creates a tripping hazard.

Gather your personal protective equipment (PPE), which should at least include proper safety glasses and a good push stick if you are using the swing saw in tabletop cutting mode.

Hearing protectors are a good idea if you are in a confined space or if you are using the saw for long periods of time, and absolutely essential if you are cutting aluminum (a special blade is required as the noise from these blades can be terrible).

Consider dust face masks if you don’t use an extraction system.

As always, wear sturdy steel-toed boots, comfortable clothing, and pack anything that is loose and can get into the blade.

Wearing rings and other jewelry is also not recommended.

Safety helmets are also needed if there is a danger from above or if large lengths of wood are carried overhead.