Circular Saw Basics
Circular saws make quick, straight cuts across a board (crosscuts) or along the board's length (rip cuts). You can also set a circular saw to make bevel cuts. Standard components on a circular saw include:
A blade guard that covers the blade when the saw isn't in use and retracts to expose the blade during use
A foot plate or shoe that steadies the saw against the work piece
A depth adjustment to allow for work pieces of different thicknesses
A bevel adjustment that lets the foot plate tilt in relation to the blade for making bevel cuts