tmhudg Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Hi, I just bought a Rockwell Versacut mini circular saw. The primary reason for getting it is to do plunge cuts on sewing machine table for a recessed mount. I also just liked the small size and figured it would be good for rough cutting sheet goods. I don't have a table saw and my old Black and Decker 7 1/4 circular saw bit the dust. I was trying it out today and it seems like the blade is not parallel to the base plate. I clamped a straight piece of wood to my test piece for a guide and began cutting. It started easy enought but soon got harder and harder to push the saw through the wood - as if it was binding. I got through it but quickly found that my cut was not straight. I used my combination square to check the blade relative to the edge of the side plate and it appears to be "off". The back edge is farther away from the blade than the front. I think this is making the saw pull to the left and binding up against my guide (also on the left). Does that sound like what is happening? I did a free hand cut and it went through with no problem. I took the blade off and checked but it appears to be dead flat and there doesn't seem to be any way to adjust the angle of the blade - and nothing in the manual. Am I missing something obvious? Is it reasonable to expect the blade to be parallel to the base plate with this kind of machine ($100)? Thanks for any advice. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 The first thing I'd do is call the customer service number that should be provided with your instructions. Tell them what the saw is doing and see if they have any suggestions. It could be that you bought a defective saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmhudg Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 The first thing I'd do is call the customer service number that should be provided with your instructions. Tell them what the saw is doing and see if they have any suggestions. It could be that you bought a defective saw. Good suggestion. I just called them and they said "Hmm, sounds like it might be defective. Return it to where you bought it and get a new one". I guess I'll give it one more chance. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I don't know that I would expect the base of that saw to be parallel to the blade. Try putting the "t" fence on it and see it will cut a straight line. If that works then the saw is more likely not defective and just not made for the task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmhudg Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Yeah, I thought about trying the T fence but I really wanted to be able to use a clamped on guide above the board vs. relying on an edge to run the fence along. But, I tried it just now and it seems to have the same problem. I did try something else though. I put my guide on the right side of the saw thinking that it would let me fight the pull to the left easier and it seemed to work better but I'm not convinced this is a good solution. Now I'm torn between trying another one of these vs. getting a "real" circ. saw (that will cut 2x4's if I ever need to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 ..... Am I missing something obvious? Is it reasonable to expect the blade to be parallel to the base plate with this kind of machine ($100)? Thanks for any advice. Tom I don't think you're missing anything, Tom. While a Franklin sadly isn't a lot of money these days I don't think it's unreasonable for a tool manufacturer to provide a minimum of functionality at that price point and that includes the blade tracking parallel to the base. I'd return it for a full refund. And get a jigsaw for those cutouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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