the.com/circular saw
a spinning disc that turns electricity into the smell of progress and sawdust.
means A power tool with a toothed or abrasive disc that spins rapidly to cut through wood, metal, or other materials in a straight line.
from A plainly descriptive compound: "circular" from Latin "circulus" (a little circle) and "saw" from Old English "sagu," tied to the root for "cut" that also gives us "section" and "scythe." The toothed spinning blade emerged during the Industrial Revolution, and credit is contested — an English patent (often attributed to Samuel Miller in the late 1700s) and a popular tale that a Shaker weaver named Tabitha Babbitt invented it around 1810 both circulate. The Babbitt story is cherished but unproven; what's certain is that by the 19th century the circular blade had transformed sawmilling.
- birth year
- credited to a Shaker woman, Tabitha Babbitt, 1810s
- blade speed
- teeth can hit over 100 mph at the rim
- kickback
- can throw the saw back at you instantly
- tooth count
- fewer teeth rip fast, more teeth cut smooth
skilsaw model 77 — first handheld circular saw, invented by edmond michel in 1924
makita 5007mg — professional magnesium circular saw, standard in construction since 1980s
dewalt dws779 — dual-bevel sliding compound miter saw, 12-inch blade, popular contractor model