circular saw

It probably just needs a good clean to get rid of bits of sawdust in the guard mechanism.

Odd that,you're halfway into the wood and you cannot go any further? I'd of though if the guard has lifted and you're well into cutting the wood the guard cannot stop you from proceeding. Could be your blade teeth have become blunt and its putting strain on the motor? is there scorching signs on the blade?chec that the blades securing bolt is tight?does the guard run freely in open and close mode ie can you move it with your hand?

I had a similar symptom with my Wickes circular saw. The cause was the blade guide was slightly bent behind the blade, so the blade would cut into the wood up until the guide reached the wood - it was missing the groove and hitting the wood to the side of it. Took a while before the penny dropped because you can't really inspect the saw while it is running.

Sounds like the lower part of the guard is catching the front edge of the workpiece. It's happened occasionally on all the circular saws I've ever used. Chopsaws usually have a plastic wheel to ride more easily over a square edge

That's the riving knife. It's there to stop the material closing up behind the cut and pinching the blade. Bent riving knife - bad.

Another possibility is that the blade is worn or has lost its set, so that the kerf is jamming on the riving knife - this coiuld give the apparent symptom of the guard jamming. Take the blade to the saw doctor!

I just bent mine back into position. It only needed bending very slightly to fix the problem. Been fine since.

Whilst I've taken really good handsaws, and stuff like planer blades to the saw doctor - do people really do that with small circular saw blades - particularly hobbyist ones?

I wouldn't. Even if I knew a saw doctor, I think for my PPP circular saw I'd just be picking up a new blade from B & Q.

Pete

Wouldn't it be cheaper buying the saw. ;-)

A few months back I needed a pair of ear defenders, some goggles and dust masks. It was cheaper to buy a B&Q PPP set of all of the above with a 185mm circular saw blade than it was to buy them separately. Of course now I have a blade that doesn't fit anything I own, but I think eBay will take care of that problem.

I've found this happens in two instances;

In timber of a certain thickness where the guard catches under timber. Try adjusting the depth of cut so the edge of the guard touches the edge of the wood & doesn't go under it.

When I've been cutting timber supported on a couple of battens. The guard edge touches the floor/bench first.