Step 2 Position your hands properly, one clamping the wood to the fence and the other to manipulate the saw itself. Be sure your left hand is well clear of the travel of the blade. When cutting a 90 degree cut, the travel of the blade is more obvious than when cutting angles. When cutting angles, take careful note of where the blade is traveling. Once your hands are in a safe position, depress the trigger and wait for the blade to get to speed, only about 1 second.