For plunge cutting, which tool would you most commonly use?

• A. Router
• B. Hand saw
• C. Miter saw
• D. Drill press

Answer: (A)

Plunge cutting relies on lowering the cutting edge into the material at a chosen point and then guiding the tool along the desired path. A router with a plunge base is designed exactly for this: you set the depth, plunge the bit into the work, and move it to carve grooves, mortises, or dados with precise control.

The other tools aren’t suited to this use. A hand saw starts from an edge and isn’t able to initiate a clean cut inside the workpiece with controlled depth. A miter saw is built for crosscuts at fixed angles and depths from an edge, not for starting a cut inside the material. A drill press is for drilling holes and isn’t designed to follow a line to create grooves or mortises.