Skill saw strait edge tool?
- Thread starter Chaznsc
- Start date
what are you cutting? for plywood and the like, you can just clamp a straight edge or 1x4 or something.
personally I feel it is more technique, I don't use a straight edge at all, just snap or draw a line. like driving, the saw will go where you look. stare too close and you wander all over. you need to look further out and watch the line while letting the length of the blade help guide you.
hope that helps.
personally I feel it is more technique, I don't use a straight edge at all, just snap or draw a line. like driving, the saw will go where you look. stare too close and you wander all over. you need to look further out and watch the line while letting the length of the blade help guide you.
hope that helps.
Plywood mostly. Finding a straight 1x4 is a task in and of itself!
Musicinabottle
Banned
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- Jul 24, 2016
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Get yourself a length of aluminum 1 1/2 box 3/16 wall or similar if it's critical. Not critical, then use the V notch on the front of the foot on your saw. If you're using a side winder, then that's why you're sucking and I myself would **** too! Get yourself a worm drive! You'll have the detractors that will try to tell you that a side winder is the way to go, and with a straight edge, maybe, but for free handing it, you aren't going to do better than a worm drive unless you're left handed.
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Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
I use a Bora straight edge. It works OK. Not too expensive (feels cheap).
https://www.lowes.com/pd/BORA-2-25-...MI_Nv5soaa3AIVQrnACh2t5w9mEAQYAyABEgJM6_D_BwE
https://www.lowes.com/pd/BORA-2-25-...MI_Nv5soaa3AIVQrnACh2t5w9mEAQYAyABEgJM6_D_BwE
I use a kregg rip cut guide. Works pretty good once I modified it to work with my saw. It’s like cutting with a straight edge.
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I like using a 2x4 and a Skil 77 set at the correct depth.
Mr Ratchet
Well-known member
I'll second the Bora edge clamp. https://boratool.com/clamp-edge-saw-guide-system
I have three different lengths and they work great. You can also use them for straight up clamping on longer projects.
I have three different lengths and they work great. You can also use them for straight up clamping on longer projects.
Toolfool
Well-known member
Make your own saw guide. http://wayneofthewoods.com/circular-saw-cutting-guide.html
With this you don't have to measure back for saw plate, just set it on your marks. Also reduces tear-out.
Or watch this one :
With this you don't have to measure back for saw plate, just set it on your marks. Also reduces tear-out.
Or watch this one :
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PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Another bora guide vote here... I have an assortment of them. I use them more for my router and circular saw. My jig saw is more for free hand... but sure it would work
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
This guy used to post all the time on the Fine Homebuilding forum: https://www.eurekazone.com/ His track looks pretty good and is less expensive than many of the others on the market.
fowldarr
Well-known member
I just picked up the Kreg guide for free, I haven't tried it out yet. Historically I used clamps and a square board when a straight line was critical.
woody 73
Well-known member
I realize you can buy special jigs like the above products but this tip has worked for me for the last 40 plus years.
First off you can use anything you can get your hands on trust me on this. any item that is straight and long will work, including broom handles, 2 X 4's, 4 x 4's., 1 x 2 's, long angle iron, steel pipes, metal rulers, wood rulers, T-squares, levels, long dowl rods, square rods, round rods, or anything else you can get your hands on.
Now comes the tip part you will need two very good clamps, not heavy clamps but two strong clamps. lay down the item that you picked and clamp one side down good and tight (be sure to measure first. walk over to the other side and measure then move the item in question and tighten down with the second clamp; do not forget to measure again.
Then cut all day long and you will have straight lines each time. Just make sure you clamp things down good and tight. trust me I have used everything under the sun and I never had a bad cut.
Hope this helps you out.
First off you can use anything you can get your hands on trust me on this. any item that is straight and long will work, including broom handles, 2 X 4's, 4 x 4's., 1 x 2 's, long angle iron, steel pipes, metal rulers, wood rulers, T-squares, levels, long dowl rods, square rods, round rods, or anything else you can get your hands on.
Now comes the tip part you will need two very good clamps, not heavy clamps but two strong clamps. lay down the item that you picked and clamp one side down good and tight (be sure to measure first. walk over to the other side and measure then move the item in question and tighten down with the second clamp; do not forget to measure again.
Then cut all day long and you will have straight lines each time. Just make sure you clamp things down good and tight. trust me I have used everything under the sun and I never had a bad cut.
Hope this helps you out.
^^^Agree
With a Bora type of clamping straight edge and a 12" aluminum Swanson Speed Square, you can almost replicate the precision of a table saw and a miter saw.
strutaeng
Well-known member
Kreg has a newer track guide that is supposed to work very well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PGP96S/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I've got the 24" model before they came out with this and it was okay.https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PGP96S/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I've got the 24" model before they came out with this and it was okay.https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/
I have a Bora straight edge and it works decent. The only issue I have encountered is when the sheet is bowed enough to allow the Bora to bridge the gap. If you don't catch it, the foot plate can go underneath it and screw up your cut.
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Seen that... fixed with a 2 x 4 clamped, either over or under … to correct the bow. Whichever side that un-bows your bow.
I clamp the 2 x 4 on the clear side (aint cutting here)… I would use a 2 x 4 as an edge but the bora is straighter...
Alexander
Well-known member
I do basically this and keep a few handy. Works perfectly. It can be as long as I need it, is easy to adjust to a new blade, and best of all you just clamp or screw it to your piece exactly on the line. Plus, it's cheap.
Which type of saw are you using. Some have blade on right, some have blade on left. I find using one with blade on the right I can't see the blade and the cut suffers considerably. Using a saw with blade on left solves the problem and I can follow a line very well.
WWheeler
Well-known member
I'm exactly the opposite. I'm right-handed and can cut a chalk-line the length of a plywood sheet with no guide that you couldn't tell wasn't cut on a table saw, but only with a right-blade saw. Give me a worm-drive or any left-blade saw and I'm terrible. With left blade saws I find myself looking at the blade in the cut and I wander, but right-side and I only look at the mark on the baseplate and keep it on the line and I do better the faster I go. In my experience cutting slow and being extra careful is what makes for an uglier cut. I think it just matters what you learned with.
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trainer
Well-known member
Most circular saws should have a mark or slot on the leading edge of the base plate that corresponds with the leading edge of the blade.
Proper technique is to follow your mark with the guide lines on the base and let the leading edge of the blade follow.
When starting a cut, align the guide mark with your cut line and the blade with the start of the line. it'll start you straight so you don't need to steer into the cut. Since your following the line ahead of the blade, any error wandering off the line is geometrically reduced at the blade.
Good body position also helps. shoulders square to the cut and not reaching too far helps a lot.
Proper technique is to follow your mark with the guide lines on the base and let the leading edge of the blade follow.
When starting a cut, align the guide mark with your cut line and the blade with the start of the line. it'll start you straight so you don't need to steer into the cut. Since your following the line ahead of the blade, any error wandering off the line is geometrically reduced at the blade.
Good body position also helps. shoulders square to the cut and not reaching too far helps a lot.
marineman
Well-known member
I have several of these as well as a Kreg rip cut. I guess it depends what you're doing with it after you cut it but for repeatable cuts I usually use the rip cut. With what I build the actual dimensions usually aren't overly important but it's important that everything be the exact same size, rip cut does that quickest, very similar to having a panel saw or a large sliding table saw. If I know the size that I need and only need 1 or 2 pieces but I need them exact then I'll use my home made edge guide. I made mine out of MDF instead of plywood but otherwise pretty close to what they did in the first link. Only problem is you need a board that you trust to be sufficiently straight for the piece that goes on top which really comes back to the whole point of the thread.
I also have one of the bora style ones but mines a HF version. It does a good job making a straight line but for ease of measuring and everything else it kind of *****. I have several circular saws, some blade left, some blade right and between them the blade is never exactly the same distance from the edge of the shoe so every time I have to take the saw that I'm using and measure the distance and set the guide up the right distance from the cut line to actually get the blade on the line. Multiple measurements with math done in between is just too much chance for something to go wrong and I end up with the wrong size. Way easier with a guide you set on the cut line so the body of the guide is on the good side and the blade goes to the waste side, it'll be perfect every time with no math.
jgromada
Well-known member
Interesting that i found this thread because i was just doing a bunch of research on this.
I currently use this from Harbor Freight for cross cuts
and it works great for me! $22.99 - 20%.
I am building a long cutting table for breaking down 4x8 sheet goods and was thinkingI will get a Kreg rip cut ($40 Lowes).
that is a simple solution
But I had been thinking of something with long (110" guides) to do diagonal cuts on a sheet. (i have a project coming up where this would be a great benefit) the Bora which seems limited to only doing perpendicular cuts to the sheet edges.
These are two other options i am considering. Veritas by Lee Valley
Here is a product link http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=41707&cat=1,45313&ap=1
This one from Black Jack is another i really liked.
and here is the product link http://store.workshopsupply.com/cat...ight-edge-tool-guide-p-3271.html?currency=USD
All of these are waaaay less expensive than a dedicated track saw (although that would be nice) The Mercedes solution would be a cordless Festool Track saw with a Festool vac.
I currently use this from Harbor Freight for cross cuts
I am building a long cutting table for breaking down 4x8 sheet goods and was thinkingI will get a Kreg rip cut ($40 Lowes).
that is a simple solution
But I had been thinking of something with long (110" guides) to do diagonal cuts on a sheet. (i have a project coming up where this would be a great benefit) the Bora which seems limited to only doing perpendicular cuts to the sheet edges.
These are two other options i am considering. Veritas by Lee Valley
This one from Black Jack is another i really liked.
All of these are waaaay less expensive than a dedicated track saw (although that would be nice) The Mercedes solution would be a cordless Festool Track saw with a Festool vac.
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Hard to beat the DIY guide in Toolfool's post. Takes all the guess work out of it. Anyone that has been around woodworking for more than ten minutes has one.......every woodworking magazine out there since 1975 has shown that one multiple times.
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