Circular Saw Guide

**weekend-warrior** · 2nd February 2009, 05:11 PM

Hi Guys,
I do a bit of work (on weekends as a hobby) with 2400 x 1200 sheets of MDF, i.e. speaker cabinets, shelves, work bench, etc. To cut up the sheets I normally just use a piece of off cut from another sheet as a straight edge/guide and a circular saw.

I've grown a bit tired of this method as it usually takes quite a bit of time setting it up to my exacting standards (it's a curse!) to ensure the cut edge is parralel to other side. For example so that the cut sheet doesn't end up 599mm at one end and 602mm at the other.

Also to repeat this cut on another sheet it requires the same set up time. There is the option to clamp the two sheets together but getting the two sheets aligned throws in another variable when setting up.

So I’m looking for a simpler / easier / quicker solution.

I purchased a Triton router recently and quickly fell in love so was all set to buy the Triton Work Centre. However I recently learnt that the company is in the hands of receivers. So I've put those plans on hold until the future of the company is announced. But I’m now not sure if a saw table is the right tool for the job.

I've looked at the DeWalt saw table and radial arm saw and was shocked by the prices. My father has a DeWalt radial arm saw that I've used a number of times however they live about 700km away! But I’ve found it a little tricky when trying to cut full sheets.
So I went back to the circular saw and a jig. I found a couple of designs on the internet, however my main concern is finding perfectly straight timber and stopping it from warping over time.

http://www.benchnotes.com/Skillsaw%2..._guide_boa.htm
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...s/4283497.html

And then I stumbled across this website. http://www.ausangle.com Still has the problem is that it doesn't ensure parallel side.
Wondering if anyone has bought one of these and how they find it. Also whether there are any other option that I haven’t considered.

Thanks,

Nathan.

**petersemple** · 2nd February 2009, 05:55 PM

I saw an idea once that I always intended to make (but haven't yet). Essentially you make a T-square, with the long arm as long as you need for the cut. You then clamp it to a surface and run the saw down each side. That docks the lengths of the short arm to the exact distance from the guide (long arm) that the saw cuts to. Then to make a cut you line up the end of the short arm with your cut line, clamp it and cut.

Peter

**weekend-warrior** · 2nd February 2009, 10:14 PM

Thanks for the reply. Guess it'd be like the Short Guide (from link above).

**niki** · 3rd February 2009, 02:19 AM

G'day Nathan

You have two ways to make the guide....one is, as on your pictures and the other one is, just with a straight edge.....in both cases, you have to ensure that you are square and parallel to the board or the board has a square edges (factory edge)...

So, instead of talking too much, have a look at those posts and after that, if you have any questions - shoot...

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=45154

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=46318

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=61060

Cheers
niki

**rod1949** · 3rd February 2009, 10:50 AM

Save your pennies and buy yourself a decent table/bench saw and with the right blade in it you will get crisp clean sharp cut/edges that you will wonder why you persisted with your current setup.

Don't get me wrong I've been in you situation... once upon a time I had a 9'' circular saw bolted to an 8x4 sheet of form ply set on a frame/trestles which served me well for a few years.

**naraul** · 3rd February 2009, 07:43 PM

Hi Nathan

Great question to ask as I'm at the same stage as yourself. I 'dabble' in 2400 x 1200 MDF projects at home and I have a similar process for using a circular saw.

I use battens (which are offcuts), clamped parallel to the line I'm cutting. Clamped to the MDF, come out 35mm (for the saw frame) and away I go. Very tedious as I often have to make about 5 or six adjustments to allow for all the cuts, but the long guide and short guide link looks pretty good.

**STAR** · 3rd February 2009, 09:38 PM

The best idea I have found for me comes from the book 501 best Shop tips for Woodworkers.

It is relatively expensive, I paid $48.95 for it a few years ago from Carba Tec on the theory a couple of good ideas will pay for itself.

The straight edge for plywood always was a problem for me and they suggested 20mm square steel bolted every 200 mm to plywood. The reason for the steel is that it is more stable and I have found that to be true,

**Master Splinter** · 3rd February 2009, 10:01 PM

I used to use a similar MDF/timber guide, but I found that sometimes in my enthusiasm I'd be able to get the guide to deflect a few mm in the middle...pushing in on the saw too hard!

For a few years I used an aluminium cement float bar that was 2400 long; I cut a few chunks of 6mm MDF as spacers for the base to blade offset so I didn't have to measure. Bar was clamped with f-clamps to hold it while cutting.

Pros - cheap, pretty accurate as long as you took the time to make sure it was square! (I recently noticed that Bunnies is carrying cheap 2400mm aluminium spirit levels for about $50 - idea for this sort of application and you get a spirit level too!)

Cons - had to make sure that saw motor would clear the clamps, not the worlds fastest setup time, and of course you had to make sure it was square as well.

Several months ago (back when the oz peso was pretty high against its US rival), I sprung out for one of these. Being basically lazy and hating extra mucking around, I got one with a combination handle/square thingy so it could be used as a slam n' go solution on anything with one good edge (such as edged melamine faced board).

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