Guide for circular saw with their own hands

Parallel stop

The standard parallel stop for your circular saw is a good example of how a small addition can make a big difference. Almost every portable circular saw is equipped with a parallel stop for a specified longitudinal cut width. This is a really useful device.

The regular stop has a disadvantage. For safety purposes, it is set at values that allow you to use it to make cuts less than 20-25 mm wide. It is made to make sure that the stop does not interfere with movement of the saw’s guard. But it is enough to attach a wooden bar with self-tapping screws to the parallel bar of the standard stop and its capabilities will increase, while the minimum width of cut will not be limited in any way.

Note! You must remember about safety. when making cuts of less than 15 mm the bar does not allow the guard to cover the saw blade.

From plywood

Materials required

Three 10 mm thick pieces of plywood are needed for this guide rail. Their length must be the same and is usually equal to the length of the workbench on which the work will be performed. One of the pieces should be 25-35 cm wide (it will serve as a base), the width of the other two will be determined when making the bar. Also prepare 16mm wood screws.

Instructions for making

When creating the guide bar it is required to observe all dimensions very accurately. Small deviations can lead to a sharp deterioration in the result. If you want, you can use laminate instead of plywood.

�� Homemade Track Saw. DIY Guide Rail for Circular Saw

The plywood guide rail is made in a few steps:

• measure the distance from the inner edge of the saw blade to the guide groove of the longitudinal cut located on the tool’s support platform.
• Cut one of the plywood strips to a width of 0.2 to 0.5 mm less than the distance you got in step 1.1. The fibers of the top layer of veneer on the plywood must run lengthwise.
• Using self-tapping screws, screw the resulting strip to a wide piece of plywood (base), exactly aligning their ends. This will be the working edge of the guide rail.
• Use a caliper to measure the width of the guide groove of the longitudinal cut.
• Screw the rest of the plywood strip to the base parallel to the first strip. There should be a gap between them, which should be 0.2-0.5mm less than the width of the groove measured in the previous point.
• To avoid damaging the material that is to be sawn, a layer of soft material is glued to the finished guide rail on the underside.

The self-made guide is ready, now you need to prepare a hand saw. To do this, saw a narrow strip of thick plywood or another material that is strong enough. The height of this strip should be 8-9 mm greater than the depth of the guide slot on the sole of the saw. The width corresponds to the width of this groove. The length is a few centimetres longer than the length of the soleplate.

The resulting band-restraint should be secured in the guide slot so that it protrudes over both edges of the sole.

How to use the plywood tire?

To make the cut, you’ll need two clamps and two flat wooden bars slightly thicker than the workpiece. The guide rail is placed with the ends on these bars so that its working edge slightly protrudes over the edge of the workbench top. In the places where the guide rail is supported on the bars, it is tightly fixed to the workbench with clamps.

The workpiece to be cut is placed under the guide bar with the cutting line marked in advance with a pencil, and the cutting line is aligned with its working edge. Finally, the circular saw with the limiting strip attached to it is placed on the rail so that the limiting strip on the sole exactly fits into the prepared gap. Now you can saw, holding the workpiece with your free hand and slightly pressing the saw in the side of the workbench.

The process of making the circular saw guide

As for the size of the offered guide design, it is selected individually to the cutting depth of the existing saw, as well as those workpieces that will be further processed.

Plywood sheet is used for making the table top. Its length can be whatever you want. The width can be made 35 cm, which will be convenient for the vast majority of circular saws. After 10 cm from the long edge of the plywood you need to make a mark for the installation of the profile with a T-slot. Preferably, the profile should be shorter than the actual length of the table top, which will facilitate further storage of the machine. Profile must be set into the groove. It is most convenient to choose it with a hand-held cutter by setting a parallel stop. When working with plywood it is better to go deeper gradually, by making a selection in several passes.

To remove defects on the surface of the countertop to grind plywood.

The profile with a T-slot is pressed into the obtained flush slot. It is fastened with self-tapping screws along its entire length.

For the direct guide for the power tool itself, you can find an angle, but it often has the same sides, which is not very convenient. It is much better to buy a channel and saw it lengthwise, obtaining two perfect angles with a low edge.

Now you need to make the stops for the rail. To do this, take 2 boards with a cross section of 30 mm, the length corresponding to the width of the plywood table top. In this case they are 35 cm long. As for the width of the boards, it should be equal to the actual depth of cut of the circular saw plus 8 mm. Having aligned the boards and placed them on the edge, you need to mark 7 cm from the edge. From this line the length corresponding to the width of the saw’s sole should be measured out. The second mark is placed a little wider, taking into account the thickness of the walls of the angle and a gap of 1 mm.

Clamping planks in a vice to file all along the drawn lines with a hacksaw to a depth of 1 cm, then select the notch.

Now you need to attach the boards to the table top. To do this, they are first glued, and then pulled with screws

Note that the second board is fixed at the end of the T-slot profile, not the plywood. The T-bolt must be screwed into the profile before gluing. On the posts obtained from the boards you need to fasten the corners of the channel directly into the groove, thereby adding rigidity

To make the structure collapsible, it is better not to screw the screws into the wood, but to install a furniture dowel and later use a screw

On the posts obtained from the boards, it is necessary to fasten the corners of the channel directly into the groove, thereby adding rigidity. To make the structure collapsible, it is better not to screw the screws into the wood, and install a furniture dowel and later use the screw.

It is also possible to move the slides of the guide so that it can be used for the router. Need to make a couple more holes and put furniture dowels.

For convenience of further storage of the machine in a suspended state, it is possible to cut a through hole on the plywood, protruding beyond the limits of the working part of the table top.

Now you need to put the circular saw on the skids. It should be turned on and driven from one edge of the table top to the other. Slightly protruding disk will make a groove of about 2 mm, due to the fact that the grooves of the posts were deepened not by 8 mm, but by 1 cm.

To prevent the saw from tilting and braking while moving, you can attach a furniture angle to its sole by lightly turning it. It may not be necessary, much depends on the type of sole.

Almost ready to use the machine, you can make guides to fix the workpieces at an angle. The first thing you need is a 45 and 30 degree limiters. To do this, take two slats and drill a hole for the sliding T-bolt in them.

Having fixed one workpiece at an angle of 45 degrees and having pressed a nut of manual adjustment it is necessary to cut off the protruding end with a saw. The resulting piece should be glued to the bottom of the back of the strip, creating an additional stop. It will rest against the side edge of the table top, so later it will be possible to fix the guide without the protractor. In the same way, you can prepare special guides for other angles as well.

To the bolt protruding from the T-shaped guide profile you can fix a presser foot, guides and other joinery equipment, expanding the possibilities of the resulting machine. The production cost of such equipment is not high, while its functionality is enough for processing small workpieces or precise and fast end facing of lumber.

Materials and tools required

First you need to decide on the project. Above, attention was paid to what a trimmer can be constructed from:

• The most technologically advanced and affordable material is sheet wood. They can be easily cut to the required dimensions with the same existing parquet (part of the future machine);
• Frame construction of the bed with the elements Wood chipboard or plywood in the implementation is more complicated and expensive, and therefore not always justified;
• self-tapping screws are required.

In addition to the construction materials for the construction of a crosscutting device, the following elements will be needed:

If you choose the production technology of the bed, which does not contain steel parts and elements, in this case from the tools will be required:

It is surprising how little is needed in order to construct a crosscutting machine with their own hands.

How to make a circular saw guide inexpensively and easily with your own hands

How inexpensive and easy to make a guide for a circular saw with your own hands

Every person who has worked with a circular saw at least once in his life knows how difficult it is to achieve a smooth and clear cut with such an electric tool.

Most people solve this problem with the simplest devices, for example, strips of plastic or plywood, which are attached to the surface of the clamp. But it will be much more convenient to use a special guide bar for such purposes. It is such a device is very rare to find in the basic set of manual circular saw, and in construction markets separately such a device will cost the same as the saw itself. But it is even strange, because the device is not distinguished by complexity.

If there are all the necessary materials, the guide for the circular saw is not so difficult to make with your own hands, and this is what our article will talk about.

Devices for multifunctional tool

Beginner craftsmen doubt that it is possible to make a straight cut with a hand-held mechanical tool. This is true if you cut according to the markings, but you can facilitate the work, using a purchased or homemade guide device,

Manual woodworking tools, especially of modern design, sometimes amazed by the number of auxiliary devices that help in the performance of sawing material. The simplest auxiliary device is an ordinary stop on the base of the saw with an indicator of the mowing line on which the saw will pass.

The most popular addition is the short rail with adjustable extension length. complex designs have another roller on such a guide so that the saw’s movement is not hindered when it contacts the edge of the material.

Sometimes there are indicators to show the laser line cutting and other devices that have the same disadvantages. All of these mechanisms serve to inform you that the saw blade is out of the cutting line. All simple mechanisms indicate inaccurate sawing.

Why all the systems that prevent the hobbyist from making a simple cut?? Where is the error of this approach? All well-known woodworking machines for professional woodworking have a parallel clamping device for a constant pressure on the material to be machined and a rigid locking. This stop is often movable. For professional tools, an Interskol hand circular saw guide bar is available for sale that can be applied to another overhead mechanism.

Then a tremor in the forearm muscles has no effect on the direction of the cut because it is controlled by the rigid stop. Some will say that surgeons don’t use stops and know how to do complex and precise surgery. They probably do, but their material is more susceptible to machining, and perfectly straight mowing line doesn’t matter.

To keep the purchase cost of a circular saw guide rail low, it can be made by hand. Thanks to this homemade device the only thing you will have to worry about while cutting is to press the saw firmly to the stop and slowly move it forward. You can find the materials and equipment you need in any workshop.

For example, the width of a panel of thick plywood should be five centimetres more than the width of the saw’s base. The length depends on the workpieces you will have to cut. Optimal dimensions:

The support strip must be the same length as the length of the guide. The width should ensure reliable gluing to the panel surface. not less than 3 cm, or even much wider. The height of the slat must be at least 12 mm. Optimal support size: 100 cm x 3 cm x 1.5 cm.

One note when choosing a lath at the supermarket. it must have one thin side flat. How to check it? Put the rail on a flat table and check for any bulges or gaps. It is this flat surface of the rail that will provide a straight cutting line.

When all the materials are assembled, you can begin to make a parallel stop for the circular saw with your own hands. First you need to measure the distance between the saw and the edge of the panel towards its long side. To the result obtained add some 3 cm. This dimension will serve as the axial mowing line, removed from the edge by 2 cm.

Then measure the width of the saw’s base and draw a second fishing line. This size is needed to mark out the area where the saw will pass. Mark the space between the lines with a pencil so that there is no doubt that this area is off and intended only for the movement of the saw. When all the dimensions are outlined, start assembling the rail:

• Smear the rail with glue and place it along the second mowing line intended for the stop.
• Press down with a clamp to ensure a secure bond.
• Leave for 12 hours to allow the adhesive to gain full strength.

When everything is securely fastened, you need to calibrate the device by making the first cut. To do this, set the saw up to the stop, trying to make sure that the edge of the saw base is evenly pressed against the bar and with an even motion along the bar make the cut. It is this first cut along the stop guide that will calibrate the unit for further work.

When the stop is ready, you can safely use it to get a quick cut. On the material to be cut, mark the cutting line. Along this mowing line, lay a new guide so that the working edge lies on the mowing line. the saw will cut the material exactly in this place.

After carefully laying down and making sure that there is no tabletop on the other side of the material to be cut, the saw is pressed closely against the stop and, moving along the guide, cut off the desired size of material. While sawing you need to press the saw lightly against the device and against the surface of the stop, this will ensure a straight cut. Move it smoothly and evenly. The end result will be a straight line of cut. When using a handheld circular saw fixture, two interesting facts are worth noting:

• First, the soft material will not crumble while cutting.
• Secondly, the guide provides additional protection against the jagged edge of the cut material due to hand shake and uneven saw movement.

In the home workshop of a woodworker there is always a place for a homemade mitre saw from a hand circular saw. To make it, you need a homemade ruler guide and a circular saw carriage.

To make the ruler, you will need several pieces of twelve-millimeter plywood and a metal profile of 10×20 millimeters. Length of the ruler. 1.5 metres. Using a router with a diameter of 20 millimeters a slot is milled to fit the profile to the full length of the device. Profile is fastened with screws. Parallel to the mowing line of the profile at a distance of 12 centimeters a stiffening rib is fixed.

Then the carriage for the circular saw is made with their own hands from the same plywood. The size of the carriage is arbitrary and is taken under the base of the saw. The carriage has a slot for the profile installed on the ruler. The basic dimensions are chosen so that the carriage rests on the profile and the end rests on a stiffener. In addition to the groove, the carriage has a slot for the saw blade to exit.

Circular saw guide is a very simple, but reliable working device. To cut sheets of material, you need to secure the saw in the carriage with two screws, put the guide to the material, aligning the saw blade with the cutting line, turn on the saw and, moving the carriage on the ruler, cut off the desired workpiece.

Made device can be made universal and use it both with ordinary hand and plunge saw. For this purpose it is enough to remove the profile tube from the ruler and install a movable rail, to which the saw is attached. For the smooth movement of the guide rail it is necessary to rub the groove well with paraffin.

Cutting lumber at an angle

To cut the material at different angles you need a special device for the sawing mechanism. If you can not buy such a device, you need to think about how to make a self-made mitre saw from a simple circular saw, using available materials. In order for this device to have an angular stop, you need to have two structural units.

The first part is a swiveling device. It can be assembled from waste material. For this you will need a board with dimensions 100x50x2 cm for the base. To the base is attached to the axis of the rotary table in the form of a semicircle with angular markings. the so-called protractor for a circular saw with their own hands.

The second node. the saw table. Its size. 100x25x2 cm. In the saw table is made a rectangular hole for the exit of the saw blade and a slot for the sliding rail, to which the saw is attached. The principle of operation is as follows:

• Set the saw table on the base, where the swiveling device with an angle stop for the circular saw with your own hands rotates freely.
• On the saw table attach a mechanical saw to the sliding rail.
• The workpiece to be cut is moved to the pivoting device and pressed against the fence ruler.
• Fix the turntable to the required cutting angle. Turn on the saw and, smoothly moving it, make the planned cut.

Electric jigsaw as a sawmill

The electric jigsaw is quite capable to replace an electric saw when sawing a small amount of lumber and small-sized workpieces. To do this, you need to make a guide for the jigsaw with your own hands. The device is not complicated, even a novice craftsman can make it.

From a board length 800 and 20 millimeters thick make a guide for the base of the jigsaw. To do this, the edges of the board to attach the screws two slats 10×10 millimeters. The distance between the slats is equal to the width of the jigsaw’s base. On the ends of the board, strengthen the slats with a length equal to the width of the working part and a height of 10 millimeters. In these bars, drill one hole each with a diameter of 8 millimeters for the fixing studs.

Make a table of 800x400x80 millimeters. To do this, to the board Woodchip board around the perimeter attach laths 60×20 millimeters. Install on it two studs m8 on the edges of the length of the table. On them the guide will be put on and fixed. In the guide along the central axis cut a slot for the exit of the jigsaw blade. Make an additional window 120×40 mm for the exit of the saw in case of angle sawing of the material.

On the table to make the graduation by means of a protractor, noting the angle of 90 and 45 degrees. According to the marking, set the rotary stop ruler. The fixture is ready and can be used in the work. To do this, it must be placed on the joinery workbench.

Removable guide rail for circular saw with your own hands

With many advantages, the previous design has a significant disadvantage. It is necessary to constantly check the lateral pressure of the circular saw body on the ruler. If the width of the workpiece to be cut is too large, the arms may simply not be long enough.

The solution is to use a carriage with ball bearings. The design is not so budget-friendly (at least you need to buy bearings), but its features block all the expenses. The principle of operation can be seen in the illustration:

The carriage is made of metal plates and an angle. To adjust the width, you can use wing clamps mounted in movable slots. The profile of a complex shape can be purchased at a store of aluminum construction materials. Many variants, the main thing is to provide a stop with bearings on the top and sides. For example. one of these variants.

The profile must be able to secure the C-clamp inside the guide rail. You can buy a ready made construction, consisting of a matching pair of carriages and rails.

All depends on the budget of the event. The sole of the manual circular saw is firmly fastened to the slide.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary to ensure strict parallelism of circular saw’s motion along the profile, otherwise the cut will be with a loose cut.

Such a guide, made by your own hands, allows you to cut a large area of workpieces. The saw is easy and smooth-running and can be guided both by hand and with the help of a guide bar.

Advantages of homemade guide bars

An important advantage of working with such a device is the possibility of processing blanks of any size. It is only necessary not to forget about the reliable fixation of the trimming tool, because it provides a quality result and ensures safety.

You can purchase a prefabricated guide rail in a store. It is the simplest and most expensive variant. After all, the cost of a branded device is often almost comparable to the price of the circular saw itself. Therefore, it is better to make a guide for the circular saw with your own hands.

Self-made guide rail for manual circular saw Interskol, Makita, Bosch is no worse in functionality than the factory-made, but several times cheaper. Easy to assemble at home. There are several options for making homemade guide bars, using different starting materials:

The process of making a guide bar using each of the options listed below is discussed in detail.

Features of the guide for the circular saw

The capabilities of hand tools are often limited. To make a cut in a wooden workpiece, it is necessary to press the sole of the hand circular saw firmly against it and move it smoothly forward along the marking. But the plunge of the working disc into the wood is accompanied by vibration. That is why it is quite difficult to hold the tool in hands on the set trajectory.

That’s what the parallel stop for the circular saw is for. It is attached to the workpiece near the marking line. And, by pressing the side of the hand saw’s sole into it, it becomes possible to achieve a perfectly even cut. Such a device becomes extremely necessary when planing boards. Without it, this kind of work is very difficult to do.

• Ensure cutting accuracy and quality of work.
• Create safety in the working area.
• Make it possible to make cuts in various configurations.

Not only can the tool make longitudinal cuts, but also cross cuts. Use it to adjust workpiece parameters. And you have to be able to machine several elements at the same time. For example, to perform batch facing.

A normal wooden bar or a bar of sufficient length and thickness can be used as a guide for the circular saw. The only requirement is that the workpiece must be perfectly finished. And all sides of it are perfectly aligned. The block can be clamped to the table with screw clamps together with the workpiece. This simple attachment alone makes longitudinal cutting operations much easier.

But sometimes the craftsman is also faced with difficult tasks. For example to work on a part at a certain angle or to make a cut in a complex configuration. And in this case, you can’t do without a special attachment.

The side stop for the circular saw is available in different types:

• one-sided;
• double sided;
• symmetrical;
• asymmetrical;
• complex configuration;
• for specialized tasks;
• For cutting crossbars;
• Universal.

The working side of the tool is most often marked with a millimeter line. The circular saw side stop makes the work process much easier. It is also necessary if it is necessary to cut grooves in the workpiece.

The universal guide bar can be used both on a stationary circular saw and when working with hand tools. It comes in handy when using an electric jigsaw or a mechanical wood saw. And, of course, when working with a circular saw.