Unlike standard guide rails, rip fences only act as support on one side. There is also a chance you could accidentally hurt yourself as well. It is very possible that you will make a single mistake and make the whole effort pointless. I would advise caution when building your own rip fence, make sure you follow whatever guide you are using to the letter. But, if you do feel like giving yourself a challenge, making one yourself is perfectly fine. Now, I personally think you should stick with buying one.
There are literally hundreds of guides that give you step-by-step instructions on how to do it yourself. If you have no idea what you are doing, you can always look up a guide online on how to make a DIY guide rail. Although they are often referred to as rip fences, I am going to refer to them as guide rails in this section because they serve the same purpose of helping you make accurate cuts. It is possible to make your own guide rail using a mixture of materials, tools, and your own technical knowledge. There are mainly two kinds of circular guide rails that you can use with a circular saw. See the Makita SP6000J1 track saw with a 6-1/2-inch blade. You can find out more about track saw here. The track saw or plunge cut saw works essentially the same way how you use a circular saw with guide rails systems. DeWalt DW3278 Circular Saw Rip Fence (Budget Pick) Circular Saw with Guide RailsĪ circular saw with guide tracks attached to it is called a track saw. C50 50-Inch All-In-One Contractor Straight Edge Clamping Tool Guide Bora, 543050, Clamp Edge, Aluminum, 50 in. With 48 inches max, many users felt that the length of cut was the biggest limiting factor of the otherwise excellent equipment.īut now with the new XL expansion kit, you can cut up to 100 inches. The KMA2700 guide tracks work great the only downside was the length of the rail.
Here is a video that explains how the Kreg Accu-cut track system works.Īs you can see from the video, it is very easy to use. You can mount the saw with blade on the left or right. Slide the cross-sled on to the guide track and fix your saw on the sled with clamping screws.
The universal cross sled accepts circular saw made by all top brands.
That is where a circular saw guide rail or circular saw track system comes into action.Īs the name indicates, circular saw guide tracks are tools that you install on your work that enable you to make ultra-precise cuts with ease. Also, it is very easy to make mistakes one slight slip of the hand and your cut is ruined. Sure, with a lot of practice and a very steady hand one can make accurate cuts, but it is very difficult. However, circular saws have a major flaw, which is their inability to make very accurate cuts easily. They are able to make a wide variety of cuts and because they are so useful, you will find one in almost every tool shed or workshop out there. The answer is you can’t unless you use a circular saw guide rail (track system) or press your saw against a straight edge.Ĭircular saws are great tools. How do you cut perfectly straight with a circular saw?