Circular Saw Guides

Watch television for one day and you will see dozens of Do-It-Yourself television shows. These programs offer guidance and suggestions on home improvement that can be accomplished by anyone who is capable of holding a hammer or using a saw. A simple collection of tools are all that is required to complete dozens of home improvement projects from building a deck to tiling your own kitchen floor. Some of those projects will require power tools and a circular saw is one of the most important of all of the power tools in a homeowner's arsenal. Circular saws are perfect for small jobs around the house and with the addition of circular saw guides, they can even take the place of a table saw. 

What Is a Circular Saw Guide?

Circular saw guides come in so many styles that it can be difficult for the laymen to recognize one immediately. Guides can be designed to attach to the circular saw itself or to attach to the surface that you are cutting. A guide is used to create straight lines and square cuts with any type of circular saw. If you can use your circular saw to cut it, a circular saw guide will help you to do a better job with the cut. Since perfectly straight cuts are almost impossible without some sort of guide, many people resort to the old-fashioned chalk line to mark and straight-cut a piece of plywood or other sort of board. Chalk lines work but their accuracy depends greatly on how steady your hands are. Unlike those chalk lines, a circular saw guide allows you to rest the blade against the guide for an arrow-straight cut every time.

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Saw guides are generally made of metal and the higher quality guides are usually made of aluminum. Aluminum guides are lighter and easier to work with than steel guides, plus they have the added bonus of being simple to transport. A saw guide generally comes in a short length or a long length and they begin at about 24 inches long. Guides can be purchased in combination sets that include several lengths, making it easier to perform jobs that require long and short cuts. The longest guides available average around 50 inches in length. When cutting large pieces of material, including plywood, it is best to have a variety of saw guide lengths available.

Saw guides are usually designed to clamp tightly to the piece of wood that you are cutting. This allows you to rest the saw blade against the guide without the worry of it moving while you work. Some saw guides come with clamps that actually lock in place for additional safety and reliability. Homemade saw guides can be created from wood and metal combinations or entirely from wood. In general, a circular saw guide is a one-time purchase so many people choose to avoid taking the time to make one themselves.

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Improved Accuracy with Circular Saw Guides

In the past, a table saw was the standard tool for projects that required long cuts or very straight edges. Cabinetmakers and home improvement aficionados generally had no other choice but to purchase an expensive table saw when they needed to make those big cuts. With the addition of a circular saw guide, craftsmen can avoid spending $800 on a table saw and can purchase a much less expensive circular saw and get still get the same great results. In projects that require many straight cuts or even beveled edges, a circular saw guide is the only way to get professional cuts from a circular saw. 

Projects like wooden fence construction or deck building go much more quickly when you use a circular saw guide. Rather than moving wood back and forth to a table saw, cordless circular saws and saw guides allow you to make all of your long cuts on the fly. This saves time and labor. Clamp the 50 inch circular saw guide to a sheet of plywood and you can cut that wood into perfect strips for use in roofing projects. Circular saw guides are also excellent for projects that require many small cuts. The same guide can be used for making perfect cuts with your jigsaw, as well.

Project Safety and Circular Saw Guides

Safety is one of the major issues when using a circular saw or a jig saw. Because of the exposed blade, using a circular saw or a jig saw exposes your fingers to some extreme danger. The use of a circular saw guide for long cutting projects definitely reduces your risk of losing a finger. Holding the circular saw's handle in your right hand and gripping the guide with your left hand allows you to make those cuts without the risk of cutting yourself. Most injuries acquired during the use of circular saws occur on the hand or arm that is not holding the saw. A circular saw guide helps to eliminate the risk of those injuries, making it a great piece of safety equipment for your work.

Saw guides also eliminate the need for many other accessories when working with a circular saw. Set up your workspace and the only other piece of safety equipment that you require is a pair of safety goggles. These are always important when cutting anything with an open-bladed power tool. Safety should always be a priority when completing any household project and a circular saw guide is an excellent addition to your safety equipment. Locking clamps make it almost impossible for the guide to move while you are working. This means that the circular saw guide will quickly be something that you rely on when it comes to safety in your workspace.

When working in your own home or even on the job, circular saw guides are perfect for making your work look professional. This small and inexpensive addition to your tool closet will pay for itself quickly in straight-edged cuts and beveled angles. Saw guides are well worth their small cost.

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