Replies

1. 
   daverichards | Feb 04, 2008 08:12pm | #1

   How about a piece of 1/4" plywood or Masonite. 12 or so inches wide by 8' long (could make a shorter one as well.) screw a straight piece of something (hardwood, MDF, plywood) to the length of it as a fence to guide the saw. Put the fence on with flathead screws from belwo. Put it far enough from one edge of the base so that you can rip a wee bit off with the saw. Edge of the base identifies the cut line.

   Leave enough of the base on the opposite side to get clamps on and make sure the motor of the saw will clear the clamps.

1. 
   Zappa | Feb 04, 2008 08:40pm | #2

   can I use just a peice of 8 foot pine as a fence  or should I go for a harder wood

1. 
   daverichards | Feb 04, 2008 10:14pm | #3

   Softwood will work as long as it is straight.

2. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Feb 04, 2008 10:16pm | #4

   You could use pine, factory edge of plywood, even a piece of angle iron/aluminum would work.   Obviously the main thing is that it's straight.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   kreuzie | Feb 05, 2008 02:50am | #6

   The same principle can be used to make a cutting guide for your router.

   Just use a straight bit for the "blade", and be sure to always use the same router sub base and bit. Also, make sure the carbide on the bit is long enough to go through the combined thicknesses of the cutting guide AND the work. (I use a 3/4 inch bit with about 3 inches of carbide.)

   This works pretty slick when you need a very small taper over, say, four feet: mark both ends of the taper, place the board edge (I use 1/2 inch MDF ...CHEAP!) on the marks at each end, clamp the guide at the rear on both ends and rout away.

   Make two or more cuts if you have a larger amount of waste to remove. Climb routing (moving the router from right to left) helps with woods which tend to blow out, but, again, take small incremental cuts.

2. 
   oldfred | Feb 04, 2008 11:30pm | #5

   Zappa,

   Although not the original meaning of the term, the home built saw guides are sometimes called shooting boards.   If you go to Breaktime and do an Advanced Search you'll find several posts that might help you.

   The post below shows a couple pictures of a shop made guide.  It's the type Dave Richards described.     The builder has already trimmed the "wee bit" off the edge.

   http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=28504.13&search=y

    

   
   

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   Edited 2/4/2008 3:38 pm ET by oldfred