For crosscutting long boards and making miter cuts, this shopmade saw guide is accurate, portable, easy to use and economical to build.

The guide is simply an angle-iron and plywood track sized to fit the base of a portable circular saw. The guide is perched atop legs at each end. Each leg is made from a pair of 3-1/2-in. pipe flanges connected by a 3/4-in. by 1-1/2-in. pipe nipple. The legs provide clearance for the work and allow the track to pivot for making angle cuts.

To use, clamp the guide at the proper angle in relation to the fence on the plywood base. Before cutting, secure the saw’s blade guard up out of the way with a screw threaded through a hole in the blade housing. Make sure you remove the screw before the saw is used in the conventional manner.

Another note of caution: The direction of blade rotation tends to lift the work from the table, so make sure the work is tight against the fence and can’t shift. Otherwise, the work might pinch the sawblade and cause the saw to lift out of the guide rails. On my 7-1/4-in. saw, the depth of cut is limited to 1-3/4 in., but this covers most of the crosscutting work I do.

Jack Fisher, Dayton, Ohio

Fine Woodworking Magazine, June 1984 No. 46

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Grout float

The red foam on these grout floats grip well to wood, and the large handle keeps your hands safely away from bits and blades.

Buy at Amazon

Bosch 12V Trim Router

Trim routers are easier to handle when you cut the cord, and the Bosch’s compact, curvy shape and unique base give it unmatched control.

Buy at Amazon

Craftsman Random Orbit Sander

While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.

Buy at Amazon