Workshop

Straight Edge Clamping Tool Guide

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Self-clamping straight edge to guide your power tools for truly straight cuts

I bought this clamp about 5 years ago. It quickly became one of my favorite tools since it lets you completely break down a full sheet of plywood (or similar) without resorting to a table saw. The edge clamp lets you measure your cut on the sheet of wood, tighten it down, then just run a circular saw along the side of it and get a perfect, straight cut. It takes a bit of fiddling to get the measurements just right, but it has enabled me to make very precise cuts that I can’t do with my portable table saw. It’s also saved me a ton of wasted material vs. hand-cutting and inevitably veering to one side or the other.

This tool is for weekend warriors, not professionals who would have a large high-quality table saw or even a panel saw. I don’t have space or money for these dedicated tools, so this lets me get a professional result without making mistakes or injuring myself trying to push a 4′ sheet through a cheap table saw.

-- Mark Johnston 01/22/16

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