Ruler for a manual circular saw with your own hands. DIY circular saw guide

The cost of a branded guide bar approaches the price of the circular saw itself. Is this accessory really necessary, what is it used for, is it possible to neglect the tire, replace it or do it yourself?

Purpose of the guide bar

Anyone who has worked with a circular saw knows how difficult it is to get it straight. With all the efforts to guide the tool clearly along the markup, it still strives to move to the side. The result is material damage and a waste of time.

Some craftsmen adapt as follows: they fasten the bar along the ruler with a pair of clamps. However, with a manual circular, this method is inconvenient - the clamps touch the tool. There are several other reasons for using a guide bar:

• using the rule, it is necessary to correct its position all the time. It is installed with a small indent from the cutting line, only then the disk will accurately pass along the line. This method will do for single jobs. If it is necessary to make a lot of precise cuts, the process is dreary;
• The branded circular saw guide is designed so that its edge is clearly aligned with the cutting line. The master only needs to combine these two bands and work;
• high-quality tires are additionally glued with a soft tape that prevents chipping of material, for example, MDF or laminate;
• simultaneously sawing and monitoring the location of the rule is inconvenient. Slightly passed or underpressed - and the material is damaged. When working with the tire, you only need to move the saw forward.

There are many types of guide rails on sale: universal or specialized for a specific model or manufacturer. The price of universal devices, as a rule, is higher than specialized ones. Therefore, many home craftsmen make tires with their own hands.

We make a tire with our own hands

The main task is to make a geometrically accurate product with your own hands, which is not easy. I want to make a convenient and reliable device, spending a minimum of time.

The following can be suitable as a basis: a channel, a corner, a rectangular pipe and even a laminate. Wooden and pressed guides have a serious drawback - they are sensitive to moisture.

Option 1

Guide rail made of laminate - the simplest and most affordable material.

1. We cut off two pieces of laminate of the same length along the ruler (for example, 50 cm each).
2. We cut along one edge.
3. We attach with screws to the base, also made of laminate.
4. The width of the groove is verified using a sheet of A4 paper, with a thickness of approximately 0.11 mm: the paper is inserted into the device and screwed.
5. To the sole of the circular saw, the guide is fixed with your own hands through the mount for the side stop. You can drill a special hole in the case, if you don’t mind and the warranty period has passed.
6. When working with the bar, it should be extended as far as possible in front of the hand saw. And the toe of the sole should protrude a few centimeters onto the guide. Now we take a disc for sawing laminate and saw off the edges of the guides on the spot so that they fit perfectly with the markings;

Such a device eats up a little depth of cut (approximately 1.5 cm), but it is very convenient and easy to do with your own hands.

Option 2

Now, as a basis for the tire, we take the building rule. A model with handles that move along the groove is suitable.

1. We remove the handles, instead of them we select soft-locking clamps with spring handles. There are models with a removable top - they just fit. Having removed it, the clamp is fixed on the rule with the help of an adapter.
2. Adapters will have to be made independently from polypropylene on a milling machine. As a result, you should get details that resemble the letter “T” in a section, they are tightly inserted into the groove for the handles.
3. We make holes in the “leg” of the adapters and fasten the clamps onto the screws.
4. The guide is laid on a sheet of material with a groove down and is securely pressed with clamps from below. From above there is not a single detail that slows down the work of the circular saw. There is only one limitation in the work - the length of the rule, so you need to take the longest one.

Option 3

To obtain an accurate cut with a circular saw, one important condition is necessary: ​​the edge of the base of the tool, which is adjacent to the guide, must be perfectly even.

Professional aggregates with molded soles have this property by definition. What can not be said about inexpensive stamped bases. Therefore, we offer another version of the guide - the rail.

The tool will move along it without resting against the guide rail. At the same time, significantly reducing the effort required to push the hand saw.

An aluminum U-shaped profile is suitable for the rail. Two segments of different sections are needed. The smaller profile should be inserted into the larger one without a gap, but move freely.

Now you can assemble the guide rail with your own hands:

1. We take plywood No. 3 and attach a larger diameter guide with screws. We grind the heads of self-tapping screws and screws to hide them flush.
2. We tightly attach on both sides of the guide along the strip of plywood No. 10 and also fasten it to self-tapping screws. Instead of plywood, you can use chipboard.

We saw off the extra pieces in width and the rail is ready for use.

Now you should prepare a hand saw:

1. We insert a small profile into the rail and remove the height of the “legs” so that it fits flush.
2. We fix the cut profile to the sole of the saw parallel to the saw blade. To do this, use a pair of M4 wing screws. If the platform of the disk tool is of high quality and even, you can stick to its edge.
3. We place the hand saw on the guide, inserting the profile into the guide rail, turn on the saw and saw off the excess strip in width.
4. Now, for a perfect cut, you need to put the edge of the tire on the markup and attach the guide with clamps. The main feature of the design is the rail. When using such a tire, the saw moves smoothly, does not hang out, is fed easily and cuts very accurately.

Videos show factory and homemade guide rails:

Any citizen, for the first time purchasing a cutting power tool for homework, very quickly comes to the conclusion that, despite all the charms of the purchase, it is not able to provide an even cut by itself. Additional accessories required. It is good if the manufacturer took care of consumers and diversified its range with such devices. But what if the creators of your unit did not show such foresight?

In any case, do not despair, and even more so do not think about replacing the power tool. Perhaps you are more fortunate than the customers of "caring manufacturers". The fact is that in almost 100% of cases, additional devices are compatible only with power tools created by the same company. At the same time, the price for them, to put it mildly, is not adequate to what you are holding in your hands. No one will convince me that the cost price of an aluminum bar for a circular saw can be 100and more than % of the cost of the saw itself.

Business sharks bite, but you need to cut. Fortunately, there are always arguments against predators. One of them is the manufacture of devices for power tools with their own hands. Moreover, making them is not as difficult as it might seem.

Today's story is about making a guide rail for a circular saw with your own hands.

There are tons of examples of homemade guides on the Internet. Most of them are created according to a single principle - a flat bar, to which you need to press the sole of the circular saw and at the same time push the saw along the guide. This can be a flat board fixed on a workpiece to be cut or a separate tire in the form of a strip of plywood, along which a beam (rake) with a smooth edge is fixed.

After thinking carefully, I was forced to abandon this approach, and here's why:

Firstly, when cutting, it is necessary to simultaneously apply multidirectional forces to the saw body - forward (for cutting) and to the side (for pressing against the template). The evenness of the cut in this case is better than without a guide, but still depends on skill.

Secondly, there must be absolute certainty that the edge of the saw sole, with which we press against the even template, is absolutely parallel to the cutting disc. I have a cheap household saw with a stamped rather than a cast base. From experience I know for sure that these things are not parallel with my saw. In addition, the electric motor of the saw is located quite low and the even template to which it needs to be pressed will be too thin and flat. Raising the saw above the base will reduce the depth of cut and further disrupt the parallelism of the blade and the edge of the base (flimsy design).

In order to compensate for the shortcomings of the mentioned guides and my own circular saw, I chose another option. The saw will move along the metal rail, and not rest against a flat template, which will make it possible to apply efforts only to move the saw forward. In addition, this effort will be less (rail after all). Using a metal template instead of a wooden one will increase the accuracy of the cut and the durability of the guide itself.

I started designing the tire by buying a cutting disc. Most often, laminated chipboard and plywood are to be sawn. To ensure a clean cut, a blade with a large number of teeth is needed (the more teeth, the better the cut line).

As a rail in a building supermarket, I purchased U-shaped aluminum profiles. The smaller profile without gap and backlash enters the larger one and slides freely over it.

Let's start building:

1. We fasten a large aluminum guide to a sheet of plywood 3 mm thick with M3 screws and nuts. Screws and self-tapping screws must have flat heads so that they can be screwed "flush".
2. Close to the guide, we fasten plywood 10 mm thick with self-tapping screws. I had on hand laminated pressboard casings of the same thickness - I used them instead of plywood.

The guide is almost ready, it remains only to saw off the excess from it. There are no step-by-step photos - I post a photo of the finished tire, on which all stages are visible.

Now let's take a circular saw

1. The photo shows that the smaller profile inserted into the larger one protrudes by 1 mm. Having screwed the profile with self-tapping screws to the end of the desktop, I removed the excess with an electric jigsaw.

1. On the base of the circular saw, parallel to the cutting disc, we attach a smaller profile and fix it with two M4 screws with “lambs”. I have already talked about problems with the base on my saw. Therefore, I focused not on the platform, but on the plane of the cutting disc. To ensure the parallelism of the disk and the fixed profile, I raised the protective cover and pressed a flat wooden block against the disk, and pressed a piece of aluminum profile against it. I fixed it all with clamps, drilled holes in the profile and twisted it. Then he removed the clamps and removed the bar. The saw is ready.

Finishing touch. We install the circular saw on the guide rail, combining their aluminum profiles. We start the saw and, moving it along the rail, saw off the excess from the tire. In the future, for an even cut, it will be enough just to combine the cut edge of the tire and the line on the workpiece, fix the tire with clamps and make a cut.

This idea was proposed to us by Vasily Art from Shchelkovo.

I would like to tell you about the guide for a circular saw. Not so long ago I worked for (installation of sliding wardrobes, the tool of a former partner), and I really liked it. But there is no money to buy the same for oneself, and it is not expected in the foreseeable future. The most budgetary Elitech with a guide costs about 12k. The guides themselves cost from 3,000 rubles separately. Which is also expensive. Rummaging through the expanses of the Internet, I did not find anything intelligible and began to think .... And then do

In general, I submit the idea to your judgment. So, we need

1. Aluminum strip 1200 * 300 - a little less than 1k.
2. Aluminum corner 10*10*1000 - 51r - 2 pcs.
3. Bar 10 * 10 * 2000 - also about 100 rubles - 1 pc.
4. Plywood 10mm - I don't know about 500*500))

In the photo, in my opinion, everything is clear. If you have any questions, I'll try to explain.

First of all, we make a guide. We glue a glazing bead into the aluminum corner, which we then grind into a plane. We, in turn, fix it on an aluminum plate. For additional strength, it is desirable to strengthen the connection with self-tapping screws.

Leave more space on the tire on the left, I shrugged it off, but it turned out that the rigidity was not sufficient, nothing could be screwed on. I'll rack my brains on how to do it.

Ideally, leave 30 mm from the motor so that you can put clamps, but this is ideal. The guide is ready.

We turn to the refinement of the sole of a simple circular. The essence of the refinement is the manufacture of a triangular groove. To do this, we take two pieces of plywood, saw them down at an angle of 45 degrees, and also glue / screw another piece of aluminum corner into this corner. It is desirable to do this on the tire, at the beginning on the glue. so that there was a plane and the saw did not drive. Then, in the new sole, we make a cut under the disc. First, we simply immerse the disk in it in the on state until the riving knife rests.

Under the knife will have to be done with a jigsaw. Anterior to the disk, it is also desirable to extend the cut for dust removal, otherwise, it simply will not be. Tests have shown that the idea is quite working. The cost of such a device was only 1500 rubles.

Usually a manual circular saw is one of the first acquisitions of a home craftsman. This versatile tool is truly indispensable for both building a house and making furniture. But if you spend an extra half an hour making simple guides for a hand-held circular saw, then it will be easier and more convenient to work.

Stop for cross cuts

This is one of the simplest and most commonly used fixtures that allows you to quickly and accurately cut long workpieces at an angle of 90° or 45°. The base of the stop is made of textolite 3-5 mm thick or plywood 8-10 mm thick. Support bars with a section of 20x20 mm can be beech or oak. The bars are connected to the base with countersunk screws. It is important to accurately maintain the angles of 90° and 45° between the support bars. If necessary, similar stops can be made for other cutting angles.

"Saddle" for cutting beams

For cutting a large number of identical bars, it makes sense to make a special U-shaped device. It is pressed against the bar to be cut as a "saddle". "Emphasis-saddle" consists of three parts: a back and two sidewalls. The back is a piece of board with a thickness of 20-25 mm and a width equal to the cross section of the beam. Sidewalls are made of textolite (3-5 mm) or plywood (8-10 mm). The width of the sidewalls must be such as to support the edge of the saw table before the saw blade enters the timber of the cant.

Without removing the stop, you can accurately cut a thick beam in two passes - on one side and on the other.

Edge stop

To make this emphasis, it will take considerable time and accuracy. But due to the greater length of the supporting edge a homemade guide will provide a smoother cut than the guides that are equipped with saws. The base of the stop and the support bar are cut out of plywood 12-15 mm thick. At the base, grooves are selected for the guide keys, and a hole is made for the saw blade and a through groove for the clamping screw. Hardwood (beech, oak) is used for the manufacture of the edge of the support bar, dowels, saw mounting rails. The adhesive joints of the dowels (in the groove) and the edge with the support bar, as well as the saw mounting rails with the base, can be reinforced with small countersunk screws.

For the convenience of setting the cutting width, it is advisable to stick a piece of tape from an old tape measure along the through groove along the front surface of the stop base.

In order to avoid damage to the working surface of the workbench, a piece of board is placed under the workpiece to be processed.

Blank as a template

When cutting a large number of identical parts, the first cut part can be used as a template. To do this, it is necessary to screw a bar to its end as a stop, in width equal to the distance from the edge of the base plate of the saw to the saw blade. With such a device, you will cut off the required number of blanks - the same length, without wasting time marking each one.

Device for cutting sheet material

The simplest device with a guide rail-tire allows you to quickly and accurately cut sheet material.

This device will help with cutting wide sheet materials: plywood, chipboard, blockboard. Its basis is a strip of plywood 6-8 mm thick with a guide rail-tire. The length of the strip should be slightly greater than the width of the sheet to be cut. The rail can be glued to the base or attached with countersunk screws. The narrow edge of the base (to the left of the rail) is used for pressing with clamps, the wide edge (formed during the first cut) is used to align with the marking line on the workpiece.

When working with a manual circular saw, the question of the straightness of the cut is acute. There are two concepts for ensuring a straight line:

Fixing on the sawing machine (workbench) the actual circular.

In this design, the hand tool is permanently attached to the table, and the workpiece moves along the guide. The cutting quality is at its best, but there are serious limitations on the size of the material being processed.

The workpiece is fixed permanently, and a guide ruler is installed for a hand-held circular saw.

In this design, the size of the workpiece to be cut can be any, the main thing is to ensure that the attachment for the circular saw is firmly attached. Manufacturers of hand tools have taken care of users and offer various ready-made devices for sale.

Industrially manufactured guides are comfortable and safe. As a rule, they are equipped with an accurate marking ruler, some allow you to set the angle of the cutting disc. The material is selected in such a way as to exclude wedging and play during the movement of the tool.

The pair, consisting of a groove and a runner, is protected from the ingress of cutting products and does not need lubrication.

However, all these kits are expensive, and many home craftsmen make their own hands for a circular saw rail.

Consider options that were independently invented and created by homegrown "Kulibins".

IMPORTANT! A hand-held circular saw is a source of increased injury, therefore, in the manufacture of home-made devices based on it, safety precautions should be followed.

The easiest option is a cutting stop

The device is actively used when cutting with a jigsaw.

It works quite efficiently, but it is limited for hand-held circular saws. The tire is pressed against the workpiece with a clamp. The bracket protrudes above the work surface both from below and from above.

As a result, we get restrictions on the length of the cut. The circular engine rests against the clamp, and you have to cut in two steps. In this case, the quality of the edge deteriorates, a step may form.

Any master will tell you that a high-quality cut is obtained when the saw moves continuously from the beginning to the end of the workpiece.
In industrial designs, fasteners are placed outside the ruler, and do not interfere with the free passage of the tool.

A homemade guide is made from a finished tool of a different profile, which has a low cost. We buy a long aluminum rule (emphasis on and) for plaster or screed.

Its cost is 3-4 hundred rubles. The tool is a profile of a complex shape with a smooth groove on the reverse side for adjusting the position of the handles. Clamping fastening, on hexagonal nuts. Not suitable for our purposes.

As a donor for hidden clamps, you can use screwless quick-release clamps, which also have a reasonable cost. Their main advantage for our design is the removable upper paw.

We delete it. At the same time, you can return the completeness to the tool at any time, and use it for its intended purpose. Instead of paws, we make and fix runners from a piece of fluoroplastic or polypropylene. The main criterion for choosing a material is strength and a low coefficient of friction.

You can process the workpiece with a milling cutter or a hacksaw for metal with a finely toothed blade. In the second case, it will be necessary, as they say, to “finish with a file”.

We adjust the runners to the groove. Sliding should be without sticking, at the same time, a strong backlash is also not needed. There is no need to try especially hard, during operation this node will be fixed.

We fasten the sliders to the top of the clamp tire. The connection must be strong, since during the cut there should not be spontaneous release, this can lead to injury or damage to the workpiece.

We check the performance of the design. The homemade guide ruler is held securely, there are no backlashes.

With this design, you can process flat workpieces of any size, as far as the length of the ruler is enough. In our case, it is 2 meters. Taking into account the margin at the edges for fixing the clamps, the working length is 1.5 meters. More than enough for most household chores.

If your requests are longer, you can use a 2.5 or 3 meter rule. The most reasonable set is a three-meter ruler. From it you can saw off a piece 50 cm long, and you will have two rulers - for blanks of a large area and narrow boards.

We are doing tests. The cutting line is perfectly even, nothing interferes with the free passage of the circular saw.

And most importantly - the purchased tool is not damaged during the manufacture of the device. Both the clamps and the rule return to their original state at any time and are used for their intended purpose. Labor costs are minimal - in fact, only sliders are made.

Remote guide rail for a circular saw with your own hands

With many advantages, the previous design has a significant drawback. It is necessary to constantly control the lateral pressure of the circular body to the ruler. If the width of the workpiece cut off during cutting is too large, the length of the arms may simply not be enough.

The way out is the use of a carriage on ball bearings. The design is not so budget (at least bearings need to be bought), but its capabilities cover all costs. The principle of operation is visible in the illustration:

A carriage is made of metal plates and a corner. To adjust the width, you can use the wing clamps installed in the movable grooves. A profile of a complex shape is purchased at an aluminum structural materials store. There are many options, the main thing is to provide emphasis with bearings from above and from the side. For example - one of these options.

The profile must provide fastening of the C - shaped clamp inside the tire. You can purchase a ready-made design from a selected pair of carriage and guide.

It all depends on the budget of the event. The sole of the manual circular is firmly attached to the carriage.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary to ensure strict parallelism of the movement of the circular saw along the profile, otherwise the cut will be with a loose cut.

Such a tire, made by hand, allows you to cut large-area workpieces. At the same time, the movement of the saw is light and even, the feed can be carried out both by hand and by a guide bar.

Rail miter box for manual circular

The listed designs are well suited for the leisurely cutting of single surfaces. In the case when it is necessary to quickly and accurately cut a large number of boards, the work will be done slowly. Then the rail miter box is used.

For manufacturing you will need:

• Two metal corners of the same profile and length;
• Flat base (plywood or chipboard at least 15 mm thick);
• Bolts and nuts of the same size, 4 sets.

At a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the workpiece, guide corners are attached. The board must move freely under the rails, and at the same time the saw blade cannot be too high.

We use bolts as studs. It is important to observe the parallelism and placement of the corners on the same plane. The photo clearly illustrates the operation of the device:

For free sliding of the sole of the tool along the guides, you can glue fluoroplastic strips that reduce friction.

But it would be more correct to install wheels - for example, ball bearings. The manufacture is relatively labor intensive, but the system is very efficient and safe. If it is necessary to make cuts at an angle, it is enough to screw two screws into the base, into which the board will rest.

Do you have any questions? Watch the video: do-it-yourself guide rail for a circular saw.