Making A Guide Board

[wespaul]

Having read in the Titan 39 plans about making a guide board for use with a circular saw, I am not sure I understand how this makes a guaranteed straight edge. If I am cutting 3 strips to laminate together, and hold tight to the plywood manufacturer's edge when cutting the first strip (and tight to my edge on the succeeding 2 cuts), will that not propagate any deviation from absolutely straight through all 3 boards? Please advise!

Wes

[mloretitsch]

Are you meaning the guide board that's used to align panels at right angles while gluing? Or the saw board that let's you make nice cuts with a circular saw?

My saw board was very simple to make. I used a 48" long piece of 3/4 plywood about 10 inches wide. I used rivets to attach a 48" piece of aluminum stock to on side. Then I ran my circular saw down the board pressing against the aluminum straight edge.

The guide board is several pieces together that help in aligning and clamping panels during construction. For these I just ran different lengths through my table saw set to 3" wide or so. Then i glued 3 pieces together at a time.

The guide board really helps with getting 90 degree angles and providing some clamping area while assembling.

[wespaul]

I am referring to the guide board for making straight cuts with a circular saw. I will use a T-square and geometry to ensure 90 degree angles. Nice move with the aluminum stock - I have nothing I could use for that, though, which is why I am so anxious to ensure a straight cut with my circular saw.

[SoundInMotionDJ]

The "factory edge" on most plywood is generally considered to be "straight enough" for cabinet building.

Oversize the width of bottom piece of the cutting guide. Attach the factory edge to the top. Run the saw along the factory edge, and the cut will be "straight."

When you begin to obsess over things like "straight" and "flat" - be aware that there is no good place to stop.

--Stan Graves

[David Robinson]

I am referring to the guide board for making straight cuts with a circular saw. I will use a T-square and geometry to ensure 90 degree angles. Nice move with the aluminum stock - I have nothing I could use for that, though, which is why I am so anxious to ensure a straight cut with my circular saw.

Bolt a long level to the wood base and run the saw along it.

[wespaul]

When you begin to obsess over things like "straight" and "flat" - be aware that there is no good place to stop.

--Stan Graves

I hear you there. I haven't even cut my first panel, or purchased all the material yet, and I'm already uptight about all the mistakes I'm gonna make.

Gitfiddl, I like the long level idea. I don't have one 39 inches long, but I might be able to borrow one.

[DJPhatman]

Leland sells these, a 98" long aluminum straightedge for pretty cheap. You can also get a similar one at the big box stores. I have 3 of them in various lengths and they work a treat. Line it up with a square, clamp it down, and cut.

[wespaul]

I like it! Thanks you, sir!

[LelandCrooks]

I bolted mine permanently to the plywood, then made the cut. Turns it into a dead square sawboard. Otherwise you have offset for the saw shoe every time. I also took a couple more and made short ones for my router and my jig saw.

[gdougherty]

I bolted mine permanently to the plywood, then made the cut. Turns it into a dead square sawboard. Otherwise you have offset for the saw shoe every time. I also took a couple more and made short ones for my router and my jig saw.

Excellent idea, those basic units are relatively cheap and a pain to reassemble anyway so you might as well leave it long.

[Frankenspeakers]

I bolted mine permanently to the plywood, then made the cut. Turns it into a dead square sawboard. Otherwise you have offset for the saw shoe every time. I also took a couple more and made short ones for my router and my jig saw.

+1