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Kreg Accu-Cut Saw Guide Review
Would be wonderful if the base plate was Aluminum to mount to saws
I've cut plywood and laminates and slatwall, etc. without a table saw for decades. I've made cabinetry and retail store fixtures and on an on. I have found that there are multiple ways that the cut can get messed up:
1. Saw blade run-out. This doesn't affect the straightness of the cut, but makes those ripply saw marks in your edge. A quality saw in good condition exhibits very little run-out.
2. Saw shoe not square. It's hard to get them truly square because blade is small diameter and doesn't give you much to place your square against. Making a cut, then turning one part over and placing the cut edges together will tell you how square you really are. Placing the saw on top of some sort of guide like this can exaggerate out-of-square errors.
3. Wobble. The saw itself must all be tight and stiff. Surprisingly few expensive saws even meet this requirement. It's the first thing I do when looking for a new saw. Wiggle the shoe and see how stiff it is. But another form of wobble comes from what the shoe is resting on. If it slides directly on the board, that's good. If it rests on top of some sort of guide, there is the possibility of wobble.
4. Yaw. This is "directional instability" in nautical jargon. If you are using an edge guide, it can grab and release and cause the saw to sort of jiggly-yaw around and gives a rough edge.
5. Poor measurements. Be more careful. My saws have a blade that is offset 5", exactly, from any fence that the saw is guiding from.
I have two methods for guiding my cuts. I have an 8' shooter board made from 1/4" plywood with a 3/8" aluminum bar screwed onto it. Run the saw along the bar and it cuts the plywood to the exact offset of the saw blade. Now you can align that edge with your mark and you know exactly where the cut will be made. If the edge of the plywood gets messed up, or if you are about to start a new project, just move the aluminum bar over 1/4" and re-cut the board.
I also have an assortment of 2" x 3/8" aluminum bars. What I did is go to the metal store and buy a 20' piece, then I had them cut it to 9', 5', 3', 2', 1' lengths. (You can cut it yourself if your store wants to charge you for it.) I filed the cut corners so nothing protruded and now I have straight edges for just about anything I want to do. And with overhangs to guide the saw at the beginning and end of the cuts. Use the large size Pony spring clamps to hold the fence in position while you are sawing and the results can be excellent.