Using a circular saw guide is vitally important to make accurate cuts with your circular saw. From making short precise cuts to ripping large sheets of wooden boards a circular saw guide can help you achieve your goals. In this blog post, I am listing the top 4 DIY Circular Saw Guides you will ever need for your workshop.
When I started with woodworking a circular saw was one of the first tools I got for my workshop. However, I soon found out that making long straight cuts and crosscuts or ripping large sheets of plywood freehand is not that easy. And very often the result was not what I was hoping for. Experience is so much needed.
Using a circular saw guide simplifies the process of making long, straight cuts. This tool not only ensures your cuts are precise and accurate but also enhances safety during use. A circular saw can be a little intimidating, especially if you are new to the tool and it is important to feel comfortable using it.
I was looking for a few shop-made circular saw guides for my workshop but the prices are pretty high and for a starting woodworker it can be a decisive expense. While these guides are undoubtedly helpful, they might not be a priority purchase for beginners. I decided to make my own circular saw guides and couldn’t be happier with the result.
Creating your own saw guides not only saves you money for other workshop needs but also offers valuable hands-on projects to enhance your woodworking skills.
Over the years, I have built various circular saw guides. However, these top 4 DIY Circular Saw Guides stand out, equipping you with the tools needed to tackle nearly any woodworking task.
Read below how to build these saw guides, what material you will need, and what is the best way to use them. I have built them and used them all. Read through the article to find out their benefits and how much money and time it takes to create them.
Table of Contents
- What are the most important things when making a DIY Circular Saw Guide?
- DIY Circular Saw Guides
- DIY Circular Saw Guide for Long Straight Cuts (Straight Edge Guide)
- DIY Circular Saw Track for Short Straight Cuts
- DIY Circular Saw Guide for Straight Cuts and Crosscuts
*Safety is your responsibility. Make sure you know what you’re doing and take all necessary safety precautions while working with power tools. Safety comes first!
Circular saws are powerful and you should treat them with respect. Make sure to follow all safety precautions.
What are the most important things when making a DIY Circular Saw Guide?
1. Safety
Safety is definitely the most important thing when building a guide for a circular saw. Every circular saw is different and the build of the saw guide needs to be tailored to the type of circular saw used. A circular saw is a powerful tool, you should treat it respectfully and follow all safety precautions when working with it.
2. Design
Spend some extra time to validate the design of your guide. Think about how you will handle it, how you will use it, and what are the main cuts you will be making with it.
3. Build
The build must be solid. The construction needs to be strong enough to withstand all kinds of different cuts. If using glue is not enough and screws are needed, add them. Adding a sturdy guide rail is a good option. A guide rail typically holds the circular saw in position and prevents it from wobbling or tilting.
4. Saw blade
Use the right circular saw blade for the job. Depending on the type of material and the type of cut you should be using the right blade. A suitable blade will make sure the cuts are clean and will prevent the wood from splintering.
5. Circular Saw
The great thing is that you can use almost any circular saw you have in your workshop. Nevertheless, make sure the saw is safe to use, powerful enough to cut through different materials, and you are using the right saw blades.
What is the difference between a circular saw guide and a track saw guide?
At a glance, both circular saw guides and track saw guides aid in precision cutting, but they differ fundamentally in design and application.
- Design and Construction: A circular saw guide is typically a straight edge or fence that helps guide the saw for accurate cuts. In contrast, a track saw guide is a specific track or rail where the saw fits and slides along.
- Compatibility: While circular saw guides can be used with a standard circular saw, track saw guides are specifically designed for track saws, ensuring a tighter integration and smoother operation.
- Precision & Finish: Track saw guides tend to offer cleaner cuts with fewer chances of blade wander due to their secure fit. Circular saw guides might not provide the same level of precision, especially over longer distances.
RELATED: Track Saw vs. Circular Saw – What is the difference?
Best DIY Circular Saw Guides
| Type of Circular Saw Guide | Time to Build | Difficulty | Cost of Build | Best For |
| Circular Saw Straight Edge Guide | 3-4 Hours | Beginner, Advance | Few tens of dollars | SLong Straight Cuts |
| Cirular Saw Guide Rail | 2-3 Hours | Beginner | Few tens of dollars | Short Straight Cuts |
| Circular Saw Guide and Crossct Jig | 4-6 Hours | Beginner, Advance | Few tens of dollars | Short Straight Cuts |
| Circular Saw Guide with T-Slots | 2-3 Hours | Beginner, Advance | Few tens of dollars | Short Straight Cuts, Adjustable |
Here’s a guide on creating your own DIY circular saw guides. I’ve ranked them based on how frequently I use them in my projects.
In most cases to build the saw guides the only power tool you will need is a circular saw, which you probably already have, but in some specific circumstances, additional tools might be required (trimming router, jigsaw). For more details on each type of circular saw-cutting guide, check out the relevant article.
Best DIY Circular Saw Guides
The saw guide can be used to make both long straight rip cuts and crosscuts. It can be used to cut and break down larger sheets of plywood and can make any degree miter cut.
The circular saw track contains several pre-drilled clamping holes along the board for fixing the guide and material cut to the workbench as well as an anti-slip tape attached to the bottom of the guide that helps when used without being attached to a desk.
This is the most difficult guide to make but definitely worth it. The circular saw is attached to a shoe that slides on the track. The shoe holds the circular saw the entire time straight in position making sure the cuts are always straight and precise.
To build the saw guide you will need a circular saw, a trim router, and a hand drill. Some of the cuts can be made with a jigsaw instead of a circular saw.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood Aluminum L Angle Aluminum flat bar Drill bit - 2mm Forstner bit - 35mm M6 Bolts, M6 Wing Nut Wood screws, File Sandpaper, Anti-slip adhesive tape Double-sided tape |
Several hours (around 3 hours) | Few tens of dollars | Beginner Advanced |
Woodworking jigs that can be used to make the straight edge guide (not a necessity though):
CONCLUSION: This multipurpose circular saw guide will help you make straight cuts, and crosscuts and will let you cut large sheets of plywood. This is my preferred and most used guide.
The saw guide can be used to make short straight and precise cuts.
The circular saw moves on a track and gets support from two aluminum rails on both sides. The rails keep the circular saw straight during the cut and prevent the saw from tilting, resulting in nice perpendicular cuts.
The guide can be used freely or can be clamped down to a workbench for better stability and accuracy. Out of the 3 guides, this is the easiest one to make that requires the least material.
To build the saw track you will need a circular saw and a hand drill or a jigsaw.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood Handle Aluminum guide rails Bolts, Washers, Nuts Double Sided tape Forstner bit |
Few hours (around 2-3 hours) | Few tens of dollars | Beginner |
Woodworking jigs that can be used to make the circular saw track (not a necessity though):
CONCLUSION: I have been using this saw guide for a lot of shop projects. It is easy to build and quick to set up and use due to its size. You don’t need a lot of tools and materials to build it. A perfect guide for quick short straight cuts.
The saw guide can be used to make both straight cuts and 90-degree crosscuts.
The build is solid, and the straight edge guide and the crosscut fence are made of aluminum L angles. The guide can be easily set up and used right away. The crosscut fence on the bottom of the guide makes sure you will be able to cut at 90 degrees.
It can be used freely thanks to the anti-slip tape on the bottom of the guide or can be clamped down to a workbench using predrilled clamping holes.
To build the guide you will need a circular saw and a hand drill or a jigsaw.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood Aluminum L Angle Handle Double Sided Tape Wood Glue Anti-slip adhesive rape |
Several hours (around 5 hours) | Few tens of dollars | Beginner |
Woodworking jigs that can be used to make the circular saw crosscut guide (not a necessity though):
CONCLUSION: A great guide to making both straight cuts and crosscuts. It is really easy to set up and make a cut. This is the best guide for crosscuts, especially if you want to cut wood prisms.
To be able to make precise 90-degree crosscuts you have to ensure during the build, that the crosscut fence is perpendicular to the blade. This is the most crucial part of this build.
Personally, I am not using this guide that much since the majority of the cuts I am able to make with the other ones. It is quite time-consuming to build it and since the circular saw gets support only from one side the resulting cuts are not always perpendicular and sometimes you end up with a beveled edge.
The saw guide is a hybrid of a simple cutting guide and a track saw and can be used to make all sorts of different cuts – straight cuts, crosscuts, and angled cuts.
It has two in-built T-slots that allow you to easily attach it to your workpiece or workbench using clamps. You can use both homemade or standard shop clamps designed for t-slots.
Setting up and using the guide is very simple. Place the edge of the base along the line where you want to make a cut, attach the guide to the workpiece with clamps and you are ready to go.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood HDF Wood Glue T-track Clamps |
2-3 hours | Few tens of dollars | Beginner |
My Experience
In the workshop, these circular saw guides are incredibly useful, allowing you to tackle a wide range of projects. By creating them yourself, not only can you save money, but you can also use the savings for other workshop needs. Personally, I’ve relied on these guides for several years and they’ve consistently performed well.
But if you want to jump directly on building projects check out these top circular saw guides on the market and start right away. If you don’t have a circular saw yet and you’re willing to invest a bit more then I would recommend one of these best track saws.
KEEP READING: 5 DIY Jigsaw Guides for Your Workshop
Must Have DIY Guides for a Circular Saw
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