Written by Tony Carrick | Released at 4:00 PM, February 24, 2021

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Using a circular saw, router or jigsaw to make straight cuts is a challenging task. Although cuts with some obstacles may be good for rough carpenters, more precision is required to complete the work. Straight edge clamps are a good solution. Unlike standard fixtures that hold the workpiece in place, straight-edge fixtures provide guidance for cutting.

These handy woodworking tools consist of a 36 to 50 inch long straight extruded aluminum plate with a clamp at each end, allowing users to secure it firmly to wood, plywood, or other materials. Once in place, the straight blade provides guidance for straight-line cutting with various types of power tools. These tools are also versatile, with attachments that allow bevel cuts and clamps to make precise cuts.

This guide details the features that make straight-edge fixtures a useful woodworking assistant, and provides some of the best straight-edge fixture options for home workshops.

The quality of straight-edge clamps depends on the grip material, length and structural rigidity. Learn more about the important factors to consider when buying straight edge fixtures.

The straight edge clamp is made of extruded aluminum; the extruded aluminum is rigid enough to support the straight edge, and it is durable and can withstand repeated use. This length of aluminum is usually 2 to 3 inches wide so that it is strong enough to resist bending when the pressure of a heavy saw is applied to one side. In order to ensure that the strength of the clamp is sufficient to firmly fix the clamp on the workpiece, the clamp mechanism is usually made of metal and strong plastic. The clamping surface should have a rubber cover that can clamp the material without leaving dents that could damage the material.

To be useful, straight edge clamps should be long enough to serve as a guide for cutting wide boards and large pieces of plywood, because they are too large to pass through a table saw. With this in mind, most edge clips are between 36 and 50 inches in length. Although longer side clamps allow cross-cutting across the entire plywood, the increased length makes them difficult to clamp on smaller pieces of wood, which is more suitable for shorter side clamps. Some edge clamps have 50-inch extensions, which can be added to the clamp to cut longer pieces of wood, such as full 4×8 plywood. The clip with an extension should be wider, preferably 3 inches or more, to prevent bending.

The clamping mechanism fixes the clamp on the top of the material to ensure straight and accurate cutting. The feature of this mechanism is that a non-moving end presses on one side of the material, while a moving end slides against the other end. There is a lever on this end, which can press the clamp surface on the workpiece and lock the clamp firmly on it. If the clamping mechanism is not working properly, it will cause the clamp to move on the material during cutting, resulting in cutting failure. Many straight-edge clamps have rubber feet that can hold the material and form a tight connection without causing damage. The clamping mechanism should clamp tightly to the material without damaging it, and should be able to withstand the large amount of pressure exerted on the straight edge.

Many straight-edged fixtures have rotating heads that allow the fixture to grab material at an angle to create a straight fence for miter circular saw cutting or to allow the fence to be connected to a wooden block that has no parallel edges. Most rotating heads work in the range of 0 to 22.5 degrees. For straight-edge clamps, it is essential to have a powerful clamping mechanism with a rubber chuck, which can firmly clamp the material and make the rotating head work normally.

Most straight-edge fixtures are designed with ease of use in mind. The straight-edge clamp has a clamping mechanism with a large lever, allowing the user to easily screw the clamp onto a large piece of material.

Some clamps include saw boards, which makes it easier and more precise to use straight edge clamps with circular saws, routers, or jigsaws. These boards connect the fence on the saw or router to the jig through the T-slot of the jig. When cutting, the board fixes the saw on the flat edge of the clamp to ensure straight and precise cutting. The clamp also makes the cutting process safer by preventing the blade from slipping out of the material.

The following list considers materials, lengths, clamping mechanisms, and other important features to narrow the field to some of the best straight edge clamps on the market. Any of the following models will help users make straighter cuts.

The wide range of sizes and the wide profile make this set of edge clamps one of the best on the market. The kit is available in lengths of 24 inches, 35 inches, and 50 inches, and can handle narrower boards as well as cross-cutting of whole plywood panels. The width of each aluminum rail is 2.1875 inches, which increases the rigidity to prevent the rail from bending under pressure.

These clips also have an easy-to-use design. Simply put the fixed end on the board, pull down the locking lever and tighten the adjustable end to start cutting. Unlike other clamps that use a single locking position, this model has three positions, allowing the user to select the appropriate pressure to hold the workpiece in place. Convenient standard and metric markings on the guide rail facilitate measurement.

This economical model from Bora has a wide profile and T-shaped track, which can support a variety of attachments for cutting with a circular saw. Although most straight-edged fixtures rely on the user to push the fence of the circular saw towards it as a guide, NGX goes one step further. The grooves on both sides of the fence are engaged with the circular saw rails to lock the saw on the track, thereby realizing precise cutting.

If the clip is not locked to the material, then the fancy guide is not important. Due to the wide clamping surface, this model has a rubber surface to ensure tight slip resistance. The guide can also handle wide boards. It has three sizes of 24 inches, 36 inches and 50 inches. Purchasing an extension cord will add 50 inches to any of these lengths.

With enough length to handle almost any cutting needs and fixtures, making bevel and circular saw cutting easier, this set by Bora is an excellent choice for serious woodworkers. It includes a 50-foot clip and a 50-inch extension, with a maximum total cutting length of 100 inches, which is sufficient for tearing cuts on standard 4×8 plywood. The saw board is installed in the two T-slots of the jig and connected to the circular saw for precision cutting.

It also includes a roll of non-slicing tape to minimize tearing when cutting. Two rotating heads allow for bevel cuts. The clip includes a large handle that can be easily attached to a piece of wood. The rubber ends provide a firm grip without damaging the workpiece.

Larger jobs require a fence that will not bend under pressure. The 3-inch wide extruded aluminum design of the clamp makes it stronger than a clamp that is only 2 inches wide. This means it is unlikely to bend under the pressure of a router or circular saw. The wide clamp can establish a tight connection with the circuit board, and the scale with metric and standard measurement values ​​facilitates accurate measurement when setting the cutting.

This model also includes T-shaped rails on both sides, which can be used with various accessories for circular saw cutting and beveling. The fence is 50 inches long and is ideal for cutting wide boards, such as 4×8 plywood.

If you can't maintain a straight line under the pressure of a heavy circular saw or router, the straight-edged fixture is not worth its price tag. This model from E. Emerson Tool Co. uses extruded aluminum and reinforced tubes and a 2-inch wide profile to keep it rigid during straight cuts. The clamping system includes a large lever that can be securely locked in place, and a 2.5-inch wide jaw can establish a firm connection with the material.

The attachment ridges on both sides run through the entire length of the clamp, enabling it to be used with circular saw boards, planing boards or stoppers. The story stick adds another layer of accuracy. The use of story bars allows users to easily arrange cutting lines on the circular saw before starting to cut, and easy-to-read metric and imperial measurements are printed on the length of the clip for easy measurement.

Although standard straight-edged fences can guide the circular saw well, for truly precise cuts, a track to guide the circular saw is ideal. This model from Kreg has a circular saw guide that can be locked in the saw to prevent it from moving or pulling out of the cut. The result is not only a perfect straight cut, but also a safer way of cutting with a circular saw.

The saw rail is 50 inches long and can handle longer cuts, including cross-cut plywood. With its two-piece construction, the rail can be used as a smaller 25-inch piece for shorter cuts. Starting to cut is usually the most challenging part of using a circular saw. This guide solves this problem by including a starting track, which allows the user to set the cut before the blade hits the wood for greater precision. This model does not have a clip, but uses a non-slip guide bar to hold it in place during cutting, simplifying setup.

The standard straight edge fixture makes it easier to use the router for precise cutting. This fixture can be used in conjunction with Bora's straight-edge fixture to take the accuracy to another level. The clamp is connected to the router board and the two T-shaped rails on the Bora edge clamp to securely hold the router and cutting head in place when performing the cut. This makes standard routers accurate enough to make precise wall skirts, notches, and mortise cuts.

The fixture is made of high-strength plastic, strong enough to withstand repeated use, but smooth enough to prevent damage to the working material. The cutting hole of the fixture is large enough to handle 0.25 inch, 0.375 inch and 0.5 inch milling cutter bits, and its mounting holes make it compatible with almost any milling cutter.

Although straight edge clamps are good tools for making straight cuts, they also have their limitations. Since many straight edge clamps have a maximum length of 50 inches, they are not suitable for longer cuts. Foldable tear guides, such as this model from Dewalt, are an option. It has a long aluminum rail that is connected to the fence of the circular saw and pressed against the outer edge of the board to hold the saw in place to perform straight cuts.

Although the width that it can cut is limited, because the connectable metal arm allows a maximum cutting width of 12 inches, it can cut boards of any length. This tear guide is made of durable aluminum and is only 19 inches long and 3 inches wide when folded, making it easy to store or transport. This model is compatible with Dewalt circular saws.

If you still want to know how straight-edge fixtures work, here are answers to some of the most common questions about these tools.

Straight edge clamps are used in conjunction with circular saws, routers, jig saws, or other electric saws to form straight edges. The fixture is connected to the work material by pulling the fixed end of the fixture toward the workpiece, and then sliding the movable end to the opposite edge of the workpiece. Then use the locking handle to tighten the clamp into place. When cutting, press the saw fence on the straight edge of the clamp to form a straight line.

In addition to allowing users to perform bevel cuts, straight edge clamps with bevel attachments allow the clamps to be connected to boards with non-parallel ends.

Although the extension is convenient and can cut cuts of 100 inches or longer, keep in mind that longer edge clips are easier to bend during the cutting process. The connection between the extension piece and the main piece is a weak area that can be bent. The longer edge clamps should be wider to prevent this bending.

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