Router is still my name

I’m with Bj on this. Also you lose dept of cut and if you are trying to rip a piece that’s only 2 or 3 inch wide and whatever length, it’s impossible to clamp that wide guide to it.
That includes any system guide that’s wider than the piece.
With a table saw you can run a piece as narrow as 1 inch with care.

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berry

I purchased the EZ Guide Smart System late in the summer for a kitchen make over project. As a Shopsmith owner cutting large sheet goods has always been a challenge. For years I've cut plywood with a stright edge clamped to the stock and a circular saw. (Even getting a full size sheet of stock into my 12' x 13' shop would be a struggle). But I heard lots of good stuff about this system and thought I'd give it a go. I sure solves all the problems about using a simple stright edge. Clamps never get in the way and I don't have to compensate for the distance from the guide to the blade any longer and chip-out is pretty much a thing of the past. But as someone mentioned there are always different ways to 'skin the cat'.

Gilbear

OK, one more thought from a person lacking a table saw (but I'll get one some day when my workshop grows up a little) ... it seems to me that way back when, this started out as a question about cutting large panels out of ply material rather than cutting narrow strips, so ... I make careful, squared-up layout lines on my plywood - always check diagonals - rough cut them to within 1/8" with my old beat-up circular saw and a straight edge guide like what's been discussed - and then use a flush trim spiral bit with a self clamping straight edge (like the Rockler ones) as a guide to get it right on - never had a problem - very accurate ... clamping guide and flush trim bit works well for facing hardwood for panel glue-ups too (I'm jointer deficient as well). I know it's one more step (albeit a quick one) - but it works well for me ... however, if this is actually a thread that's a selling tool for the EZ guide syatem, then just kindly disregard this post!

graywolf

A cheap solution is a drywall square and a couple of c-clamps to hold it in place. Just use the square to mark a square edge, move it over the offset of your circular saw and clamp it in place. Use the clamped square as a guide for the saw. Works as a router guide as well.

If you have a lot of panels to do, one of the solutions mentioned by others is probably the way to go, but for only a few...

old folks

Shane,
Get yourself a Accu rip...
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

Really easy to attach to circular saw and very very easy to use ! Perfect square cuts everytime !

Mike

Another method is to take a piece of 1/4" Masonite (12" x 48") and attach a strip of 1 x 2" x 48" hardwood 5 inches from one edge. Set your router on the narrow side and make a pass and you have an exact cutting guide for your router. On the wider side make the cut with your circular saw and voila! Two precision cutting guides for next to nothing. Or you could go spend a bunch of money for the same result.

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Mike
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Gilbear

Absolutely agree with Mike - I've done the identical thing and use it all the time - couldn't be easier - just line up the edge with your layout line and cut - no adding, subtracting or measuring offsets - word of caution though - for the saw side,if you change blades, you need to make a new guide to be right on - for the router side, it's only good for whatever bit you made it with. Also, if your base has a flat side, always use the same flat edge - if round, unless your bit is perfectly centered, always use the same edge - I put a tape mark on my base so I'll remember.

dan_public

A recent issue of Taunton's Fine Homebuilding (about two back I think) did a review of guide rails. Festool was rated Best Overall. Hartville Tool's "Red-Line Cutting Guide" (http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/10833) was rated Best Value.

I use Festool tools and love them - very high quality, reliable, great dust collection, and work as a system. If I didn't have Festool and wanted a guide rail, I'd jump on the Red Line.

Regards,

Dan.

p.s., I've seen posts on other forums about the EZ system. I evaluated them before choosing Festool. They have a decent system, but their hyper-agressive guerilla marketing tactics turned me off - long winded posts, in-your-face tactics, slamming other products, over-blown claims, etc.