Straight Edge Cutting Guides

[wizer]

Hi

As I am ordering from Axminster I thought I would get myself a cutting guide for my Circular Saw. I need it for cutting sheet material. Axminster have about 3 varying brands, am not sure what the main differences are. Can anyone recomend a good cutting guide? I would prolly go for about 1.2/1.5m

Thanks

 

[johnelliott]

Before I went over to Festool, I used to use a Trend clamp guide which I found to be very good. If I was buying another I would get a longer one, maybe about 1.5mtr so as to have more run on/run off on a 1.22mtr cross cut
John

 

[wizer]

Trend Clamp Guide - 1270mm(50") £39.61
Axminster CE51 - Cutting Guide 2.5m £19.74

Anyone used the Axminster guide?

 

[Noel]

I've had a couple of the Perform 1270mm guide clamps for a few years and no problems. They clamp well, don't flex and far better value than the the Trend types. Prehaps Trend have slightly better cam mechs but at twice the price can't see much advantage.

Noel

 

[wizer]

Thanks all... I went for the Perform

 

[andrewm]

I have the Axminster guides. Fine when only using one guide but too much give when two are clamped together to give a perfectly straight cut. I tend to find that I need to support the join with a piece of scrap clamped to the board I am cutting. Will replace the whole lot with a Festool when I can afford it.

I have been looking for a good deal on the Festool and notice that Axminster have the Festool in their Spring Savers flyer. Reduced in price by the princely sum of 90p :-(

Andrew

 

[Chris Knight]

It's a bit late now if you've bought the Perform but don't forget the straight piece of wood glued to MDF which you then cut with the saw so that you have a guide which only has to be placed on your cut line to give you perfect registration. With the Clamp 'n Guide type thing you have to allow for the offset of the saw base.

Before I got my Festool saw, I sometimes needed an ultra straight and clean edge and for this I used the sort of guide I mention except that I used a commercial steel straightedge, screwed to MDF and then my router with a spiral cutter to trim the edge.

 

[Pete W]

Sorry I've just seen this.

I bought a few of the Perform guides and they're fine, but there's a thing to watch for. On my Perform guides, the clamp operates with a sideways motion and it's easy to pull/push your guide out of square when you apply the pressure.

The Trend guides use a vertical clamping mechanism which doesn't have this problem.

Not a deal-breaker but something to be careful about when you use them.

 

[Anonymous]

Axminster do a trend copy or should i say clone cheaper than the trend ones but a little more expensive than the perform ones.

 

[Alf]

Yep, they're like the Rutlands ones. Not great, it has to be said. I think the Perform ones are probably better as an out-and-out straight edge.

Cheers, Alf