Two-Piece Saw Guide

I got tired of trying to store the long circular saw guide that I use to break down sheet goods. So I came up with the guide you see above. There are a couple of great things about this saw guide. First, it breaks apart into two shorter sections. The shorter pieces are easier to store in the shop than a long guide. Second, the construction method makes it a “zero clearance” guide, so you’ll get much cleaner cuts with less tearout. The guide consists of two hardboard baseplates that have fences along the edges. On one section, a hardwood cleat is attached through slots in the fences. The slots allow you to slide the cleat to the workpiece, and tighten it in place. The other section has a fixed cleat. A pair of removable spanning blocks keeps the halves connected when the cleats are removed. To connect the sections, first remove the spanning blocks that hold the track sides together. Next, screw the connector blocks in place. Then, it’s a simple matter of tightening the cleats on your workpiece. A few screws through the connector blocks are all that’s needed to attach the two sections of track. Remove the spanning blocks before use. The combination of a fixed and movable cleat allows the guide to be attached to full or half sheets of material without clamps.