I got this with the saw guide, to make an "affordable track saw".
Works pretty darn well for that purpose, once you get the edge guide
aligned with your saw.
BIG TIP:
The clamp always seemed to be "sticking". Sometimes it would slide easily, but
often it would jam up and stop sliding at all. It took forever to figure out the trick.
Now it slides easily all the time. The trick is this:
* The orange part of the clamp has two little tabs sticking out at the back end.
* I had no idea what they were for, and none of the instructions mentioned them.
* You put the heel of you palm against the back of the gray handle (in the "open"
position), and then pull back on those tabs with your fingers, as though pulling
on a hypodermic needle.
* Voila! The internals of the clamping mechanism (whatever they are) COMPLETELY
disengage, and the clamp slides freely in its track.
Important Notes:
1) In the pictures, the "edge guide" looks like thin tape that could go anywhere.
It's not. It's a nice, thick piece of plastic, with adhesive on one edge so it is ready to
apply, and there is cut-away on the bottom of the clamp to attach it to, so it works well.
2) You NEED the edge guide. If you use the clamp for cutting sheet goods, you darn
well want that edge guide in place. It is the ONLY good way to align the clamp for
cutting. (There are blade-markers on the saw guide, but they're not really useful for
lining up the cut when the saw is on the guide. (If you take the saw off, they may work.
I didn't.)
3) To attach the edge guide, it's best to remove the clamping mechanism. (Easily done
by taking out two screws. The instructions don't say that (they could use improving),
but it's pretty easy to figure out there is no way to attach the edge guide the full
length of the clamp, until you do.
4. The tape on the edge guide doesn't QUITE go to the end. It's maybe 1/4" short, but
there is an inch of extra tape, so do yourself a favor and cut off the end of the guide
where there is no adhesive, before you start applying it to the clamp. That will remove
the slight tendency of the edge to lift up--something I may have to trim off, eventually.
5. Don't bother with the T-Square attachment! Total waste of money, if you're using the
clamp as a track-saw. (For details, see my review of that attachment. It works fine when
it makes a "T", but it has to be in an "L" configuration to work with your saw. And in that
configuration, it fails miserably.)
6. Now that you know you CAN'T depend on the T-Square for alignment, and you MUST have
the edge guide in place, do yourself a favor and mark BOTH sides of the panel you're cutting.
Then put the clamp in place, and cut away. You'll save yourself the half-panel I ruined
before I figured out those steps.
7. But there is still ONE MORE PROBLEM to solve, if your saw is like mine.
The edge guard projects 1/2" beyond the edge of the clamp.
The instructions for mounting the saw to the saw plate don't SAY to put the blade
as close as possible to the edge of the plate, but they should.
What they DO say is to make sure the blade guard is free to move.
That's a darn good idea. BUT...
On my Ryobi saw, "reasonably close" puts the blade 3/4" from the plate.
The blade guard is pretty thick where it is close to the plate, so I can get it
the saw MAYBE 1/8" closer, while still being able to move the guard.
I KNOW I can move it 1/16" of inch closer. And I MAY be able to move it 1/8".
But I NEED it to be a full 1/4" closer, for the edge-guide to be of any use.
In "short" (pun intended), the edge-guide is 1/4" too short for use with my
Ryobi circular saw. Will it work with other saws? Don't know. But I would
check the width of yours. If your blade guard is more than 1/8" from the
edge of the blade, it won't work.
There is a WORKAROUND, though. So check your saw before installing
the plastic strip that comes with the clamp. If it won't be wide enough,
double-sided carpet tape and a strip of linoleum are the perfect size.
Here's the procedure:
a) Get a linoleum remnant from your nearest big box store, along with
double-sided carpet tape.
b) Cut a 2" strip of linoleum the length of your clamp.
c) Put double-sided carpet tape in the groove under the clamp.
d) Turn the clamp right-side-up and use your razor-knife to trim the excess tape.
e) Turn the clamp over again, peel the backing from the tape, and put down the
strip of linoleum, shiny-side pressing into the tape.
f) Find a nice long piece of wood you can cut the end off, and do it.
Voila! You now have a perfectly-trimmed edge guide!
| Manufacturer | Bora |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 544050 |
| Item Weight | 2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 58 x 3 x 2 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 544050 |
| Color | Black White |
| Style | Clamp Edge |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | BORA 50" NGX Clamp Edge |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1 year |
