Rip cuts are often used in woodworking, especially in large projects where a single cut will be needed. The cut is typically parallel with the grain of the wood and is easy to accomplish using a circular saw or other cutting tools.
Most circular saws come with slots to install a rip fence (also called an edge guide). The rip fence is a metal T-shaped bar that slides in and locks down with a thumbscrew.
KregMA2685 Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide
The KregMA2685 Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide is one of the best circular saw guides available for woodworkers. It helps you make rip cuts and crosscuts with great accuracy and precision, and it can be used left or right-handed for extra versatility.
It attaches to your saw quickly and easily, so you can create cuts up to 24" wide for ripping down plywood, MDF, or other large sheets into precise pieces for your projects. It also eliminates the need for marking or chalk lines, so you can rely on it to produce the same cuts every time without error or frustration.
This saw guide makes a quality addition to any circular saw and is a great tool for beginners who need help making rip cuts or crosscuts with precision and control. It can be used left or right-handed, and it comes with a reversible guide arm for ease of use.
To get the most out of your guide, it's important to keep it clean and free of debris. Debris can prevent the blade from aligning perfectly with the workpiece, which could lead to crooked cuts or damaged material. Cleaning your guide before and after each use can help you keep it functioning well for years to come.
While there are many different types of circular saw guides on the market, they all have a common goal: to keep your saw in a straight line as you cut. They can be designed to fit specific kinds of projects, including rip cuts, crosscuts, and bevel cuts.
When you're looking for the right saw guide for your needs, consider a few factors such as how long you plan to make rip cuts or crosscuts and what kind of material you plan to cut. You'll want to choose a saw guide that offers the length you need for your project, and then find a model that is compatible with your circular saw.
The KregMA2685 Rip-Cut is one of the best circular saw guides for beginners who need help making rip cuts with precision and control. It can be used right or left-handed, and it comes with a guide rail for a more accurate cut. It's affordable and easy to assemble, and it will produce straight, repeatable rip cuts for all your projects.
The Best Saw for Ripping Wood
When it comes to making length-wise rip cuts, nothing beats a table saw. Not only are these the most accurate (and safest) cutting method, but they also produce cuts that look like factory edges. While a hand saw, miter saw, or reciprocating saw can do the job, a table saw is by far the best tool for doing so.
If youҲe planning to make a lot of rip cuts, itҳ worth getting a dedicated ripping blade. These blades can save you time and work when it comes to ripping larger quantities of wood. TheyҲe also great for prepping the edges well enough for edge-gluing panels.
Generally, you want a rip-cut saw with teeth per inch (TPI) of between 10 and 12 to cut evenly through large pieces of wood quickly. Those numbers are particularly important when youҲe working with hardwood, because a lower TPI count can reduce your bladeҳ ability to cleanly cut through the material.
In addition, higher TPI counts provide cleaner cuts in thinner materials, but theyҲe less effective at ripping through thicker boards and tend to cause more blowout on the edges. So, if youҲe planning to do a lot of crosscutting and ripping, you may be better off getting a hybrid rip-cut blade with a higher TPI count.
Another option for a general-purpose blade is a combination or all-purpose blade, which typically have alternately beveled teeth (ATB) like a crosscut blade and FT teeth like a rip blade. This type of blade can handle both crosscuts and ripping, and itҳ often the most economical choice for those looking to build an all-in-one blade set.
A track saw is an attachment that can be used with many circular saws. These attachments glide along rails to give straight, precise cuts with minimal effort on the part of the user.
While a track saw is helpful for cutting long sheets of plywood, it can be awkward and challenging to use on smaller sheets. If youҲe not a fan of this type of saw, you can try using a circular saw instead. The best thing about a circular saw is that itҳ usually cheaper and more portable than a track saw.
Kreg Rip-Cut Compatible Saws
If youҲe planning to rip sheet goods, including plywood and MDF, itҳ critical to get perfect cuts every time. This requires a circular saw and a good guide rail to help the saw cut in a straight line.
When choosing a saw guide, itҳ important to consider factors like materials, build quality, length and width, and ease of use. In addition, you need to make sure that the guide works with the type of circular saw you own or plan to purchase.
Luckily, Kreg makes several guides that are compatible with their circular saws. These guides allow you to make accurate rip cuts without the need for marking or measurement, so you can save time and avoid tearing out wood.
The Rip-Cut Circular Saw Edge Guide attaches to most circular saws and easily sets up for straight, repeatable cuts in wood. Itҳ also reversible for left- and right-handers, and it has a built-in scale that makes it easy to lock in your desired cut width.
Itҳ a three-piece system: an Edge Guide with a generous handle slot, a Rail with measurement markings, and a Sled to which the saw attaches. The Sled slides along the rail and clamps securely to make the cut.
This allows you to cut a long piece of plywood or MDF into consistent, accurately sized parts for your project. Plus, you can adjust the cut width with ease to fit different thicknesses of wood.
You can adjust the Rip-Cut quickly to make precise cuts from 25mm up to 610mm wide. Itҳ a great tool for beginners who need to make rip cuts with their circular saw, jigsaw, or trim router.
There are many guides on the market, but the Rip-Cut has a few features that help make it stand out from the crowd. One of them is called the Cursor, which is a small plastic piece that orients the Railҳ measurement markings to the bladeҳ cutline so you can cut at exactly the same spot every time.
The Rip-Cut has a reversible guide arm that works whether you are left- or right-handed, and it comes with two set screws so it can be easily mounted and removed from your saw. In addition, it has a large gray toggle clamp to keep the base plate in place once you have it set up.