Clamp Guides ...

[AlexW]

I have been looking at clamp guides for routing and circ. saws, at about

50" long. The ones I have seen are

Trend CGS. Dakota (from Rutlands). Axminster ProGrip (seems pretty similar to the Dakota). Axminster Perform.

The trend is most expensive and has accessories available etc (around £45). The Dakota is around half the price and has accessories available. The Axminster is around the same price as the Dakota but no accessories. The Perform clamps are half the price for a pair, no accessories.

Has anyone used any of these or have any other advice on the subject?

Thanks in advance,

Alex.

[david lang]

I have 1 24" one from Silverline Tools which seem identical to the Perform and is almost exactly the same price. As a basic guide rail it does the job very well. I use it mainly for routing dados, for cutting with a circular saw I use a 'sawboard'

which you can make yourself.

If you do, glue the guide ripper along the centre of the base & trim both side to give room for clamps.

Dave

[AlexW]

Cheers for the info. I'll keep an eye out for the silverline ones.

BTW: I have a sawboard for longer cuts with the circ saw. Its made from ply (machined edge to saw plate edge) - works well, and for pennies. I am craving for the smoothness of extruded ali for "middle" length cuts and routing though.

Alex

[Andy Dingley]

Worthless 8-(

[Cicero]

=============== I have these:

're quite satisfactory and half the the price of some others. Don't rely too much on the clamping ability.

Cic.

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[AlexW]

Thanks, the guiding aspect is more important than clamping ability as I have a few bigg-ish 0.3 to 1.2m clamps.

Alex.

[AlexW]

Cheers ... is this based on brand or actual experience with thes clamps. If latter was it clamp or guide (i.e. not straight edged?) aspect that was lacking.

Alex.

[Andy Dingley]

Clamps were unimpressive and the guide was particularly bendy.

In general I've been impressed with the yellow Perform stuff and disappointed in their White hand power tools.

[Andy Hall]

I have several of the Trend ones and they work well.

I use them principally with a hand circular saw or a router. I also have a version that takes UHMW plastic plates into the rail, upon which such tools can be bolted. This works very well.

My only slight criticism is that there are little fibre protectors which protect the work from the clamps. These are free to move on a circular rod underneath the clamp but can be pulled off rather easily. This is not a big issue, but if left on, they can be popped off of the rod and lost if the clamp is caught on something for example. I therefore tend to take them off and pop then in a drawer rather than leaving them on the clamps. OTOH, they are really consumable items and need to be changed easily, so it's difficult to see how else this could be done. However, even though I am something of a perfectionist on things like this, and this would not dissuade me from buying more of these.

[AlexW]

Thanks for the info Andy