Straightedge Guide Plans

Easy to make from commonly available parts, this guide is rigid and quick to set up. It improves the accuracy of cuts made with a circular saw, router or jigsaw, and its low profile allows the power tool body to pass over it unobstructed.

It’s self clamping with enough holding force to never slip.

In a pinch, it can also be used as a bar clamp for panel glueup assembly, or a reliable fence for your band saw or router table.

As detailed in the plans, the capacity is a full 49-1/2″ (1257MM) for crosscutting full sheets of plywood, but you can make a shorter version as well to conveniently crosscut narrower stock.

Feel free to look through the detailed build article for this project to see if it’s right for you.

The plans consist of:

  • a materials list
  • 6 detailed parts drawings showing all of the dimensions
  • 5 assembly drawings that go through the build process step by step

The plans are easy to follow and all of the dimensions are in both imperial and metric, with the metric dimensions (millimeters) in brackets. Screw sizes and other hardware are in imperial units.

Please read these important notes before buying these plans.