Why would you want one?
A clamp-on tool guide's essential duty is to provide a straight and convenient edge for guiding your router (to cut shelf dadoes in a bookcase, for example) or circular saw (breaking down sheet goods into manageable sizes). Once you have one in your shop, you'll find many other uses: straightening one edge of a crooked board, or as a quick and easy bandsaw fence. Some models can even be used as bar clamps. For purposes of this article, we'll focus on each model's performance while routing.
Three components; three key performance areas
Clamp-on tool guides typically consist of:
- an extruded aluminum rail
- clamps to secure that rail to the workpiece
- a carriage/subbase assembly (usually optional) that rides the rail with your router or circ saw mounted to it
Our advice: Pay the extra money for the carriage/subbase, if you can, for two reasons. First, the router can't stray from the rail whether by dust buildup or operator error. And, we found the rails deflected less because we pushed only parallel to the rail, not against it.
Here's what to look for in each of these three components:
- A rigid rail. Most of the tested models come with at least one rail capable of working a 48"-wide or -long workpiece. To machine workpieces longer or wider, you must either join another rail onto the end of the first or switch to a longer version of the same guide.
- Convenient clamps. Most of the clamps wrap around the edges of a workpiece, bearing against its bottom. Others use an edge-gripping design that can accommodate virtually any workpiece thickness without adjustment.
- A stay-on-course carriage. Here's where we found the most differences in these guides. Some don't provide or offer a carriage/subbase, another has a sliding carriage arm that travels parallel or 6+" perpendicular to the rail.
Find out which clamp-on tool guide earned Top Tool honors, and learn the results of our testing of the E.Emerson All-In-One, EZ Smart Smart Router System SRS50, Hartville Tool Red Line, Penn State Industries PPS2, Tool Trolley Converter Router Trolley, Tru-Grip Pro Series and Clamp "N Tool Guide, and Woodcraft Pro-Gold Multi-Guide when you pick up the October 2005 issue of WOOD magazine and turn to page 70. Or you can download the review for only $4.95.
For the complete review including performance ratings click here.
Editor's Choice Top Tool: Tru-Grip Pro Series
Top Tool Honorable Mention: EZ Smart
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