Along with the wood and any other supplies needed, you can buy saw horses at most home improvement and tool stores. If you don’t have saw horses, you can use a workbench or another flat surface. Clamp the wood in place before cutting it.
A combination square is a little similar to a circular saw. It has a fence you press to the side of the wood board to keep the ruler straight. Use this tool to create accurate guidelines on long pieces of wood.
The saw’s shoe tab will be opposite of the blade. If you have a right-handed tool, it will be on the left side. For a left-handed tool, it will be on the right. Make sure the saw’s handle side faces you. The saw blade will be on the opposite side, a safe distance from your fingers.
If your fingers are within 3 in (7. 6 cm) of the saw’s blade, such as on very short boards, do not cut this way. The same applies if the board’s edge is rough and splintered. Use a straight edge to avoid injuries.
When you notice the saw moving away from the guideline, stop cutting. Move the saw back to where it first began to stray. Align the blade again, then restart the cut.
You can use a store-bought straight edge to skip making your own. However, the straight edge needs to be at least as long as the cut you plan on making or else it won’t work.
Make use of factory-cut edges on the wood if your board has them. Try to preserve 1 of the long edges. The smoother the edge is, the better your straight edge will be. The other edges can be roughly cut to size.
Place the screws about 12 in (30 cm) along the length of the base board. Make sure they are on the aligned side, not the side where the base extends past the fence board. Choose the smoother edge of the fence board to face the center of the base board. Align the rougher edge with the base board’s edge. This will give you smoother cuts when you eventually use the straight edge.
To get a clean cut, use a sharp carbide-tipped or plywood cutting blade in your saw.
You don’t need to sketch out an entire guideline, but you can if you want to. The straight edge itself serves as the guideline.
Check your saw to determine where the straight edge needs to be. Standard circular saws have their blade on the left side, so the fence board will be to the right of the marks you made. For right-blade saws, the fence board needs to be to the left of the marks.
Maintain pressure on the saw to keep it against the straight edge. If you pull the saw back towards you, you can still end up with a jagged cut.
Make sure the fence is at least the same length as the cut you plan on making.
The stop holds the fence tight against any board you cut. Make it longer than the fence board’s width.
Make the holes about every 3 1⁄2 in (8. 9 cm) along the edge of the fence board. Position the screws about 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) away from the edge. The second hole you drill will be wider than the pilot holes, providing a stable fit for the screws.
Make pencil marks to indicate the beginning and end of the cut. You don’t need to draw an entire guideline. Raise the board with scrap wood as needed to keep the saw from cutting into your work surface.
Hold the jig and board in place to prevent them from moving while you operate the saw.
