Cheers mate. I try to keep the review videos (mostly) concise and without too many shenanigans thrown in... I save those for the regular build content ;)
Kinda happy I forgot to do this comparison for a while after getting the SEG, now I know exactly what I use each for. Thanks again, glad they have been useful 😊
The definitive guide for sure and i recon you will still use these. I often take a hand saw to the Bunnings carpark haha. Only the other day i was eyeing off a plain straight edge at trade tools. I still need something like that because every time i need to cut a big sheet i search for straight bits of wood to use as a guide.
I use all 3. I find the rip cut the best for Carpark cutting usually, as I know the rough dimensions I need things in and it allows repeated cuts quickly. Now a have the table saw though I may l lean more towards the accu cut
The amazon shop does ok! Have you set up your affiliate links? The Australian one doesn't do much for me but the US one earns a reasonable amount, particularly when I do tool-focused videos like this one.
@@FixitFingers I created an Amazon affiliate account when I started, but there were so little traffic the first month they shut me down again. Could be I should try again..
May not suit your quality content 😋 I do a lot of tool review and how to videos that generate a reason for folks to then visit the Amazon links (and the Australian woodworking shop Carbatec who I also have affiliate links for). You should hit up Shaper for a deal 😉
Thank you for all this information! Didn’t know the rip cut sled could be thrown onto the accu cut. I’ve got the rip cut and now think the accu cut will be very beneficial for me
Cheers Wayne! While I like these guys I do recommend if you are brand new to make the free version as a nice beginners project. I have another video on '5 Jigs for beginners' you may like with other free ideas to help get you started 👶
No, the SEG is designed to be much simpler and not use the tray. It's one of the reasons it is a lot cheaper and not quite as accurate. You also don't get the chip-guard protection the Accu-Cut gives, but it is more versatile :)
Hi James. I often chipped off some of the blue strip while making my cut. I find that when I'm making a cut on a shorter board, I'll chip off a lot of the blue strip, making it narrow at the beginning and wider, or often mixes of deep and narrow nicks, making it inaccurate when I make a cut. Can I have your advice on things that I needed to make sure before making a cut based on your experience and is it normal to chip off some of the blue strip over time?
Completely normal mate, it means the chip guard is doing its job. To hold down the edge of the wood fibres, the chip guard needs to be basically touching the blade. After you make the first time cut, you'll have removed 95% of the blue stuff you need to, but through use as your blade wears and with small variations in the sled setup, you'll slowly wear away the chip guard until eventually, it will need to be replaced. I've had mine for a number of years and have not had to yet (but they are not very expensive). This is the same as any tracksaw. Now to get the most life out of them: Be conscious when installing your saw into the sled. The most likely thing that could be happening is each time you screw the saw to the sled, there is a slight change in its position. 1) Ensure the grey placement key is tight and keep the sled (and base of your saw) free of dust so you get the most repeatable setup. 2) Use a constant pressure motion like in this little tip video to minimise track wobble - ua-cam.com/video/-vMtqL8v3sM/v-deo.html 3) Always cut on the waste side of your marks, so if there is a little deflection anywhere you don't damage your workpiece. 4) If you've 'sniped' the leading edge of the chip guard you will have permanently lost a bit of accuracy as it will be thinner than the far edge and when you line up to your marks you'll be on an angle. Make 3 or 4 little marks along the length instead of just 1 at end end of the cut will help compensate for this, or, just flip the track around to use the fresh edge on the other side! (If you have 2 track pieces, you effectively have 4 possible starting points... use them :D Great question mate, hope that helps! - James
Hahaha I got a video on that got too 😁 I use the rip cut a lot less now I have finally got a table saw but it still comes in handy to break down sheets!
@FixitFingers well, I have a table saw, not sure if they're serious about the rip fence that comes with it or if they have made it as a joke and to motivate people to make their own, so untill then, I'd rather get the rip cut 😅
Nice showing old boy, must admit the Festool Tracksaw is unbelievable but I did get it for nix mate otherwise I’d be Kregging it up as well because they make fantastic DIY Tools 🍻🇦🇺👍
Oh I will have a Fessy Track-saw one day, they look amazing. But definitely not the sort of thing most folks need to splash out on at the start of their workshop journey :D Keep well Dirkus! ... I mean if Chris wants to sell his... let me know :P
I own such a KREG Straight Edge Guide but i use it rarely. One of the reasons for it is that i can't control the position of the tool for squareness with a square. Those movable markers are in the way for the control with a normal square. I am surching now to find a solution to make a square that wil fits on these Straigt Edge.
I use my big framing square with this guy. Trying to remember how I get around the moveable markers... when I am next in the shop I'll pull it out and let you know...
@@FixitFingers Thanks for your answer. I am very curious about your solution because i can't find anything to solve it. And my problem is that squareness is a kind of fetish for me.
Ok, yep tested again this morning. I use a framing square on the left side of the guide after locking it down and tapping. I tagged you in a UA-cam post with photos :D
What timing! I just ordered both the Accu-cut and the Rip-cut saw guide last week unsure I'd made the right decision. Feeling much more comfortable now having seen this. 😃
Ha! I got sent the SEG Kreg, I didn't think I'd use it much as I already had the other 2... But it does come in handy at times. Still, I use the Accu-Cut much more often
In the USA .kreg have a good track saw which is compatable with accucut track, but is only 110 volt. With your affiliation with kreg in Australia, could you push to get 240 volt version for us Aussies. Reviews on track saw are very good and priced attractively for divers. Cheers
You know, I've never notived the ACS was not available here 😅 Kreg have been pretty good on making metric versions of their gear, but switching motors might be a bridge too far ;)
Can't say I've tried it, but most likely it will. Kreg should have a list on their website, but I'd be very surprised if that very popular saw didn't work.
@@FixitFingers - Thank you. I went to the Kreg website and I found this question and answer: Q: Will this work with the ryobi 5 1/2 in saw? If yes will it be able to cut through 3/4 in plywood? A: No, you will need at least a 6.5" blade Saw to work with the Rip-Cut.
Cheers Vipun, they are both handy things to have, especially the accu-cut for breaking down sheets. Though the SEG does save a lot of dollars for the budget minded
That is what I have found. Made another set last weekend with them, we even had the jobsite table saw with us, but due to the size of the sheets used the accu cut and rip cut for most of the work!
Hey James love your work mate and i follow your channel religiously iv been tossing up investing in some sort of budget home diy strait cut solution iv been looking at the accu cut by kreg that u recommend love the kreg tools have a few but iv also been looking at the ozito track saw it has some mixed reviews i was wandering actually hopping you could do a head to head tool review on your great channel one day soon cause there is no such review out there in youtube land it would be very helpful for a lot of people like my self and mate it would make a great video thank you again love your channel .
G'day Rob. Mate, I just might, that is a great idea... especially if Bunnings allows me to return the Ozito saw after I've tested it 🤣 I've just had a read of a lot of the reviews on the Big Green Shed website and they are exactly what I'd expect for an Ozito tool. It'll do the job, but don't expect miracles at the price. As will all things Ozito, my main concern is longevity. Yes, it is a third the price of the makita dedicated tracksaw, but with similar use only last 1/10th as long. However, it is comparable to price in the Accucut, and therein may be a good video, comparing it to a cheap track saw and seeing out of the box which is better value for the occaisonal user. I am super busy with planned content right now, but this idea is going straight on the whiteboard for future videos! ...I'll credit you ;)
@@FixitFingers thanx mate i really appreciate it see 731 woodworks he has done a few he really di a great job and i know yours will be just as great but with a twist of home ;)
I'll be getting the accu cut soon I reckon. Have a job at work that it'll be perfect for and can't justify a track saw. When I first started out it was the bunnings special craftright straight edge that got me through, cheap as chips and a good starter!
www.carbatec.co.nz/product/35473-kreg-accu-cut-guide-metric?aff=4 - This is the one! (the ?aff=4 denotes I sent you and gives me a small kickback.) as long as you enter the site via a link, anything you buy that session qualifies, even if you browse the site first or add other things. Cheers Sam!
I've seen it lots in videos I watch, they have their own home-brand stuff too yeah? Nothing really similar in Australia, our market is much smaller to the 3 bigger tool suppliers who stock the major brands cover off on most things
I have the kreg rip cut, but I have two problems I could use some help with. First, I have a hard time keeping the fence/guide square to the rail. I can take a square to it and get it square, but it just never stays. As a result, all my cuts end up being about 1/8th inch narrower on one side versus the other. Second, when I get to the end of a cut, the front feels unsupported and my saw will wander. Any advice?
G'day Benny. So the blue handle/fence on the rip-cut won't stay square to aluminium? You know what, I don't think I've checked this with a square since I assembled it for the first time 3 or so years ago 😅 *Short Answer:* As long it doesn't flex at the joint, this doesn't actually need to be perfectly square (see next comment). Check your saw is secured tightly in the sled, the bolts that connect the blue fence to the silver rail are tight (thread locker may help) and that you close the grey carriage lock handle securely. Rigidness is your friend. The error is likely related to your second question where once the silver rail arm falls off the end of the workpiece, the cut is difficult to control. I still struggle with this, the last inch or so often gets messed up exiting the cut no matter how much I concentrate. Two solutions: Rip slightly longer bits than you need, then cross-cut the mangled end of the ripped material down to size to get rid of the dodgy last inch or two. The other option is to put a sacrificial supporting board of equal thickness at the end of your cut so the silver rail arm doesn't drop off the end of the workpiece. I hope that helps!
*Long Answer:* Why the rail doesn't need to be perfectly square is actually really interesting from a physics point of view. Here's the thing... being out of square doesn't actually matter, as long as it is _consistantly_ out while in use. This is a little tricky to explain, I may have to do a video for this to make sense but I'll try... The only thing that matters is fence is flat and jig is rigid. The reason is that as long as the above is true (and the edge of wood you are running the guide along is straight) the cutting edge of you saw will always be held _exactly_ the same distance from the fence/guide. A slight angle *does not* mean a variation in cut width as the start of the cut will have the exact same error as the end. A way you can visualise this is to set a bevel gauge at some random pronounced angle, say 75 degrees-ish. Mark two points on the bevel gauge blade representing the front and back of your circ-saw blade when it is in the Rip-Cut. Now pretend the handle of the bevel gauge is your rip cut edge guide and push it along the edge of a piece of wood. You will notice that even at a jaunty angle, the two points you marked travel parallel to the edge *and* to each other. Effectively, the space between the two dots is the kerf of the cut.... any angle off 90 only means this kerf is wider than blade of your saw, and that is not ideal, but the piece of wood either side of the cut should be same width at start and end. So if your rip cut is at 88-92 degrees it will work the saw harder to cut, but the offcut and workpiece _should_ still have parallel edge if they original was parallel. If they don't the original was off square and/or it is user technique. As you mentioned the hardest part of using the ripcut is exiting the cut, this is where most of the error creeps in when I work. Keep in mind also this error will compound *every* cut. So if you start with a square board, and your first cut snipes 1/16" at the end... the second cut snipe will be 1/8" etc. So controlling the exit is worth practising and concentrating on. Eventually, it will become second nature and you'll get acceptable accuracy even over multiple cuts. Keep in mind the ripcut is designed as a break-down tool. It was my tablesaw for a few years, but will not be quite as accurate as one :)
@@FixitFingers Thank you for the response. That makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate the detailed answer. Likely I am going to get an inexpensive table saw to help get more precise cuts and use these tools to break down the material.
I've just got my first table saw after 4 years using cutting jigs, the new SawStop CTS. It's cheap for a SawStop, but not exactly cheap overall 😅 Just watch out that a cheap table saw may be less accurate than the rip cut! 😬😄
I cannot get my accu-cut to work properly because the sled does not stay attached properly to my saw. It always moves a tiny bit after a cut and ends up cutting up those plastic guide strips more and more each time I use it.
First thing I'd check is the locating stop, make sure it is done up nice and tight so the saw returns to the correct position every time. Next would be the little securing screws that bite into the saw, are they grabbing right? There are 100s of different saws out there so if your base does not hold securely with the supplied screws you could try getting longer ones that allow correct pressure. Good luck!
Yeah it's gripping properly. I actually ground down the top of my base so it was flat in the areas the little spikes screw into so it wouldn't move any more. I've cut the middle leg of the sled to provide clearance for the blade guard which was pushing against the sled too. It's great for a cut or two but the sled always seems to move a bit, usually forward and to the right a bit. My guide stop is in the upper left corner and if the base stays up against the guide and the front of the sled, the cut is perfect.
Is the rip cut guide compatible with jig saws or routers? What order of purchase would you suggest if you were going to eventually buy all three? Wich one to purchase first, second & third?
Depends on what you are going to use them for and if you own a table saw. My order was Rip-Cut, Accu-Cut XL, SEG. If you don't have a table saw, that's the way I'd do it again. If you *do* have the heart of the workshop already, you can skip the Rip-Cut as there are not many situations you'll need it. I put the Accu-Cut in front of the SEG as I find I use it much more often and honesetly a straight stick can replace the SEG a lot of the time... but it is nice to have ;) The biggest advantage of the SEG is the price... so if dollars are tight it is a good compromise.
Oh and to answer your earlier question, yes, the SEG sections are about 2 foot long each, so if you get the XL, you have the option of 2,4,6 or 8 feet setups. I use mine as a quick 2 foot reference a lot of the time, it's super handy :D
Oh you could do that, but you'll need to watch the fact the built in clamping blocks don't get in the way. You'll need overhang on both ends of the cut 👍
Another option is that one could not fit a circular saw to the cradle and just ride along the edge of the guide with the edge of the base plate of the circular saw.
@@beticusmagnus8673 Yes I am surprised how often I hear of saws that don't fit the Kreg cradle...but maybe that's just because anyone with one of the few that don't come here looking for answers 😅 The SEG definitely solves that issue
Can do, just a bit harder to control the depth. The only other real disadvantage is you can't bevel cut on the Accu-Cut... but for me that comes up so rarely I've never considered swapping it for a track saw :)
Geez dude! By the time you've bought all that surely you've spent the same money as a track saw and rails, rails are much the muchness these days many saws run on other makes of tracks too.
Nope, not even close. You can get the Accu-cut XL and regular SEG for about AUD$400 combined. These work with my existing cordless Makita circular saw and palm router. The Makita full sheet length track saw kit is almost $1,100, more if you want cordless. Then you'd need the router sled, another $120, so about $1200 total, 3x the price of my setup. Yes, that world be a lovely setup and still half the price of Festool at least, but then you also are corded need to find space to store another power tool 😉
Both of them garbage the accut cut sloppy and moves and not accurate and the straight edge guide its a bad design how it's designed to lock down on the plywood bora straight guide 100% better
I actually really like the locking mechanism for the SEG. Not tried the Bora, how does that one lock down? My Accu-Cut can do a full sheet 8 foot cut at less than 1.5mm (1/16th") accuracy when used with care and you make sure you measure up your marks. As it is a breakdown tool that is more than accurate enough for me. It's no Festool Track Saw... but then it's also a fraction of the cost.
Wow. Total, no-nonsense review that covers everything.
Cheers mate. I try to keep the review videos (mostly) concise and without too many shenanigans thrown in... I save those for the regular build content ;)
Thanks mate. Appreciate the understanding on the benefits and differences between both tracks.
No worries Beven, I find use for both, though I find I use the Accu-cut more often. Still, the SEG is more convenient than a long stick ;)
You have just convinced me to keep ith old school and carefully measure with a straight edge
That is a perfectly good solution Pat! The cheaper straight edge jig (or even a free home made one) work really well for most things.
Thanks for this juxtaposition between these tools. Very helpful.
Cheers Simon, each has its place when you want to upgrade from a straight stick 😊
Excellent video! You provided all of the details needed. Same thing with the Straight edge videos
Kinda happy I forgot to do this comparison for a while after getting the SEG, now I know exactly what I use each for. Thanks again, glad they have been useful 😊
The definitive guide for sure and i recon you will still use these. I often take a hand saw to the Bunnings carpark haha. Only the other day i was eyeing off a plain straight edge at trade tools. I still need something like that because every time i need to cut a big sheet i search for straight bits of wood to use as a guide.
I use all 3. I find the rip cut the best for Carpark cutting usually, as I know the rough dimensions I need things in and it allows repeated cuts quickly. Now a have the table saw though I may l lean more towards the accu cut
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time.
No worries Jenn, these talkie videos are much easier to make than the project based ones 😊
Really nice video! I also dived deep into your Amazon Tool Shop - nice!
The amazon shop does ok! Have you set up your affiliate links? The Australian one doesn't do much for me but the US one earns a reasonable amount, particularly when I do tool-focused videos like this one.
@@FixitFingers I created an Amazon affiliate account when I started, but there were so little traffic the first month they shut me down again. Could be I should try again..
May not suit your quality content 😋 I do a lot of tool review and how to videos that generate a reason for folks to then visit the Amazon links (and the Australian woodworking shop Carbatec who I also have affiliate links for). You should hit up Shaper for a deal 😉
Thank you for all this information! Didn’t know the rip cut sled could be thrown onto the accu cut. I’ve got the rip cut and now think the accu cut will be very beneficial for me
Oh it's seriously the best feature! Being able to jump from one tool to the other in literal seconds is awesome, all with the same circular saw 😃
Nice one James. A good comprehensive comparison between the two. Both have their own places based on the cut we need 👍
Cheers Suj, I find I use both. The Accu-cut more often, but then the SEG is a pretty low investment to have on hand 🙂
I'm a newbie! Thanks for keeping is easy to understand.
Cheers Wayne! While I like these guys I do recommend if you are brand new to make the free version as a nice beginners project. I have another video on '5 Jigs for beginners' you may like with other free ideas to help get you started 👶
Thanks! I'll check them out. @@FixitFingers
Looks like a good system, thanks for the overview!
Kreg really do think about the hobbyist woodworker well with most of their designs.
Great content and well delivered. Thank you very much.
Cheers James, one of my better reviews I think 😊 Glad it was helpful
Thanks for the review! Can the accu cut tray fit on the straight edge guide? I already have a kreg rip cut and it comes with the same tray.
No, the SEG is designed to be much simpler and not use the tray. It's one of the reasons it is a lot cheaper and not quite as accurate. You also don't get the chip-guard protection the Accu-Cut gives, but it is more versatile :)
Hi James. I often chipped off some of the blue strip while making my cut. I find that when I'm making a cut on a shorter board, I'll chip off a lot of the blue strip, making it narrow at the beginning and wider, or often mixes of deep and narrow nicks, making it inaccurate when I make a cut. Can I have your advice on things that I needed to make sure before making a cut based on your experience and is it normal to chip off some of the blue strip over time?
Completely normal mate, it means the chip guard is doing its job. To hold down the edge of the wood fibres, the chip guard needs to be basically touching the blade. After you make the first time cut, you'll have removed 95% of the blue stuff you need to, but through use as your blade wears and with small variations in the sled setup, you'll slowly wear away the chip guard until eventually, it will need to be replaced. I've had mine for a number of years and have not had to yet (but they are not very expensive). This is the same as any tracksaw. Now to get the most life out of them: Be conscious when installing your saw into the sled. The most likely thing that could be happening is each time you screw the saw to the sled, there is a slight change in its position.
1) Ensure the grey placement key is tight and keep the sled (and base of your saw) free of dust so you get the most repeatable setup.
2) Use a constant pressure motion like in this little tip video to minimise track wobble - ua-cam.com/video/-vMtqL8v3sM/v-deo.html
3) Always cut on the waste side of your marks, so if there is a little deflection anywhere you don't damage your workpiece.
4) If you've 'sniped' the leading edge of the chip guard you will have permanently lost a bit of accuracy as it will be thinner than the far edge and when you line up to your marks you'll be on an angle. Make 3 or 4 little marks along the length instead of just 1 at end end of the cut will help compensate for this, or, just flip the track around to use the fresh edge on the other side! (If you have 2 track pieces, you effectively have 4 possible starting points... use them :D
Great question mate, hope that helps! - James
@@FixitFingers Thanks for the advices!
@@fazwanalif good luck!
Thank you, very informative, I haven't opened the accu cut yet, but I know I want the rip cut now 😅
Hahaha I got a video on that got too 😁 I use the rip cut a lot less now I have finally got a table saw but it still comes in handy to break down sheets!
@FixitFingers well, I have a table saw, not sure if they're serious about the rip fence that comes with it or if they have made it as a joke and to motivate people to make their own, so untill then, I'd rather get the rip cut 😅
Hahaha 🤣
Nice showing old boy, must admit the Festool Tracksaw is unbelievable but I did get it for nix mate otherwise I’d be Kregging it up as well because they make fantastic DIY Tools 🍻🇦🇺👍
Oh I will have a Fessy Track-saw one day, they look amazing. But definitely not the sort of thing most folks need to splash out on at the start of their workshop journey :D Keep well Dirkus! ... I mean if Chris wants to sell his... let me know :P
show off...lol I can make that to if I had $100,000 worth of tools... lol
I own such a KREG Straight Edge Guide but i use it rarely. One of the reasons for it is that i can't control the position of the tool for squareness with a square. Those movable markers are in the way for the control with a normal square. I am surching now to find a solution to make a square that wil fits on these Straigt Edge.
I use my big framing square with this guy. Trying to remember how I get around the moveable markers... when I am next in the shop I'll pull it out and let you know...
@@FixitFingers
Thanks for your answer.
I am very curious about your solution because i can't find anything to solve it. And my problem is that squareness is a kind of fetish for me.
Ok, yep tested again this morning. I use a framing square on the left side of the guide after locking it down and tapping. I tagged you in a UA-cam post with photos :D
What timing! I just ordered both the Accu-cut and the Rip-cut saw guide last week unsure I'd made the right decision. Feeling much more comfortable now having seen this. 😃
Ha! I got sent the SEG Kreg, I didn't think I'd use it much as I already had the other 2... But it does come in handy at times. Still, I use the Accu-Cut much more often
Opposite problem for me! If I saw this four days ago I’d have bought one!!
Carbatec and Amazon links in the description 😜
In the USA .kreg have a good track saw which is compatable with accucut track, but is only 110 volt. With your affiliation with kreg in Australia, could you push to get 240 volt version for us Aussies. Reviews on track saw are very good and priced attractively for divers. Cheers
You know, I've never notived the ACS was not available here 😅 Kreg have been pretty good on making metric versions of their gear, but switching motors might be a bridge too far ;)
Question - Will the Kreg KMA3700 Accu-Cut work with the small RYOBI 18-Volt Cordless 5.5 inch Circular Saw? Will the small saw fit on the sled?
Can't say I've tried it, but most likely it will. Kreg should have a list on their website, but I'd be very surprised if that very popular saw didn't work.
@@FixitFingers - Thank you. I went to the Kreg website and I found this question and answer: Q: Will this work with the ryobi 5 1/2 in saw? If yes will it be able to cut through 3/4 in plywood?
A: No, you will need at least a 6.5" blade Saw to work with the Rip-Cut.
@@gilbertramirez4294 Oh cool! Good to know for the future if anyone asks :)
great comparison mate, handy jigs when youre in a small workshop or just starting out. Good to know what to get to start out with.
Cheers Vipun, they are both handy things to have, especially the accu-cut for breaking down sheets. Though the SEG does save a lot of dollars for the budget minded
So.. accu cut + rip cut is the best combo for ripping 4x8 and building cabinets?
That is what I have found. Made another set last weekend with them, we even had the jobsite table saw with us, but due to the size of the sheets used the accu cut and rip cut for most of the work!
Hey James love your work mate and i follow your channel religiously iv been tossing up investing in some sort of budget home diy strait cut solution iv been looking at the accu cut by kreg that u recommend love the kreg tools have a few but iv also been looking at the ozito track saw it has some mixed reviews i was wandering actually hopping you could do a head to head tool review on your great channel one day soon cause there is no such review out there in youtube land it would be very helpful for a lot of people like my self and mate it would make a great video thank you again love your channel .
G'day Rob. Mate, I just might, that is a great idea... especially if Bunnings allows me to return the Ozito saw after I've tested it 🤣 I've just had a read of a lot of the reviews on the Big Green Shed website and they are exactly what I'd expect for an Ozito tool. It'll do the job, but don't expect miracles at the price. As will all things Ozito, my main concern is longevity. Yes, it is a third the price of the makita dedicated tracksaw, but with similar use only last 1/10th as long. However, it is comparable to price in the Accucut, and therein may be a good video, comparing it to a cheap track saw and seeing out of the box which is better value for the occaisonal user. I am super busy with planned content right now, but this idea is going straight on the whiteboard for future videos! ...I'll credit you ;)
@@FixitFingers thanx mate i really appreciate it see 731 woodworks he has done a few he really di a great job and i know yours will be just as great but with a twist of home ;)
Great video
Thanks Dennis!
I'll be getting the accu cut soon I reckon. Have a job at work that it'll be perfect for and can't justify a track saw. When I first started out it was the bunnings special craftright straight edge that got me through, cheap as chips and a good starter!
You know where the Carbatec affiliate links are! 🤣 Enjoy it mate, it's not prefect, but a solid tool for the price and such a help in the shop
@@FixitFingers can I use your affiliate link for the nz store?
Hmm, should do, I'll check and send you a link ;)
www.carbatec.co.nz/product/35473-kreg-accu-cut-guide-metric?aff=4 - This is the one! (the ?aff=4 denotes I sent you and gives me a small kickback.) as long as you enter the site via a link, anything you buy that session qualifies, even if you browse the site first or add other things. Cheers Sam!
@@FixitFingers Done, just purchased, looking forward to picking it up :)
Hmm, here in the stems we have a store called Harbor Freight, lots of stuff, cheap
I've seen it lots in videos I watch, they have their own home-brand stuff too yeah? Nothing really similar in Australia, our market is much smaller to the 3 bigger tool suppliers who stock the major brands cover off on most things
I have the kreg rip cut, but I have two problems I could use some help with. First, I have a hard time keeping the fence/guide square to the rail. I can take a square to it and get it square, but it just never stays. As a result, all my cuts end up being about 1/8th inch narrower on one side versus the other. Second, when I get to the end of a cut, the front feels unsupported and my saw will wander. Any advice?
G'day Benny. So the blue handle/fence on the rip-cut won't stay square to aluminium? You know what, I don't think I've checked this with a square since I assembled it for the first time 3 or so years ago 😅 *Short Answer:* As long it doesn't flex at the joint, this doesn't actually need to be perfectly square (see next comment). Check your saw is secured tightly in the sled, the bolts that connect the blue fence to the silver rail are tight (thread locker may help) and that you close the grey carriage lock handle securely. Rigidness is your friend. The error is likely related to your second question where once the silver rail arm falls off the end of the workpiece, the cut is difficult to control. I still struggle with this, the last inch or so often gets messed up exiting the cut no matter how much I concentrate. Two solutions: Rip slightly longer bits than you need, then cross-cut the mangled end of the ripped material down to size to get rid of the dodgy last inch or two. The other option is to put a sacrificial supporting board of equal thickness at the end of your cut so the silver rail arm doesn't drop off the end of the workpiece. I hope that helps!
*Long Answer:* Why the rail doesn't need to be perfectly square is actually really interesting from a physics point of view. Here's the thing... being out of square doesn't actually matter, as long as it is _consistantly_ out while in use.
This is a little tricky to explain, I may have to do a video for this to make sense but I'll try... The only thing that matters is fence is flat and jig is rigid. The reason is that as long as the above is true (and the edge of wood you are running the guide along is straight) the cutting edge of you saw will always be held _exactly_ the same distance from the fence/guide. A slight angle *does not* mean a variation in cut width as the start of the cut will have the exact same error as the end. A way you can visualise this is to set a bevel gauge at some random pronounced angle, say 75 degrees-ish. Mark two points on the bevel gauge blade representing the front and back of your circ-saw blade when it is in the Rip-Cut. Now pretend the handle of the bevel gauge is your rip cut edge guide and push it along the edge of a piece of wood. You will notice that even at a jaunty angle, the two points you marked travel parallel to the edge *and* to each other. Effectively, the space between the two dots is the kerf of the cut.... any angle off 90 only means this kerf is wider than blade of your saw, and that is not ideal, but the piece of wood either side of the cut should be same width at start and end. So if your rip cut is at 88-92 degrees it will work the saw harder to cut, but the offcut and workpiece _should_ still have parallel edge if they original was parallel. If they don't the original was off square and/or it is user technique. As you mentioned the hardest part of using the ripcut is exiting the cut, this is where most of the error creeps in when I work. Keep in mind also this error will compound *every* cut. So if you start with a square board, and your first cut snipes 1/16" at the end... the second cut snipe will be 1/8" etc. So controlling the exit is worth practising and concentrating on. Eventually, it will become second nature and you'll get acceptable accuracy even over multiple cuts. Keep in mind the ripcut is designed as a break-down tool. It was my tablesaw for a few years, but will not be quite as accurate as one :)
@@FixitFingers Thank you for the response. That makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate the detailed answer. Likely I am going to get an inexpensive table saw to help get more precise cuts and use these tools to break down the material.
I've just got my first table saw after 4 years using cutting jigs, the new SawStop CTS. It's cheap for a SawStop, but not exactly cheap overall 😅 Just watch out that a cheap table saw may be less accurate than the rip cut! 😬😄
I cannot get my accu-cut to work properly because the sled does not stay attached properly to my saw. It always moves a tiny bit after a cut and ends up cutting up those plastic guide strips more and more each time I use it.
First thing I'd check is the locating stop, make sure it is done up nice and tight so the saw returns to the correct position every time. Next would be the little securing screws that bite into the saw, are they grabbing right? There are 100s of different saws out there so if your base does not hold securely with the supplied screws you could try getting longer ones that allow correct pressure. Good luck!
Yeah it's gripping properly. I actually ground down the top of my base so it was flat in the areas the little spikes screw into so it wouldn't move any more. I've cut the middle leg of the sled to provide clearance for the blade guard which was pushing against the sled too. It's great for a cut or two but the sled always seems to move a bit, usually forward and to the right a bit. My guide stop is in the upper left corner and if the base stays up against the guide and the front of the sled, the cut is perfect.
Hmmm seems like you've trouble shooted as well as I can! No other ideas sorry :(
Is the rip cut guide compatible with jig saws or routers?
What order of purchase would you suggest if you were going to eventually buy all three? Wich one to purchase first, second & third?
Depends on what you are going to use them for and if you own a table saw. My order was Rip-Cut, Accu-Cut XL, SEG. If you don't have a table saw, that's the way I'd do it again. If you *do* have the heart of the workshop already, you can skip the Rip-Cut as there are not many situations you'll need it. I put the Accu-Cut in front of the SEG as I find I use it much more often and honesetly a straight stick can replace the SEG a lot of the time... but it is nice to have ;) The biggest advantage of the SEG is the price... so if dollars are tight it is a good compromise.
Oh and to answer your earlier question, yes, the SEG sections are about 2 foot long each, so if you get the XL, you have the option of 2,4,6 or 8 feet setups. I use mine as a quick 2 foot reference a lot of the time, it's super handy :D
great video
Cheers mate, glad it was helpful
why can't I clamp the straight edged with clamps for angled cuts
Oh you could do that, but you'll need to watch the fact the built in clamping blocks don't get in the way. You'll need overhang on both ends of the cut 👍
Another option is that one could not fit a circular saw to the cradle and just ride along the edge of the guide with the edge of the base plate of the circular saw.
@@beticusmagnus8673 Yes I am surprised how often I hear of saws that don't fit the Kreg cradle...but maybe that's just because anyone with one of the few that don't come here looking for answers 😅 The SEG definitely solves that issue
Question, which one should you get? Answer: Yes.
Hahaha, for some folks both will be useful. I find I use Accu-cut more but the SEG comes in handy 😊
The accucut duplicates the tracksaw if you just plunge cut with the circular saw
Can do, just a bit harder to control the depth. The only other real disadvantage is you can't bevel cut on the Accu-Cut... but for me that comes up so rarely I've never considered swapping it for a track saw :)
Geez dude! By the time you've bought all that surely you've spent the same money as a track saw and rails, rails are much the muchness these days many saws run on other makes of tracks too.
Nope, not even close. You can get the Accu-cut XL and regular SEG for about AUD$400 combined. These work with my existing cordless Makita circular saw and palm router. The Makita full sheet length track saw kit is almost $1,100, more if you want cordless. Then you'd need the router sled, another $120, so about $1200 total, 3x the price of my setup. Yes, that world be a lovely setup and still half the price of Festool at least, but then you also are corded need to find space to store another power tool 😉
Wish they would stop using all the damn plastic.
I often hear people say this. For what reason Doug?
Both of them garbage the accut cut sloppy and moves and not accurate and the straight edge guide its a bad design how it's designed to lock down on the plywood bora straight guide 100% better
I actually really like the locking mechanism for the SEG. Not tried the Bora, how does that one lock down? My Accu-Cut can do a full sheet 8 foot cut at less than 1.5mm (1/16th") accuracy when used with care and you make sure you measure up your marks. As it is a breakdown tool that is more than accurate enough for me. It's no Festool Track Saw... but then it's also a fraction of the cost.
Love This one!!! Easy video ranking - *Promo sm*!!!
Glad you liked it Lawrence.
Brilliant as a headlight - clear as sparkling water. Horrid product. PLAS-TIC. FLIM-SY. TOO-THICK. Miles Craft. Or DIY.
Well that's a lovely bit of poetic hyperbole to wake up to ;) Cheers