Straight edge clamps are a needed tool for anybody who does woodworking but doesn’t have a desk noticed. It is crucial for straight traces, dado slots, and other critical cuts, so you will locate it is one of your most-used instruments. It is a easy device, and you may well not feel there is a difference among them, but with the arrival of self-clamping, there can be a substantial difference from one manufacturer to the next.
We’ve selected eight diverse popular brands of straight edge clamps to overview for you to see the variations amongst makes and listen to about our private activities with every. We’ll share with you all of the execs and downsides of every design, and we’ve also included a limited buyer’s guide exactly where we talk about what’s crucial to search for although purchasing for a straight edge clamp.
Join us whilst we get a close appear at the straight edge clamps and examine length, clamping approach, rigidity, profile height, and a lot more to help you make an educated buy.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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E. Emerson C50 Straight-Edge Clamps |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Best Value
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DCT Aluminum Table Saw Guide/Clamps |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Premium Choice
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Bora 100″ WTX Edge Clamps |
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CHECK PRICE |
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DEWALT DWS5100 Dual-Port Folding Rip Guide |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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POWERTEC 71169 48-Inch Universal T-Track |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 8 Best Straight Edge Clamps
1. E. Emerson C50 Straight-Edge Clamps – Best Overall
Emerson C50 Straight-Edge Clamps is our option for the greatest overall straight edge clamp. Itself clamping design and style removes the need to have for C clamps, and its extremely-rigid strengthened aluminum physique stays straight and can deal with the strains of the street. It is added extensive and has a reduced profile to allow for less complicated straight cuts. It is extendable from 27 to 50 inches prolonged and characteristics a 24-inch jaw capability.
The E. Emerson C50 is easily one of our preferred straightedge clamps, and our only problem with it was that it doesn’t routinely clamp at a 90-diploma angle, so you need to have to use a sq. alongside with it when setting up the straight edge.
- Self-clamping design
- Ultra-rigid
- Extra-wide
- Low profile
- Reinforced aluminum body
- 24-inch jaw capacity
- 50-inch length
- Need to use a square
2. DCT Aluminum Table Saw Guide/Clamps – Best Value
The DCT Aluminum Desk Saw Manual/Clamps is our decide for the greatest straight edge clamp for the cash. It is fully adjustable up to a 32-inch length, and it’s self-clamping, so there is no need for further C-clamps. The strengthened aluminum physique is rigid and stays straight whilst you work, and it involves inches and centimeter measurements. Difficult plastic jaws grip the wood to maintain the straight edge in spot.
The only difficulty we had with the DCT Aluminum Desk Observed Manual whilst we had been utilizing it was that the clamping electricity was not very sturdy, and we were afraid the tough-plastic jaws would crack.
- 36-inch length
- Self-clamping
- Reinforced aluminum body
- Includes inches and centimeter measurements
- Hard plastic jaws
- Clamping power isn’t very strong
3. Bora 100″ WTX Edge Clamps – Premium Choice
Bora 100″ WTX Edge Clamps are our quality selection straight edge clams. It is available in twenty five, 36, and 50-inch lengths, and this design arrives with a 50-inch length furthermore 1 50-inch extension. It’s fully adjustable to any dimensions and functions tight locking handles but doesn’t demand C-clamps.
We like that this was one particular of the lengthy straight edge clamps on our checklist but felt it essential a centre clamp to continue being straight. Ours would stray a diploma or two in the center of the one hundred-inch length.
- 100-inch length
- Fully adjustable
- Locking handle
- A little less straight at the 100-inch length
4. DEWALT DWS5100 Dual-Port Folding Rip Guide
The DEWALT DWS5100 Twin-Port Folding Rip Guide offers the consumer with a 12-inch ripping capability on the still left side and a 14½-inch ripping potential on the proper. Laser-etched markings are straightforward to go through even in lower light-weight, and they will not put on off above time like brands that use display screen-printing. It only weighs a little over a single pound and folds to 19 inches long and 3 inches broad.
The DEWALT DWS5100 does a wonderful job of creating scaled-down rip cuts, but the aluminum guide rails the preserve your tool straight are really flimsy and bend simply. Even with excessive treatment, we bent ours after just a couple of projects. The plastic lock nuts to hold the clamps in place are also flimsy and simply stripped.
- 14½-inch length
- Laser marked etchings
- Lightweight
- Flimsy aluminum guide rails
- Plastic lock nuts
5. POWERTEC 71169 48-Inch Universal T-Track
The POWERTEC 71169 forty eight-Inch Universal T-Observe characteristics a forty eight-inch straight edge and includes two locking clamps to preserve it in spot. Every single clamp has weighty rubber clamping pads to avoid detrimental the surface you have been functioning on, and an simple to grip 5-level star nob helps make environment up your straight edge a breeze. The all-aluminum development is durable and will not corrode.
Electricity most significant problem with the POWERTEC 71169 is that it is not quite rigid and bends easily. The clamps are also challenging to use your first few times, and it’s challenging to get them to supply much clamping power. We replaced the screws in our clamps with longer types, which presented much more stability.
- 48-inch universal T track
- Includes two hold-down clamps
- Heavy rubber clamping pads
- Aluminum construction
- Easy to grip five-point star nob
- Not very rigid
- Not much locking strength
- Clamps are difficult to use
6. ProGrip Straight Edge Clamps
ProGrip Straight Edge Clamps are a established of 3 straight edge clamps of distinct measurements. This package gives you with a 24, 36, and 50-inch clamp for all your straight edge woodworking demands. The reduced profile of these resources helps make it simpler to use them with a variety of saws, and the a few-situation lock-down lever lets you get the correct volume of gripping drive for your venture.
We appreciated the flexibility ProGrip gave us with three diverse dimensions straight edge clamps, but all that aluminum tends to get cumbersome and even a small large at far more than ten lbs in complete. One more small problem we discovered is that some of the clamps would not keep the rigidity for extended, and we often essential to readjust them to preserve the straight edge in place.
- One each 24, 36, and 50-inch clamp
- Self-clamping
- Low profile
- Three-position lock lever
- Heavy and bulky
- Doesn’t always hold tension
7. Yost Tools 436606 Cutting Guide
The Yost Tools 436606 Chopping Guidebook is a rigid straight edge clamp that supplies you with an edge 50-inches lengthy. It’s self-clamping and features nylon jaws that preserve the straight edge in location rather of C-clamps.
Although the Yost 436606 is indeed rigid, delicate pads let the saw to flex if pressed in opposition to the rails, top to a reduce which is not quite straight. We also located that the profile was a little bit also high to use with several of our saws. It would trigger the motor to scrape together the ruler avoiding smooth procedure.
- 50 inches long
- Self-clamping
- Nylon jaws
- Rigid
- Flex’s slightly
- High profile
8. Rockler Straight Edge Clamp System
The Rockler Straight Edge Clamp Technique is a two-piece straight edge clamp extending to 104 inches when assembled. It consists of two clamps for attaching it to your venture, and its minimal-profile layout is ideal for use with most power tools.
Regrettably, there are a few critical problems with the Rockler straight edge, and they largely have to do with the presented clamps. The clamps have a extremely slender mouth that doesn’t hold the floor materials quite nicely, and they come to feel extremely flimsy. We located that the tightening nob falls off or the bolts strip right after just a couple of employs on each and every clamp. It appeared they use a weak glue that does not hold the knobs, and even following changing our clamps, the new clamps broke as properly. We experienced to use clamps we experienced around the store to preserve the straightedge in place, and that is when we recognize the two items need a straightedge to line them up accurately. Breaking the two parts down at the stop of a task is also tough and time-consuming.
- 52 to 104-inch length
- Includes two clamps
- Flimsy clamps
- Clamps need a wider mouth
- The two pieces don’t line up
- Time-consuming to break down
Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Straight Edge Clamp
The good news is, there are not a great deal of information to seem for when deciding on a straight edge clamp, but we’ll consider a appear at the crucial elements below.
Clamp Style
Have you read through our evaluations, you may possibly have noticed that there are two principal clamp variations self-clamping and makes that use C-clamps or other clamps to keep the straightedge in place. Self-clamping straight edge equipment are turning into more well-liked because they are much easier to use than the classic C-clamp kind. What the clamp built into the straightedge, it’s simpler to line up more accurately since you really don't need to achieve for and set up a C-clamp, which gives the straightedge lots of time to transfer out of spot.
Most of our critiques are for self-clamping straight edge instruments, but we tried out to mention these that essential one more sort of clamp.
Clamp Strength
If you are not making use of C-clamps to lock your straightedge in spot, the quality of the clamp and strength of the keep becomes a vital portion of the instrument. If your clamps slip although you’re cutting, they can avoid you from making a straight line. Slipping clamps can also allow elements of your solution to come aside, or they can allow the straightedge to slide.
We tried to permit you know in our evaluations about any straight edge clamps that presented weak clamping ability.
Length
The next thing you are going to need to worry oneself with when picking a straight edge clamp is the length. Most straight edge clamps arrive in 24, 36, and fifty-inch lengths, but some can achieve a hundred inches or a lot more. The size you want depends on the greatest size of wood you intend to minimize, but keep in mind that a straight edge produced of multiple items tends to flex. Flexing primarily impacts a hundred-inch straight edges because they are normally two 50-inch parts. Only substantial-quality manufacturers can give steadiness in multi-piece types, and we attempted to point out any makes that permitted flexing to occur in our testimonials.
Low Profile
One more issue you want to look at when picking is straight edge clamp is its profile. If the profile of your straightedge clamp is as well higher, it will stop your saws from transferring together the edge because it will bump into the motor. We advise deciding on a minimal profile design and style no matter what your present wants are and we tried to point out any makes whose profile was also substantial to use a noticed in our testimonials
Adjustability
Some instruments on our record are a set size, but many others permit you to adjust them to any dimension. Typically, the minimal measurement is half the overall length so that a 50-inch straight edge can change from twenty five inches to 50 inches. This kind of straight edge generally continues to be straight during the entire selection of functions.
Yet another way some of the resources on the record modify their dimensions is by connecting two or a lot more items. For instance, combining two fifty-inch straightedge clamps will create a one hundred-inch edge. This approach requires greater-good quality craftsmanship, or there will be flex the place the two items arrive collectively.
Tips for using straight edge clamps
Other clamps we reviewed:
Conclusion
When deciding on a new straight edge clamp, we recommend our choice for the very best general. E. Emerson C50 Straight-Edge Clamps are self-clamping and provide a fifty-inch length. It’s ultra-rigid and won’t bend while you are doing work, and it attributes big 24-inch clamp jaws that can seize and keep any surface. Its reduced-profile layout won’t get in the way of your observed. Our select for the very best value is an additional wonderful decision and is a number of inches smaller than the top option and has challenging plastic clamp enamel, but it retains firm and straight and nevertheless gives you with a 36-inch straight edge. If you need something extreme, the Bora 100″ WTX Edge Clamps is our top quality option that supplies you with a 100-inch straight edge for cutting huge boards and drywall without having making use of a desk observed.
We hope you have enjoyed reading above our evaluations and ended up ready to find a brand that passions you and has the features you require. If you have located our consumers manual helpful and educational remember to share this manual to the best straight edge clamps on Facebook and Twitter.
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