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It's important to get square cuts in wood when building certain projects. Square cuts allow you to create stronger joints and allows you to have your pieces fit together properly so that planter bench you're trying to build is straight and doesn't wobble.

There are a number of different ways that you can make square cuts in dimensional lumber such as 1x6's, 2x4, 2x6's, etc., which vary in price. Most will also allow you to make accurate angled cuts such as 45 degree cuts.

As with any tools, make sure to read, understand and follow all instructions that come with the tools.

Good

Speed Square and Circular Saw

Better

Miter Box

Power Miter Saw

I noticed a lot of links to my plans being posted on Kreg's social media streams and I contacted them to say thanks for being so generous with their links by asking them if the would send me a review sample of their Rip-Cut™. Yeah, twisted logic but as luck would have it they were coming out with a new version and were happy to oblige. I'll be posting a full review later on but I wanted to address a problem I had getting a couple of my saws to work with the Rip-Cut, a cordless circular saw and a worm drive saw, and how I solved it.

The Problem

With a standard sidewinder saw the Rip-Cut worked well but I was hoping to use a couple of my newer saws with it. My Bosch CSW41 Worm Drive Saw and my Milwaukee M18 Fuel 18-Volt Cordless Circular Saw both have narrow shoes (base plates) that don't allow the Base Plate Lock Downs to hold the saw base securely. On the Bosch CSW41 the bevel gauge completely blocks one side where one of the Lock Downs would go. On the Milwaukee Cordless Circular saw I can somewhat get it clamped down but not securely and the back of the saw lifts up off the sled.

Both these saws have magnesium shoes that have a bevel in the front that aids with plunge cuts.  With the Milwaukee M18 the set screw on at least one of the lock downs would be over this bevel and the pressure from the screw over the bevel would make the angle act as a pivot point raising the back of the saw up. Here's how the screws should attach to these types of saws.


If you notice in the picture, the lock down in the back is actually on the edge of the shoe and not the flat part of the base in the middle. If I tightened it down it would put pressure on the part over the bevel. I tried using different combinations of using the 4 available holes for the lock downs. The only one that "worked" was having both lock downs on one side but that didn't give the saw much stability and it would rock a bit side to side on the base.

The Solution

Both my Milwaukee M18 Cordless Circular Saw and Bosch CSW41 Worm Drive Saws come equipped with a slot for a rip guide so I went about making an attachment that would slide into this rip guide slot which I could then bolt it down to the Kreg Rip-Cut Sled Base.

So far it's providing a more stable attachment to the base but the usual disclaimers apply. Know what you're doing and use at your own risk as these modifications were not supplied by either the saw manufacturers or Kreg.

What You'll Need

Components are pretty simple and I was able to pick them all up at a trip to my local Home Depot.  I wound up using longer bolts because I wasn't sure of the exact size needed and used regular nuts instead of wing nuts but the materials list below indicates the more appropriate choices.

Materials

• 1/2 in. 36 in. Plain Steel Flat Bar with 1/8 in. Thick although in hindsight I probably should have bought the aluminum flat bar to avoid any future rust issues. The 1/2" x 1/8" thick was the perfect size for the Milwaukee saw. The Bosch CSW41 accepts a wider rip fence but I was able to get the 1/2" wide flat bar to work.
• #8-32 x 1-1/2 in. Phillips-Slotted Round-Head Machine Screws (6-Pack) 2 per saw
• #8-32 Wing Nut (6 pack) You'll need 2 per saw

Tools

• Drill with 9/64" drill bit
• Hacksaw
• pencil or marker 

Step 1: Cut Flat Bar To Length

The length of the flat bar isn't that critical but it should be at least as long as the width of the Rip-Cut Sled which is 6-1/2". For simplicity I just clamped the flat bar on the sled using the lock downs to mark it before cutting it with a hacksaw. I wound up cutting mine at about 7" to give me some extra room.

Step 2: Mark and Drill First Hole

Lay the flat bar you just cut on the bottom of the sled and mark the location for the first hole. It should lie directly in the middle of the valley between the plastic ribs as indicated by the arrow. I was just eyeballing it which is why I cut the bar a little long.

Step 3: Drill First Hole and Mark Second Location

Drill the first hole and slide one of the bolts into the hole. Place the bar and bolt on the bottom of the sled so the head of the screw is in between the two plastic ribs on one side. #8 screws fit perfectly in this spot which is why I went with them.

With the screw head keeping the bar in place, mark the location for the second hole to be drilled and then drill the hole at your mark.


After you've drilled the hole, make sure you can slide both heads in between the plastic ribs on the bottom of the sled.

Step 4: Place Saw On Sled

Follow the instructions that came with the Rip-Cut as far as positioning the saw on the base. It's important that the blade guide is free to move up and down without any obstruction. Also leave some room on each side for the bolts. Secure the saw with one of the Lock Downs. (With the M18 I was only able to get one screw on the right side.)


Slide the flat bar through the slot for the rip fence so that the holes line up in the center of the ribs and tighten it down making sure that the bar is pressed firmly toward the front of the saw. This is especially important if the bar is narrower than the slot as is the case with my worm drive saw.

Please forgive the angle of the drill in the next photo. I haven't mastered holding a drill in my left hand while trying to take a picture at an awkward angle. Drill a hole through the holes in the bar so that they land in the middle of the ribs, just make sure you hold the drill bit straight up and down. If necessary, just mark the location and drill the holes after you remove the saw if it prevents you from getting the drill straight.


Repeat this process for other saws you might want to use with the Rip Cut.

Step 5: Secure the saw with bolts and Wing Nuts

Slide the bolts in from underneath the sled, making sure the heads of the bolts do not stick out past the ribs of the sled base.

As I mentioned previously, you'll want to use shorter bolts and wing nuts for quick removal but this is what the end product looks like with my Bosch CSW41 Worm Drive Saw on the Kreg Rip-Cut


With the Milwaukee M18 Cordless saw, there's a part of the blade guard that sticks out too much to get the saw far enough to the right to get both bolts on but even just one bolt provides sufficient stability combined with the full force of 1 lock down and partial force from the other.

Now I can use the Kreg Rip-Cut with my two favorite saws and I'll be posting a full review soon with some details on the changes.

Every time I use it I'm blown away by how powerful this little cordless reciprocating saw is. Milwaukee has managed to squeeze a lot of power out of only a 12V Lithium-Ion battery.

Considering Jerome Schnettler and Edware Ristow invented the Sawzall (first reciprocating saw) back in 1952 for Milwaukee, it's no big surprise that Milwaukee would come out with such an innovative new design. Although it has the same shoe , uses the same blades and can be used for the same types of cutting activity as a reciprocating saw, it is a whole new type of tool.

While other cordless reciprocating saws merely tack a battery pack onto the back of a standard looking reciprocating saw, Milwaukee took a different approach with the Hackzall creating a compact reciprocating saw that can be used in a lot more places.

The smaller size of the Hackzall opens up a lot of possibilities. It's easy to carry and use with one hand which makes it great for using in tough to reach spots or when on a ladder. It leaves one hand free to secure the work piece but at the same time there's enough room on the small body to grab it with both hands for greater control.

The variable speed trigger smoothly controls the speed of the blade from between 0 to 3,000 strokes per minute and a bright LED illuminates the cut area. Four red LED's next to the blade lock indicate how much charge is left in the battery. These LED's are activated every time you pull the trigger so you don't forget to check.

A twist lock mechanism provides tool free blade changes of any blades that will fit in a standard reciprocating saw. The blade can also be mounted in reverse. With the blade facing the opposite direction you can get in some tighter spots since the shoe is shorter on the back end.

Overall the tool is built tough and can handle a lot of abuse. I've used it for cutting 2x lumber, some metal pipes, bars and have used it extensively over the summer in the landscape to cut thicker branches that would have taken a long time to do by hand.

I don't know that I'd grab it if I needed to demo a large area (nor would I use any cordless saw for that) but for the occasional cutting job throughout the day it works well. The Hackzall would be a great tool for plumbers, electricians, etc to in their tool bag whenever they need to cut through framing. Great saw for the homeowner that likes to tackle weekend projects but tough enough to withstand daily use too. I've put the M12 batteries through some tough situations and they've held up. Other Li-ion batteries for other tools I've owned haven't done as well through similar use.

If you already own other M12 tools you can purchase the bare Hackzall without a battery or charger. If you don't, you can purchase the Hackzall with battery and charger. If you need more power, a slightly larger 18V Hackzall is available that uses the M18 RedLithium batteries.

Getting accurate, straight cuts on full sheets of plywood or MDF can be an expensive proposition. The best way to do it is with a good, heavy table saw. If you're limited on space you can also use a plunge cut track saw like the Dewalt or Festool but those aren't cheap either. A cheaper option is something like the Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide but it is limited to only 24" cuts. If you already own a circular saw this simple to make zero-clearance circular saw guide will help you make accurate rip and cross cuts in full 4' x 8' sheets of plywood.

Since this circular saw cutting jig gets placed up against the cut line, it makes it much faster than other cutting guides that require you to offset the guide some distance from the line. The design also helps prevent splintering and tear out of the thin plywood veneer. Also see my new post for tips on cutting plywood square with a circular saw.
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