DIY GUIDE RAILS PAGE GUIDE Page 2 of 22

Overview: pages 3 - 5

Materials & Tools Checklist: pages 6 - 7

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

Step by Step directions: pages 8-12
®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

Parallel gap spacing set-up detail: pages 13-14

Step down spacing set-up detail: pages 15-16

Cross section graphics: pages 17-19

Rip Capacity / Steel Lengths: page 20-21

Links, social media links and contact info: page 22

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
GENERAL OVERVIEW Page 3 of 22

BASICS

A guide rail is made up of two basic components: 1) a piece of angle iron 2) a piece of rectangu-
lar tubing

Making your own guide rails is composed of making two attachments: 1) attaching the tubing to
the angle iron 2) attaching the angle iron to a table

A simplified overview for making your own guide rail system is composed of these seven steps:
1) buying the steel, 2) prepping the steel 3) making various holes in tubing and angle iron 4) at-
taching tubing to angle iron 5) attaching angle iron to table saw 6) disassembling for priming and
painting 7) reattach guide rail for final placement on table saw

BUYING THE STEEL

You don’t need to be a welder to make your own guide rails, you just need to buy some steel. If
you take your measurements before you buy your steel you can often get the pieces cut to the
exact size you need at your steel supplier. If you have a way to transport and cut the steel, get
full length pieces for a better price.
making-guide-rails-prep

PREPPING THE STEEL

Steel is usually greasy and grimy and often has scale and/or rust when you buy it. There are
two reasons you might want to clean your steel before you begin. 1) If you are going to paint
your steel yourself, you’ll have to clean it before priming, so you might as well do it now. 2. If you
want to your hands and everything you touch to be less grimy throughout your project.

• If you are going to pay to have your guide rail powder coated at the end of your build, and you
don’t mind the extra grease and grime, don’t bother cleaning. The powder coaters will sandblast
before they begin.

• If you are going to paint the steel yourself, the old school way to clean and prep steel is to
use a knotted wire wheel and an angle grinder to knock off scale. This will work, but it’s time
consuming and not easy. If you use the purple 3M Scotchbrite CX-DN deburring discs (4 1/2 in
diameter), as seen in the photos and videos, they clean ten times faster than a knotted wheel.
While they aren’t cheap, they are a great value. Not to mention that knotted wire wheels are
much more dangerous and grabby. They buck the grinder and can jack up your wrists if you
aren’t careful.
GENERAL OVERVIEW (continued) Page 4 of 22

HOLE DRILLING TECHNIQUES

You’ll be using 3 operations for making the holes for your guide rail.
Drilling into the bottom (horizontal portion) of the angle iron that attaches to the tubing.
Drilling and tapping into the bottom of the tubing where it attaches to the angle iron
Drilling and countersinking into the side (vertical portion) of the angle iron where it attaches to
the table saw. (If you don’t have a countersink, hex bolts will work just fine but you parallel spac-
ing will have to be adjusted.)

How many holes you need to drill, tap and countersink depends on the length of your guide rail
set up. Here is a tap drill chart for reference.

ATTACHING THE TUBING TO THE ANGLE IRON

Materials:
To attach the tubing to the angle iron I used 1/4”-20TPI, grade 8, cap head screws, 3/4” long.
NOTE: Hex bolts will work too.

Technique:
Drill and Tap holes using a 1/4” 20TPI tap

Hole spacing:
You first hole will be 1 inch in at both ends of the angle iron. And then equal spacing between
those holes if possible with the spacing not to exceed 10 inches apart. If the spacing doesn’t
add up nicely, add an extra bolt if you have to.

Positioning:
PARALLEL SPACING SET UP: To get the correct position of the tubing to the angle iron you will
use a long bar or blocks for parallel spacers along the length, as well as some blocks to use as
lifts to make sure you are up and away from the corner of the angle iron. The spacing you will
need will depend on whether you countersink or use hex bolts. Either way you need to have a
full 3/4” of clearance spanning the entire length of your tubing.
GENERAL OVERVIEW (continued) Page 5 of 22

ATTACHING THE ANGLE IRON TO THE TABLE SAW

Materials:
To attach the angle iron to the saw I used 5/16” countersunk, grade 8 bolts, 1 1/4” long with wash-
ers, lock washers and nuts. NOTE: Hex bolts would work also, but you will need to adjust your
parallel spacing.

Technique:
Make countersink holes in your angle iron to attach to your table saw and extension table. If you
don’t have a countersink you can hex bolts just as easily.

Hole spacing:
Spacing is not a concern when attaching the angle iron to the table. The more important concern
is finding solid connection points. Some tables may be so narrow that you can only have two bolts
connecting and others may have up to four.

• There many different types of table saws. How your cast iron table was made (cast iron webbing
configuration ) will determine how much access you have to drill and bolt.

Positioning:
STEP-DOWN SPACING SET UP: To get the correct position of the angle iron to the table you will
need two flat, straight, milled boards (36” – 48” in length) four clamps and 2 small spacers. This will
ensure that you get the exact step down measurements as required for all Biesemeyer style guide
rails. Make sure the two small spacing blocks are exactly 13/16th in height so when you clamp in
place your positioning will be perfect.

PRIMING AND PAINTING

Two options: Pay to have your guide rail powder coated or do it yourself using high quality primer
and paint.

FINAL ATTACHMENT OF GUIDE RAIL TO TABLE SAW

After you clean out the paint from your holes you are ready for final attachment. All the work is done
so installation is only 3 more steps.

1. Attach your angle iron to your saw securely, but still a little loose.
2. Attach your tubing to your angle iron, with your parallel spacing set up in place, tight! This is your
final tightening of the tubing to angle iron.
3. Then use your step down spacing set up one last time and make the final micro adjustments to
the angle iron placement. When you get it just right, do you final tightening of the angle iron to the
table. You are done!
MATERIALS AND TOOLS CHECKLIST Page 6 of 22

The materials you’ll need

Angle iron, 3”x3”x1/4” – Length should match the length of your table saw plus extension
table.

NOTE: Many commercial guide rails are made using 3”x2” angle iron, but it’s much nicer
to have a 3 inch ledge for more room and a more secure fit.)

Rectangular tubing, 3” x 2” 11 gauge – Length should be slightly longer than your angle
iron, 6 – 12 inches longer works fine. For example the tubing for my table saw guide rails
is 7 feet long and the angle iron measures 6 feet 4 inches.

NOTE: Many commercial guide rails are made with only 1/16” wall thickness. We like 11
gauge (a fraction under 1/8” or .12 inches) for added rigidity but also because it give you
a better thread connection (thickness) for your tapped holes coming in from the bottom.

Bolts washers, and lock washers – To attach the tubing to the angle iron I used 1/4”
20TPI, grade 8, cap head screws, 3/4” long, each with washer and lock washer.

NOTE: Hex bolts would work just as well. How many you need with depend on your
spacing. For my project I ended up using 9 bolts.

Bolts, washers, lock washers and nuts – To attach the angle iron to the saw I used 5/16”
counter sunk, grade 8, 1.25” long flat head, allen key bolts. You will also need washers,
lock washers and nuts for each.

NOTE: You could also use 1/4” bolts. - How many you need will depend on your table
saw and your access around the cast iron webbing.

High quality primer and paint –Use quality primer and paint if you aren’t sending your
steel out to get powder coated. In my AskWoodMan video series I used Sherman
Williams Kem Kromik Unversal Metal Primer and Sherman Williams Sher-Kem Alkyd
Enamel Paint.

Adhesive backed measuring tape - We sell a high quality Starrett SAE/Metric measuring
tape, left to right, 6 foot with self-adhesive. There is also a short video showing how to
easily apply the tape to the tubing to make sure it’s in perfect position.
 
MATERIALS AND TOOLS CHECKLIST (continued) Page 7 of 22

The tools you’ll need

Drill press

Drill bits - A #7 and a 5/16” – If you don’t have a #7, you can use also use a 13/64” drill
bit. (#7 = .201 inches vs. 13/64” = .203 inches)

1/4” 20TPI tap – I like HSS (high speed steel) vs carbon steel. They cost a little more
but they cut better, they last longer and are much less prone to breaking.

Countersink (U.S.) – I like to use a 3/4” diameter single flute HSS 82 degree
countersink with 1/2” shank.

Tap – For tapping you can use a spring loaded tapping center, tap wrench, manual
hand tapper or even a pair of vise grips.

Measuring and marking tools – Combination square, scribe, punch, rulers, tape
measure, etc...

Angle grinder – This is used for descaling, deburring, cleaning and softening the sharp
edges of the metal. It can also be used for cutting the angle iron and tubing to length
with a cutoff wheel.

Clamps – You’ll need an assortment of clamps for your two crucial spacing and position
set ups. Clamps will hold the angle iron and tubing in proper relation while you mark. (I
think Bessey Rapid action clamps are the best!)

Jigsaw / Hacksaw – For cutting our your miter notch.

Sandpaper / Files – For smoothing and softening the miter notch sharp edges.

Painting Supplies – I use a synthetic nap roller to apply the primer and a foam roller to
apply the enamel.
DIY GUIDE RAIL PROCESS, STEP BY STEP (40 steps total) Page 8 of 22

STEP 1. MEASURE
Take measurements of your table saw and extension table. Angle iron is almost always shorter
than tubing in guide rail design builds. The angle iron is generally cut to the exact length of the
cast iron saw plus the extension table. The rectangular tubing will over hang on each end; up to 6
inches total overhang on short guide rails and up to a foot total on longer guide rails e.g. 7” right
5” left.

NOTE: If you still aren’t sure about your specific guide rail requirements, watch AskWoodMan’s
short video: How To Determine Your Guide Rails Specs.

STEP 2. ACQUIRE STEEL

Get your 3x3x1/4” angle iron  and 3x2” 11 gauge tubing.

NOTE: If you buy full lengths of steel you can often get a much better price. But if you don’t have
a good way to transport long lengths and/or cut your steel, go ahead and let them cut it to your
exact measurements.

If you have your steel and all your tools  (see the checklist)
then you are ready to begin.
STEP 3. CUT STEEL TO LENGTH
If the steel supplier didn’t cut your steel to length, you will need to cut it yourself before you begin.
Common cutting options for steel are a Portaband, angle grinder with cut off wheel, or sawzall
with bimetal blade. Metal cutting chop saws will also work.

STEP 4. CLEAN STEEL

Remove rust and scale with 3M Scotchbrite abrasive disc mounted on an angle grinder.
NOTE: Cleaning the steel needs to be done if you plan on priming and painting yourself. Clean-
ing the steel at the beginning of the project makes the whole fabrication process less dirty and
grimy. If you plan to have the guide rail professionally powder coated, don’t waste your time
cleaning because they will sandblast the steel to bare metal.

STEP 5. EXAMINE TUBING

Examine your tubing in relation to the angle iron. Look for the interior weld bead. You’ll want to
make sure that the weld bead is down and away from where the bolts will be connecting the
angle iron to the tubing. The reason you want the bead on the bottom of the tubing is because
sometimes there will be a slight distortion near the weld and you want the perfectly smooth sur-
face on the top of your tubing guide rail.

There are two important spacing set ups for this project. Parallel Spacing is first described in step
6 and Step Down Spacing first described in step 20.
DIY GUIDE RAIL PROCESS, STEP BY STEP (continued) Page 9 of 22

If you carefully measure, mark and drill your holes, your

project will be a success.
STEP 6.  PARALLEL SPACING SET UP
Get your parallel spacing set up ready. You can use a long 3/4” bar or blocks for parallel spacing
and blocks or dowels will work for lifts. You could have more than 3/4” gap if necessary, but not
less. 3/4” is the absolute minimum spacing you need to have and it but be perfectly parallel.

NOTE: I used a long aluminum bar and old paint brush handles to act as a bar lift. It’s important
to lift the parallel spacer a little bit so that the inside radius of the angle iron does not interfere
with spacer alignment.

STEP 7. MARK BOLT LINE ON BOTH

With your parallel spacer in place, mark the bolt line on one end of the tubing and bottom of the
angle iron. Exact position isn’t critical for this, it doesn’t need to be centered, just pick a location
that looks good and avoid the weld bead. This is your first reference for bolt placement. Each
bolt location will be marked with intersecting lines in step 9 for exact drilling.

STEP 8.  DRAW ANGLE IRON HOLE SPACING LINES

Lay out the hole location along the bolt line on the angle iron using a ruler or tape. Start by
marking lines 1” in from each end. Then equal spacing between the 1” inset lines, not to exceed
10 inches apart. When you are done you’ll have several lines perpendicular to the length of the
angle iron.

NOTE: I mark the interior spacing locations with a scribed V and then come back in and draw a
generous line through the point of the V with my combination square.

STEP 9: MAKE EXACT DRILL MARKS ON ANGLE IRON

Use a combination square and a scribe to mark your exact bolt locations. Make a scribe mark
parallel to the length of the angle iron at each one of your marked drill locations. These inter-
secting lines (cross marks) on angle iron will be center punched for drill location.

STEP 10: DRILL FIRST HOLE SIZE ON ANGLE IRON

Using the drill press, drill these marked locations in the angle iron with a #7 twist drill bit. Drill all
the way through.

NOTE: A 13/64” will also work if a #7 is not available.

STEP 11: CLAMP TUBING TO ANGLE IRON (First time)

Now clamp the tubing to the angle iron with your parallel spacing in place using your four
clamps. This is where you decide the exact tubing overhang you want at either end. Be sure your
3/4” parallel spacer is properly in position with no interference.
DIY GUIDE RAIL PROCESS, STEP BY STEP (continued) Page 10 of 22

STEP 12: DRILL MARKS ON TUBING

Put the #7 drill bit in a hand held drill and use the already drilled holes in the angle iron as your
template. Drill through the holes in the angle iron and mark on the tubing. You don’t need to drill
all the way through the tubing. You are just making drill location marks.

STEP 13: UNCLAMP AND DRILL HOLES IN TUBING

Take the clamps off and take the tubing to the drill press. Drill through the tubing with the #7 drill
bit on the drill marks. This is when you drill all the way through the marked side of the tubing.

STEP 14: TAP HOLES IN TUBING

Now tap these #7 holes in the tubing with a 1/4” 20TPI tap. There are a variety of tools and meth-
ods to drive a tap.

STEP 15: DRILL HOLES IN ANGLE IRON

Drill out the #7 holes in the angle iron to 5/16” on the drill press.

STEP 16: BOLT ANGLE IRON TO TUBING

Attach your angle iron to the tubing with your 1/4” 20TPI bolts. Check that the holes in the angle
iron align to the tapped holes in the tubing.

NOTE: It’s not necessary to have your spacers in place as you already have your drill marks, but I
leave mine.

STEP 17: CHECK SPACING

Now double check your spacing using your 3/4” parallel spacing set up. You should have just
enough play (lateral adjustment) in both directions to comfortably tighten the tubing in position
with the 3/4” spacer in place.

STEP 18: DETERMINE CONNECTION LOCATION

Determine the connection locations on the table saw, bandsaw, or router table for the angle iron.

STEP 19: DRILL HOLES INTO TABLE

Drill connection holes if necessary.

NOTE: You many already have holes in your table that you can use.

STEP 20: CLAMP GUIDE RAIL TO TABLE (First time)

To hang the guide rail accurately in position you’ll need your step-down spacing set up. Two
Milled, flat and straight, stout long boards and two small 13/16” milled spacers. Cantilever the
boards off the edge of the saw or table with clamps to hang the guide rail unit exactly 13/16” be-
low the top of the table.

NOTE: This is the Biesmeyer standard step-down measurement. It must be exact.

DIY GUIDE RAIL PROCESS, STEP BY STEP (continued) Page 11 of 22

STEP 21: MARK HOLE LOCATIONS ON ANGLE IRON FROM TABLE

Use a drill bit the size of the connection holes, and a hand drill, transfer punch or a scribe to
mark these hole locations on the back side of the angle iron.

STEP 22: UNCLAMP AND UNBOLT ALL

Unclamp guide rail from table. Then unbolt the tubing from the angle iron so that you can drill
your holes.

STEP 23: STEP DRILL HOLES IN ANGLE IRON

Take angle iron to the drill press and drill holes in the marked locations to 5/16”. It’s import-
ant to step drill (use two different sized bits). For the first hole drilling you will use a smaller bit
(the same bit you used to make your drill marks). The second bit you use will be to size, 5/16”.
FIRST DRILLING STEP: The angle iron is positioned upside down as you are drilling out the
holes located on the back side. SECOND DRILLING STEP: You will flip the angle iron over be-
cause that’s the side you will be countersinking.

STEP 24:  COUNTERSINK ANGLE IRON

Still at the drill press, you now take an 82 degree 3/4” diameter countersink and countersink the
inside of the angle iron at these 5/16” hole locations to the proper depth (slightly below flush for
the 5/16” flat head grade 8 bolts).

NOTE: I recommend clamping the angle iron while countersinking to stop bit chatter.

STEP 25:  HAND DRILL TABLE HOLES

Drill out connection holes in saw or table to 11/32”.

STEP 26: SLIDE BOLTS IN ANGLE IRON

Put all of your bolts through the holes of the angle iron.

STEP 27: BOLT ANGLE IRON TO SAW

Now connect the angle iron to the saw or table with your 5/16” flat head bolts. You may need
to do additional drilling to the table holes to open them up a bit ( not the angle iron, leave those
holes alone! )

NOTE: This is just a test for alignment so don’t tighten too much when attaching.

STEP 28: BOLT TUBING TO ANGLE IRON

With your angle iron in place, use both of your spacing set ups;  3/4” parallel spacing bar w/lifts
and 13/16” step-down blocks to position your tubing. When you are sure of position, bolt your
tubing in place.

STEP 29: TIGHTEN AND CHECK FIT

Now tighten connection bolts securely through angle iron and table and double check for final
fit.
DIY GUIDE RAIL PROCESS, STEP BY STEP (continued) Page 12 of 22

STEP 30:  MARK MITER CUT OUTS

If fit is correct, mark miter slot cut out location.

STEP 31: UNBOLT EVERYTHING!

Unbolt the angle iron from the table and the tubing from the angle iron.

STEP 32: CUT MITER SLOT

Cut out notch in top of angle iron for miter slot. I drill a perforated pattern with my drill press, then
use the jig saw and a bimetal jig saw blade to complete the notch.

STEP 33: SOFTEN EDGES

Use a file on the edges and then soften with course scrap sandpaper.

STEP 34: CLEAN WITH MINERAL SPIRITS

Clean angle iron and tubing with mineral spirits and a green kitchen Scotchbrite pad. Wipe with
clean rag.

STEP 35: PRIME

Prime with high quality metal primer. I like Sherwin Williams Kem Kromik.

STEP 36: PAINT

Paint with high quality paint. Sherwin Williams has some great bright colors!

STEP 37: CLEAN PAINT FROM THREADS

Use the 1/4” 20 TPI tap in a cordless drill to clean paint from threads.

STEP 38: BOLT ANGLE IRON TO SAW (Not too tight!)

Bolt the angle iron alone to table saw. It needs to be secure but a little loose. You will be making
some micro adjustments in the last step.

STEP 39: BOLT TUBING TO ANGLE IRON - (Tight! - Final attachment.)

Then bolt the tubing to the angle iron, using your parallel spacing set up. (Step-down spacers not
needed yet.) Do your final tightening now! NOTE: Very important to do this step BEFORE final
tightening of the angle iron to the table because you will need to remove your parallel spacing
setup.

STEP 40: FINAL ANGLE IRON PLACEMENT - TIGHT! (Using step down set up)
Get your step down spacing set up in place; Four clamps, two long boards and two small 13/16”
blocks. Position the angle iron and tubing unit into final position using your clamps. When final
position is achieved, do your final tightening of the angle iron to table.

NOTE: Parallel spacing bar is removed at this point so you can easily check the bolts and make
sure they aren’t spinning during tightening.

Congratulations. You are done!

PARALLEL SPACING SET-UP Page 13 of 22

You will need these items:

• 4 clamps (Any clamps will do. The clamps pictured are my Bessey
Rapid Action LC 8’s)
• 1 bar or a few blocks.
• 2 wood spacers to use as lifts

The Parallel Gap Spacing Set-Up:

The key to achieving the correct guide rail spacing for the parallel gap on your
Biesemeyer style fence is to make sure you you have a minimum of 3/4” , perfect-
ly even, the length of the angle iron. I’ve made several guide rails and I like to use
a long aluminum bar for my 3/4” spacer. If you don’t have a 3/4” bar handy, you
can make one out of wood.

You’ll also need spacers to use as lifts. These lift spacers will ensure that the
radius inside corner of the angle iron doesn’t interfere with this crucial spacing
requirement. I used old wooden handles from foam brushes (dowels) for my lifts.

And yes you can have your parallel gap more than 3/4” but I don’t know why you
would want to. I like to have plenty of angle iron under my tubing, and 3/4” is the
perfect spacing. You just need to make sure that you have a FULL 3/4” for the
entire length of the angle iron.

You’ll note in the diy guide rail detailed steps blog post (40 steps in all) that there
are four different times where you will be using your parallel spacing set-up.

STEP 7) To mark the bolt line (no clamping)

STEP 11/12) When you have the angle iron and tubing clamped together and
mark through the holes in the angle iron with #7 drill bit onto the tubing

STEP 16) When you first bolt the tubing to the angle iron for initial alignment (not
attached to table yet)

STEP 38/39) During final installation to the table.

 PARALLEL SPACING SET-UP (continued) Page 14 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
STEP DOWN SPACING SET-UP Page 15 of 22

You will need these items:

4 clamps (Any clamps will do. The clamps pictured are my Bessey Rapid Action
LC 8’s)
2 pieces of stout straight wood. They should be long enough to span the depth
of your table saw and guide rails.
2 wood spacers 13/16” high. I made mine out of Baltic birch plywood scrap.
13/16” X 3/4 X 3” (21mm X 18mm X 75mm)

The Step Down Spacing Set Up:

This simple set up positions the tubing and angle iron in the proper location for
permanent guide rail installation. The 13/16” (21mm) step down spacer is the
exact dimension (as set by Biesemeyer) for installing Biesemeyer style guide rails.
Clamping down these boards with pre-sized spacers holds the heavy angle iron
and tubing securely. This allows you to work hands-free to mark your drill holes
for perfect placement. Place the two boards as far apart as possible, but be sure
to keep them on the cast iron (or granite ,or metal plate) portion of your table, for
stability.

To attach the angle iron to the saw I used 5/16” counter sunk, grade 8 bolts, 1.1/4”
long.

To attach the tubing to the angle iron I used 1/4”-20, grade 8, cap head screws,
3/4” long. NOTE: A hex bolt would work just as well.

Visit the VerySuperCool Tools Flickr album: Guide Rail Installation to see even
more photographs.
 STEP DOWN SPACING SET-UP (continued) Page 16 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 GUIDE RAIL CROSS SECTION OPTION #1 Page 17 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 GUIDE RAIL CROSS SECTION OPTION #2 Page 18 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 GUIDE RAIL CROSS SECTION OPTION #3 Page 19 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 Determining Your Table Saw Rip Capacity and Guide Rail Steel Lengths Page 20 of 22

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 What rip capacity do you recommend? Page 21 of 22

Q: “How do I know how much rip capacity I’ll need for my projects? What do most woodworkers have?”

A: I recommend a 50” rip capacity. Rip capacity is determined by the distance between the table saw blade to the
edge of the extension table, MINUS your fence (aluminum extrusion) width

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

If you shop space allows, I recommend your table saw have a full 50” rip capacity.
®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

If you have a full 50” rip capacity that will allow you to comfortably trim a full 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood to get a clean
starting edge. Often plywood edges are damaged and need to have the edges trimmed before beginning a project. 50”
rip capacity is considered a “commercial” size. Even if you rarely need to rip a large piece, just having that extra room,
extra table space, is always a huge plus in any woodworking shop. You can stack material, keep your tools, it becomes
a “work station”. Not to mention, your table saw becomes more valuable in the resale market. I do all of my cross
cutting with the miter gauge in the right miter track so that all of my material is supported on the right extension table.

Another added benefit of having an extended extension table is that it becomes the perfect location to install a router
lift. Then the VerySuperCool Tools fence can slide down and be the router table fence as well. Combining the router
table into the table saw work station keeps from wasting valuable shop space by having a free standing router table.

Adding a multi-function top (Festool style with 20mm holes) to your extension table is also a great upgrade. It doesn’t
take much extra effort and you’ll never regret have more clamping options.

~ Allan Little

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.
 Upgrade your table saw today - make your own guide rails! Page 22 of 22

Everything you see in these pdf pages can be found on our website, as well as videos on
youtube. A good place to start when visiting our website is the page below:

http://vsctools.com/diy-guide-rails

More Plans Available at www.VerySuperCoolTools.com

We didn’t include a lot of photos on this pdf because we didn’t want you to waste all your
printer ink to print when you can look on line easily.
®
Copyright 2016 ©VerySuperCool Tools

You’ll find many more photos on our blog: vsctools.com/blog and also on our two flickr
accounts: flickr.com/askwoodman and flickr.com/verysupercooltools.

We’d also like to invite you to like our Facebook pages as we share new content frequently and
would like to get to know you if you are a Facebook user.

If you’d rather email us or comment on YouTube, that works too.

Thanks and don’t hesitate to contact me about your guide rail build. Email me at
askwoodman@gmail.com.

Keep in touch,

Allan Little, AskWoodMan

VerySuperCool Tools sells T-square table saw fences for table saws, including sliding table saws, band saws and router tables.
Call 1-512-537-5255 for more information.