DIY track saw guide / jig

modern builds: s.02 Ep.20

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I use my circular saw to break down sheet goods like plywood all the time. In the past, I've used MDF off-cuts and scraps as a reference cutting straight edge, but today I'll be creating a track saw guide that could easily adapt and fit any standard circular saw giving you straighter, cleaner cuts... and saving time along the way!

I'm not the first person to make this type of track saw / "door board" jig, but I do think this is the simplest, most efficient design out there. Other jigs use plywood, which I wouldn't recommend as it will have tension within the wood and could come out of square. MDF is incredibly "stable" when it comes to staying straight and expansion / contraction.

The only thing I would do differently is make the base for the tracks out of 1/4" MDF rather than 1/2" material. with my 6 1/2" circular saw I'm able to cut through 3/4" material, but nothing that's much thicker. If you have a 7 1/2" circular saw, I wouldn't bother.

I created a set with only a circular saw and it performed just as well as the track I cut on the table saw. Just be sure to take time setting up your straight edge so that all your cuts are square and symmetrical. I cut the second track I made into a piece about 4' long to crosscut plywood panels and a 2 1/2' piece for breaking down smaller pieces too large for a speed square as the staight edge / guide.