Empire 98 in. Cutting Guide

Does a great job

Great cutting guide well built and straight and true. I also have an older version of the same guide but it came with a handle. This one is just as great but it doesn’t have the handle which makes it even better. My skill saw would hit the handle so great modification on this new model

Well, it’s a fairly good product, but as mentioned in other reviews, it has a tendency to flex at the joint. I corrected this problem (and Empire could easily too) by drilling and tapping two additional threaded holes in the connection bar (each about 2″ from the midpoint) as shown in the photo. With those additional screws the two-piece assembly is sufficiently rigid for scribing and/or cutting.

This straight edge had NO, repeat NO instructions as to how to put it together. I didn’t know there even were any screws in the bag with the c-clamps, I almost lost one of them. The item works well however. It’s just very rare to see no instructions at all for us unskilled people.

I purchased a guide similar to this years ago and was searching for one here for doors I am trimming. I didn’t even realize I still had it. Two things. The screws can be a pain and can easily go missing. I purchased a pair of thumb screws (not to long or they will hit the saw casing) which work better. My bar to hold the two pieces together is about a foot long so I don’t have the bowing problem much, but the suggestion to clamp a brace in the middle going to the opposite edge is highly recommended for support. It is straight and true which I find better than making your own or using stock wood. I do wish it was wider though so the clamps don’t get in the way of the saw.

Good for making long rip cuts, just have be careful at the middle of your cut so that you dont flex the guide.

Clamps straight needs another clamp or way to tack middle

This is a great for fast accurate and long straight cuts. The one thing that could be improved is the assembly instructions, it took me a while to figure out how it went together.

Simple to use, seems well made