Router Edge Guide: Best Router Edge Guide Reviews
Have you ever wondered how professional carpenters, joiners, and woodworkers managed to produce those impressive pieces of admirable woodwork you see sometimes? It's hard to imagine that they could have done this without some help. If ever you wanted to produce high-quality woodwork like a pro, and you don't have a router table, the router edge guide is your best bet. Imagine being able to consistently cut intricate joints, grooves, dados, and other patterns in your woodwork that only pros could have produced.
Yes, you can:
With the best router edge guide available online, you can make your cuts confidently on any wood knowing that there will be no mistake. No matter what your woodworking competence is – amateur or pro – you will always get great results with the right router edge guide. Not only will you impress your colleagues, you will also produce stunning pieces that you can either sell or show off.
So, what should you consider when making your router edge guide plans?
Things You Must Consider
One of the most important features that any good router edge guide review will point out is the precision of the router edge guides that are available. You can’t go wrong when you carefully compare router edge guides to see which ones are stronger because of the ability to make precise adjustments. Almost every carpenter, joiner, or woodworker look to the best router edge guide for accuracy and precision. Choosing a less accurate instrument will only result in frustration and grief – and wasted wood!
Here are some other considerations:
Material:
The strength of the material from which the router guide is made is a crucial consideration in choosing your routing accessory. After all, you’ll be doing a lot of router work on your router edge guide and the last thing you need is a guide that is made from inferior or flimsy material. Materials like aluminium, steel, and acrylic are used in most of the best router edge guide offerings on the market.
Size and dimension:
It goes without saying that the best router edge guide should be one that fits your router perfectly. Most of the options in this router edge guide review are designed for particular brands of routers. This means that you'll have to take the time to know which router edge guide actually fits your brand of router. If you are not sure, ask for help from your sales rep. The important thing is that whether large or small, your router edge guide must be compatible with your router for the best results.
Versatility:
A useful feature that you should consider is versatility. You'll find that not all router edge guides are created equal. There are those that will come up short and will limit what you can actually do. The freedom you will achieve in cutting dados, dovetail joints, screw-slots, and mortice is made possible using a versatile router edge guide. Also, consider how easy it is to create intricate patterns and cuts along the edge of the wood with the right router edge guide. Bevels, round-overs, tongues, grooves, rabbets, and other profiles are much easier to cut and shape when you have the best router edge guide in your corner.
Safety:
As in all work done using tools, safety remains a vital concern. The best router edge guide options also enable users to work safely when using their routers. The design of router edge guides will allow you to move your router safely and precisely along the work area without harming yourself or others.
The Top 5 Router Edge Guide Reviews
Now that we have gone through the router edge guide basics, are you ready to take a look at some of our recommended guides?
Let’s begin our router edge guide review with the Bosch RA1054 Deluxe Router Guide. This is considered one of the most versatile router edge guides made by Bosch. With the Bosch Deluxe Router Edge Guide, you can create interesting edge-forms. It helps you to guide cuts along the edge or up to eight inches from the edge.
Along with your router guide, you'll also receive an extraction hood and vacuum hose adapter to connect 1-1/4-inch, 1-1/2-inch, and 35mm hoses. In addition, the RA1054 includes a plate that can pivot and be easily adapted into a circle guide to create circles and arcs up to 32 inches wide. So, if you want to prevent yourself making serious cutting mistakes, then you can certainly use this router edge guide. If you're also planning to make the most of what you do with your router, then you'll be better off with one of these router edge guides from Bosch.
While you won't rid yourself of all the dust and wood chips in your workshop you can still rely on it to collect most of the wood chips that you produce while you work. You also won't regret the amount you'll have to spend as this product is reasonably priced to satisfy most budgets.
No doubt, the best router edge guide also comes from the makers of the DeWalt DW6913 Router Edge Guide. This high-performance accessory also comes with a vacuum adaptor and is capable of fine adjustments. You can indeed get accurate cuts with this router edge guide, and at the same time, your work area is kept clean, thanks to the vacuum adaptor. Achieve straight and precise cuts with this easy to use router edge guide.
The adjuster is also easy to use and is not hard to read. Expect precise and fine adjustments to achieve the most intricate of dados, grooves, rabbets, and other cuts that you wish to make using any wood you desire. The dust port is a convenient feature which will make your work less dusty and messy. You might have a little difficulty finding the increments on the micro adjuster, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it easier and easier to make those fine adjustments.
Also, you can use the standard 1 1/4 – inch, 1 1/2 –inch and 1 3/8-inch vacuum hoses available in most hardware stores with the router edge guide. So, here you go with another solution from the trusted makers of the DeWalt line of tools. If you use other brands, you’ll need another router edge guide as the DeWalt DW6913 works only with DeWalt routers.
Even if you're not a fan of router edge guides, you will be impressed with the Porter-Cable 42690 router edge guide. This is an accurate and easy to use solution for users of Porter-Cable routers. Specifically, if you own Porter Cable models 100, 690, 691, 693, 891, 892, and 893, this is the router edge guide for you. Built to last, this router accessory is made of aluminium that has been extruded and coated with protective oxide to give it extra thickness and strength.
This router edge guide is also equipped with dual sliding and lockable mounts to make operating it quite easy for users. The items required to mount the Porter-Cable router edge guide are also included in the package. You might, however, find the edge guide a little awkward to use because of its length. Otherwise, it is perfect for doing dados, grooves, and other cuts, even circle patterns, without stress to you or your router.
Another fine feature of this universal router edge guide is the micro adjustments that you are able to make. You’ll be able to make precise adjustments no matter what you are cutting and how close to the edge it is. So, even without a router table, it is possible for you to make accurate cuts to create anything you want with all types of wood using this router edge guide.
Another alternative you may consider is the Hitachi 323342 Straight Guide Assembly which is perfect for the Hitachi KM12SC Router. Rely on this best router edge guide when you use your Hitachi router to make accurate cuts with ease. It will not chip or break although the material appears a little flimsy. The Hitachi Straight Guide Assembly is designed specifically for routing activities that can be done without a router table.
The main difference between the Hitachi and other router edge guides is the quick and easy set-up. The manufacturers of this accessory are convinced that this will satisfy you that they have provided a 30-day warranty on workmanship and materials, no questions asked. You can be assured that everything made by Hitachi is of the highest quality and are long-lasting. This edge guide is no exception to the high standards that you can expect from Hitachi products.
For users of Ryobi routers, this next router guide is the best router edge guide for you. The Ryobi 6090080 Router Edge Guide is suitable for most models of Ryobi routers so if you have other brands of routers you'll have to look elsewhere. But if your router is definitely a Ryobi, expect an enhanced experience working with this router edge guide in your woodworking projects. The Ryobi router edge guide is quite precise and you will be able to make grooved as well as straight cuts along the edge of your workpiece.
You can easily and accurately make any cut using this versatile accessory. It is also built to last so expect to have this router edge guide around for countless woodworking projects. Included in your package are the attachment knobs to secure your guide to the router and to make routing a lot easier. It is available in black. You will not be disappointed with this well made router edge guide.
Final Verdict
Now that you have discovered the convenience and precision of working with router edge guides, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them before. There is no turning back once you have checked a reliable router edge guide review and found the guide that is best for you. With many options to choose from in making your router edge guide plans, we have taken the first step in showing you five of the best options you can consider.
Absolute accuracy and precision are now possible with a well-designed and well-constructed router edge guide. No router work should be frustrating and unproductive ever again with the right router edge guide in your toolkit. Even if you are on a budget you can find a router edge guide that is right for you. So, go with the best router edge guide that is recommended and enjoy the ease and convenience of producing countless high-quality woodwork that you can be proud of and everyone will be impressed with.
What a router edge guide is
Simply put, the router edge guide, which some refer to as a template guide, is a collar that is mounted onto the base of a hand-held router. It is usually made of metal or steel and also comes with a short steel tube that allows the router bit to extend from it. This steel tube is what is guided along the edge of the router guide so that you can cut boards quickly and easily into any shape and size. You may also notice that the edge guide controls the router and the path where it cuts. With this kind of precision, you won't make any mistakes.
In fact, the cut you make using the router edge guide may include part of the edge or, depending on the length of the guide, be further on the board. An attractive feature of router edge guides is the continuous adjustments that you can make and your ability to position it anywhere in the workspace. You're not limited in any way when you use this versatile accessory.
