Circular saws are almost complete as they are, because in most cases, you can use them just the way they are, right out of the box without any additional accessories. You can use them for making all the different types of cuts like cross cuts, rip cuts, bevel cuts and even miter cuts.
There’s just one issue though. Using a circular saw freehand can be very inaccurate, unless you have some really steady hand.
That’s why circular saws don’t have lots of accessories like miter saws and table saws. The only few accessories you can get for them are designed to increase their accuracy, and nothing more.
These accessories are simple straight aluminium guides that are design to help you make straight cuts with your circular saw, especially when you’re trying to make long rip cuts.
They are basically additional attachments you can use to convert your standard circular saw into a track saw.
So, in this article, we’ve listed 4 of these important accessories and attachments you can use to get the most accurate of cuts with your circular saw.
Milescraft Universal Circular Saw Guide
I strongly believe this Milescraft universal saw guide is the best accessory out there you can get for your circular saw.
It doesn’t work on worm drive circular saws though. But it does on sidewinders like the one shown above, up to 7-1/4 inch in blade. As long as you have one of those, you’re good to go.
It will turn your simple circular saw into a complete track saw ready to rip long sheets of boards as accurately as any other track saw would do it.
The universal guide is composed of a solid aluminium base that attaches to the bottom of your circular saw, which in turn slides along a 50 inch long aluminium rail to help you produce as accurate a cut as possible.
The guide rail is only 50 inches long, but you can always get additional 50 inch long rails to extend it as long as you want. I think two 50 inch long rails should be more than okay for most types of projects.
Apart from just making sure the cut is as straight as possible, using this universal guide also reduces splintering and chipping of the board edge as you make the cut. That’s because the rail presses down against the edge as you make the cut. Thus, there’s no chance of any splintering or chipping happening while the cut is being made.
Kreg Accu-Cut
The Kreg Accur-cut is another important attachment you can get for your circular saw to help you make ultra accurate rip cuts.
It’s just like the Milescraft universal track I just talked about above. It has a 50 inch track just like the Milescraft, and it has a sled that rides on the track with your saw mounted on it.
Between this and the Milescraft, I’d be honest with you, I can’t really tell which is better. Both delivers exceptional quality results.
Both have 50 inch rails, and both rails can be extended with additional 50 inch rails to increase the cut capacity
And you don’t even have to clamp the rail down, because there are 2 long anti-slip strips under the rails that prevent it from slipping once placed on the board.
The rail also prevents any form of splintering or chipping while you make the cuts.
So, if you ever want to turn your circular saw saw into a track saw capable of making long accurate rip cuts, you can go with any one of these 2 guides I’ve talked about here. You can either go with the Milescraft or the Kreg Accu-cut.
Both are great.
Related: 20 Accessories That Will Upgrade Your Table Saw
Kreg Crosscut Station
As you can tell from the name, the Kreg Crosscut station is an accessory designed specifically for making crosscuts with a circular saw.
It’s a less than $40 alternative to getting a miter saw, because it can do almost everything your miter saw can do, apart from making bevel cuts.
With a 12 inch crosscut capacity, it even has more crosscut capacity than most non-sliding miter saws.
It’s also more lightweight and portable. This will not replace your miter saw totally, but if you’re just carrying out simple DIY projects at home, this and a simple circular saw might just be all you need to conquer all your projects.
Kreg Portable Crosscut Sled
Having talked about the Kreg crosscut station above, I didn’t want to talk about this particular one cross cut sled again. But, I just couldn’t resist talking about it, because it’s the simplest crosscut sled you can use to make accurate 90 and 45 degree cuts with your circular saw.
Those are the only 2 angles you can cut with it though, and you can only cut up to 8 inches wide.
However, the reason I really like it is because it’s very lightweight and very portable. This is something you can just hold in your hand and take it with you wherever you want to go. It weighs almost nothing, and occupies very little space.
