TESTED: Zetsaw guide

Review: John McBratney

A while back I bought the Japanese made Zetsaw ‘best’ hand saw guide for cutting square cross-cuts and 45° mitres. This simple but very clever little device is nothing short of magnificent. It is easy to use, dead accurate on cross-cuts and magic on 45° mitres.

It comprises a short flat 85 x 50 x 25mm aluminium body. The side nearest the user has a height-adjustable plate held by two thumbscrews that extends below the body. This is used to set the device hard against the piece being cut. On the right-hand end of the body there is a bracket that holds two 1.25mm thick steel plates spaced by a special washer that is exactly the same thickness as the (supplied) sawblade.

Also provided is another steel plate, the dimensions of which are 120 x 45mm, again exactly the same thickness as the sawblade.

To make a cut, the workpiece is first marked carefully with a sharp pencil or marking knife. The steel plate is inserted between the endplates (as you will eventually do with the saw) pushed down on to the work and the whole device moved until the steel plate is exactly where you want to make the cut. It can be set on the marked line or against either side, your choice.

The body is then held firmly in position (I use a single piston grip hand clamp with soft jaws), the steel plate is removed, the saw inserted and the cut made. The result is extreme accuracy, a very fine cut and no tear-out. The sawblades are also magnificent.

A 45° adapter is provided which essentially sets the sawblade guide at 45° to the work side. When the cut is made, a perfect 45° angle is obtained. Outstanding accuracy results as long as you take care with the initial set-up and ensure the steel plate is located precisely where you want the cut made.

The hand guide set comes with two sawblades; one is a fine pitch (18tpi), 180mm in length for cross-cuts, and the second is longer at 265mm and 15 tpi with a coarser pitch for rip cuts or larger cross-cuts.

For the money, this is a very worthwhile workshop addition for those who like hand tool work. I have an extensive range of machine tools in my workshop but I still use the Zetsaw for small cuts and those requiring extreme accuracy.

Available from Timbecon, www.timbecon.com.au

John McBratney is a retired telecommunications engineer that now makes furniture for friends and home. He lives in Lancefield, Victoria.