Customer Reviews

Tru-Grip CT50C 50-Inch Clamp-N-Tool Guide

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first saw this tool on television and was intrigued by the variety of ways the host used it. I bought one and it has been one of the best tools I have purchased in a long, long time.

It lines up on the factory edges of boards or plywood and is virtually square with little setup. In fact, it is soo accurate that measuring the accuracy is redundant. I have used this particular model for routing, squaring plywood boards, fences for the drill press and router tables, and even jointing operations.

For those without a tablesaw, this guide is a must. It makes cross cuting operations more tolerable. Also the clampling (or clampless) action allows for easy setup and zero interference with the saw or router.

Additionally, with the smaller versions (24" and 36") or two 50" versions, making dadoes with the router is a breeze. A great solution for an old problem and those of us with shakey hands.

I have, and use, the 50 inch, 36 inch and 24 inch tool guide. The only complaint I have is that they don't have a 96 inch model. It is easy to use, accurate, and light weight without being flimsy. They do everything their adds say they will do and they do them well.

This truly is one of those tools that no shop should be without. It is a straightedge, cutting guide/ fence, clamp . . . I have completed several projects with this tool and think how simple and useful it is each and every time. It is solid and lightweight. It sets up easily, place it on your workpiece, slide the adjustable end to the edge of it and check your dimensions, then flip the lock lever. Thats it, when your done, flip the lever again and lift it off. No C clamps or quick grips in the way, not even the the levers are in the way because they are no wider than the tool itself, so you can cut, mark, rout on either side. I have ripped various sheet goods, scored drywall using this guide and a utility knife, run jig & circular saws and a router, all with excellent results. I have the 24, 36 and 50 inch models, all perform equally well. My only complaint, and it really isnt the tool's fault is that if your workpiece is not prperly supported in the middle, the base plate of whatever tool you are using can ride under the Clamp-N-Tool guide and foil your cut.I generally press down lightly just ahead of the tool to keep it in plane. With a router this is difficult ( dangerous ) to do, so I have ordered the FTR Series with the router plate in the 96" length, I haven't received it yet so no review for now. Hope this review helps you, these guides sure have helped me!

When I use these clamps, I adjust the pressure by how snugly I fit the foot of the clamp. If I have thicker material and want to clamp real tight, I slide the foot up tight against the edge, and then push down the lever. If I want a slightly lighter clamping pressure, then I leave a hair gap offset, before clamping it down.
If I had to get critical of working with these, I would say two things. 1) You have to be working on a relatively flat surface underneath. If you are on two horses, and you have a sheet of plywood, it tends to bow. Then the clamp can not create a flat workedge. Wherever it is low, their is a valley, or a loss of the clamp edge flat on the material. This is to be expected, of course, and is not a problem, if you have a supporting sheet, or a couple of two by's on top of the horses. 2) In order to create a square cut (90 degrees) you need to use a carpentars square to line it up. (As compared to a table saw, with large tables, which is preconfigured to be square.) Be that as it may, you can't beat these for giving you a great tool guide for lots of different purposes. These make a very good, far reaching clamp. It will not creep a setting, if you are using it for an overnight glue up.
Their lightweight, yet strong. If your careful, you can keep your saw tight against the edge. For a heftier version, check out Tru-Grips pro series. They are over 5 inches wide, and have t-tracks, and a special indentation to accomodate their router base, circular saw base, and stop. That creates error free straight lines out on the job. The come in 2, 4, and 8 foot sizes. All of them are a few inches larger than their stated size. For example the 4 foot, will handle workpieces up to 54 inches.
I highly recommend Tru-Grip products, both for their usability, engineering, and quality build.

This is one of the most useful tools in my shop. I use it primarily to cross cut plywood as well as make dadoes with a router. I personally think that using a circular saw cut larger pieces is much easier than using a table saw. The main advantage of the table saw is its fence, but the Clamp-N-Tool guide almost negates that, but it is not quite as convenient as a fence and it does not automatically clamp square to the piece. However, running a circular saw over a sheet of plywood is much easier than feeding it into a table saw (unless you have a helper or a very large table). If you are on a tight budget or have limited shop space, I highly recommend getting one of these and a good 15 amp circular saw instead of a table saw. I also recommend this tool to those who already have table saws and router tables. It will make working with large pieces much easier.

I bought this tool already knowing about the 1/8" slip problem; thought I'd see for myself.

Sure 'nough - it DOES slip. In spite of what a couple have people have said - the third lever-lock position will NOT stop it from drifting (although it helps a bit).

When using a circular saw, the slip doesn't always happen - likely since you aren't putting much pressure on the clamp since the saw blade is moving along parallel to it. However, when you use it with a router - there's a lot more push against the guide - and, believe you me, it WILL slip (found out the hard way).

That said. I STILL like it. Saves time over fiddling with a straight edge and C clamps.

To solve the drift problem, I back up the non-leaver end (which is the only end that slips - the lever end doesn't) with a block of wood and a C clamp which is still speedier, more convenient and accurate in the long run.

If this thing worked perfectly, it would be one of the most useful things I've bought in a while. Speaks for itself that in spite of the problem, I was getting to much use out of it to bother returning it.

The 1/8" of play that several people have complained about is easily solved. It took me a while to find this out, but the locking lever has THREE positions. When the lever is above guide, the clamp is unlocked. When the lever is parallel with the guide, the clamp is locked but the guide can wiggle about 1/8". Some people stop here and think the wiggle is a defect. But the lever has a THIRD position, below the guide. In this position, all the slop is gone. When the guide is new, it is sometimes difficult to get the lever in this third position. You may have to press down on the handle.

The only reason I gave this product 4/5 stars is because I wish Tru-grip would come out with an insert that can ride in the two slots along the edges of this guide.

This clamping tool is quick to set as an edge guide for rough work, but do not buy it for finish work. The clamp has approximately 1/16" to 1/8" of play between itself and the aluminum extrusion. The aluminum extrusion is not stiff enough either. For finish work I will keep my staight edge and clamps until I find a better one of these. This is the only tool I have ever returned to Tool Crib.

This is a great tool. It is solid and well built. I use it as a straight edge for marking as well as for an edge for guiding power tools. The 50" length is perfect for 48" panel products (like plywood).

The amount of time this thing saves is invaluable! Clamps tight, and has three settings for grip. It's a straightforward, non-technically challenging accessory every woodworker should have. I just ordered the 24" unit as well for smaller projects. Works well with a circular and a jig saw. Thank goodness for Amazon, as I have not seen these elsewhere. Great stuff.