Customer Reviews

Tru-Grip FT8TS 8 Tru-Grip Pro FTR Series

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Tru Grip Pro FTR series is a first class product. The thing that is very important is that they grip well (you can adjust it) and they are very true and accurate when using the Stop, or Router Guide, or Saw guide. No wobble, no play, just tight, smooth, snag free accuracy.
When you consider the tools they replace, they are also a bargain. With a 4 foot and an 8 foot model, you can cut 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, without having to shell out twenty times the money for a panel cutter. If I was cutting plywood sheets all day long, of course the panel cutter has some setup advantages. For example you don't have to bother to use a square when cutting with a panel cutter. But for portability, and accurate use, the Tru Grip system can't be beat.
The pro series is a lot wider than their regular guide clamps, that is to allow for the mitre T slots on both sides. That way the accessories can ride along those tracks. Their regular guide clamps are great for doing dadoes with a router for example. Use two of them, and you have an instant routing guide.
The circular saw accessory is very accurate. You just drill holes in the plate, which is phenolic plastic, and mount your saw. Then you drop your saw down through the plate, giving you an extremely tight fit, which prevents tear out, when cutting through finish work. So you wind up dedicating a circular saw to it.
The stop piece is great for all sorts of uses, like when routing blind dadoes, or for making repeated cuts at a certain depth.
Having the 4' and the 8 foot model is convenient. Using an 8' for everything is not advised. The long overhang left by an 8' on a short piece of work is not easy to deal with.
I use the 8' when trimming door edges. How else can you run an 80 inch door through a machine in order to get an adjusted edge?
The router plate is already machined out with a circle in the middle that is oversize, so as to keep the bit at a maximum clearance for plunging. Once again, you drill it yourself to accomodate your specific router.
The router , saw, and stop accessories are premade to fit into the specific configuration on the edge of the guide, as well as the T slot, creating a very snug fit, with no play, yet not binding.
The days of finding a left over edge of a plywood sheet, then figuring out how to clamp it down, in order to cut larger sheets are over. This system is lightweight, made out of thick aluminum, which makes it substantial, yet a breeze to carry around.

It may seem expensive at first, but the equipment it replaces, and the accurracy it creates in your work, make it well worth the price. Highly recommended.

Finally, an easy to use cutting guide for 8 foot sheet material! No more messing with a chalk line and struggling to keep the circular saw from wandering when I'm ripping full size plywood sheets! This guide is the best, period. I love the "clamp from one end" feature. No C clamps are needed. The price is a little steep, but your paying for a precision piece. This tool takes the hassle out of big cutting jobs. The only problem I had was finding a place to store it (I hung it from the rafters in the garage with storage hooks). I just might have to get the 50 inch version as well. Thanks, Amazon!

I am amazed at the ease of set up, and accuracy. I built along sliding stop, that doubles as a 90 degree angle set, using thebuilt in t-tracks and the nuts provided with the guide. I was trying to get easy set up to cut right angles, and it worked.

Solved Flesh and Wine's, problem before I realized he had one. END

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST INVESTMENT ANYONE CAN MAKE IF YOU DO A LOT OF WORK WITH PLYWOOD OR MDF. MAKE YOUR MARK AND SET THE CLAMP AND FORGET IT. IT WILL NOT MOVE AND PERFECTLY STRAIGHT CUTS ARE NO PROBLEM. I HAVE EVEN ADAPTED ONE TO MY MITER SAW WORK STATION TO ALLOW ME TO MAKE QUICK AND EASY REPETITIVE CUTS. THERE ARE MANY USES I CAN IMAGINE. AGAIN, THIS IS A SUPER PRODUCT.

I have the 8 footer to cut up sheets of plywood accurately. I don't have the sliding carriage, although I might get that later. It's very accurate. The only gripe I have is that the clamping mechanism is fixed on one end. It becomes awkward to use on anything less than 4' long without extra support. The maker should make both clamp ends moveable so that the user can balance the straight edge on the work.

I needed to make 3/4 in dado cuts with my router along 8 feet of plywood. My 2 part straight edge deflected under this strain. This one part unit with the router base was a joy to work with. Each dado as straight as could be with no struggling at all. The router base unit needed some work, but the straight edge was great.

This item is a bit pricey but I have to admit it's worth every penny. I have used it several times now and it delivers everything it says and more. I also purchased the saw base slide, but have not set it up with my saw yet. Even with out the saw base, cuts are as straight as they can be.
Thanks

I use a small 5-1/2" saw for my panel cutting and I purchased a 4' version a few years back and found it works great for cutting strait line. I have not used it for a clamp, but when building cabinet it has come in very useful, I would suggest also getting the Attachment guide for mounting the saw on. A good craftsman could build one, but the plastic one works great and has a good snug fit.

For ripping sheet goods I find it hard to beat this set-up. Unless you have a big table saw with a big outfeed table, this is by far easier to use to rip full size sheet goods. Set up is easy, and quality is GREAT. Highly recommended item.

I also bought the plastic saw base. Money well spent.

Tru-Grip FT8TS 8' Tru-Grip Pro FTR Series

I bought this device to trim over a dozen six-panel doors being installed in a house to be renovated. A strip of 1/2" plywood clamped to the door as a saw guide would work in a pinch, but the Tru-Grip is the ideal choice, as it's much easier to set-up, thinner than the plywood, perfectly straight, flat, and has built-in clamps.

Let's suppose 1/8" needs to come off on one end of the door, tapered to 1/4" off the other end. I simply add those measurement to my circular saw's 3 5/8" setback (inside of blade to edge of sole-plate), and put a pencil mark on each end of the door. Set the ends of the Tru-Grip on those lines, tighten the clamp, and run the saw using the Tru-Grip as a saw-guide. Sand the edge before painting, and you're done.

The 8' size is too awkward to use for all saw-guide work, so I also have the 48" and 24" models. With those three, you're set for just about any need. About the only thing you have to be careful with, is storing this tool. A couple of attached 6" L brackets, parallel to and an inch below a ceiling, is one way to make an out-of-the-way and safe shelf.