The Woodworker & Woodturner – September 2019

http://www.getwoodworking.com September 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 77

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Made from lightweight aluminium, the guide consists

of twin arms fixed to the fence itself. Folded and

locked for storage, you slide and swivel the arms out...

Like most circular saws, the arms locate in L-shaped

slots on the magnesium baseplate and are secured

with thumbscrews

Faced with ripping down a quantity of 50mm

softwood joists, the DeWalt saw coped admirably

with the fence fitted

... then lock them in place at 90° with a knob

underneath

Both arms have metric graduations and these should

be locked at identical measurements so that fence

and blade are parallel

As I mentioned in the earlier test, the DCS577 saw

is just as happy cutting sheet materials and worktops

SPECIFICATION

• 300mm rip capacity on left side for common
  rip cuts including stair treads and risers


• Up to 360mm rip capacity on right side
  for maximum width rips


• Light weight and durable aluminium
  construction


• Folds down to 485 × 76mm for easy storage


• Permanently laser-etched markings for fast
  and accurate setting

Typical price: £57.60

Web: http://www.dewalt.co.uk

THE VERDICT

PROS

(^) Lightweight but sturdy; folds for storage
CONS
(^) Thumbscrews can drop out of saw
RATING: 4 out of 5
DEWALT DWS5100
RIP GUIDE
USEFUL KIT/PRODUCT
When I tested DeWalt’s DCS577 cordless saw
back in the July issue, the optional rip guide or side
fence was not available. Since then I’ve got my
hands on this accessory to check how the tool
performs in ripping mode. Although you can
obviously run the saw against a guide clamp
or batten for crosscutting or sheet material work,
this is much more difficult when you need to
rip sizeable timber such as joists down to size.
Made from lightweight aluminium, the guide
consists of twin arms fixed to the fence itself.
Folded and locked for storage, you slide and
swivel the arms out, then lock them in place at
90° with a knob underneath. Like most circular
saws, the arms locate in L-shaped slots on the
magnesium baseplate and are secured with
thumbscrews. Although these have springs to
help retain them when using the saw without
the fence fitted, I noticed that one had fallen
out after a lengthy crosscutting session. Either
remove these or tighten them down fully to avoid
this happening. Perhaps buy a couple of spares
just in case...
Both arms have metric graduations and these
should be locked at identical measurements
so that fence and blade are parallel. Maximum
width capacity is a conservative 325mm, which
is impressive, while the fence itself is almost
480mm in length. Its depth of 24mm means
there’s enough aluminium to run against your
workpiece without it fouling on heavier timbers.
Hard plastic caps at each end give some
protection to the aluminium fence profile.
In use
Faced with ripping down a quantity of 50mm
softwood joists, the DeWalt saw coped admirably
with the fence fitted. Don’t rely entirely on the
measurements shown along each arm, though
they’re a fairly good guide. Like any circular saw,
it’s best to make a small test cut first and check
the finished width. As I mentioned in the earlier
test, the DCS577 saw is just as happy cutting
sheet materials and worktops. For narrower
cuts the rip fence is easy to set up and use
where you can’t use a guide clamp.
Conclusion
It’s not a cheap accessory but you’ll probably
need this guide sooner or later for ripping if
you buy the saw. It performs well enough and
folds neatly when not required. And in case
you were wondering, unfortunately the guide
cannot currently be used with other DeWalt
cordless saws.