badwhiskey
Colonel Mustard
Registered: 01/28/00
Posts: 14183
Loc: Upstate, NY
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What Joe posted is great for drawing lines. As a saw guide, think about the factory edge of a piece of MDF. You can make a saw miser saw guide for your CS from this, and it works really well for breaking down sheet goods.
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My Website
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Bibliophile 13
Moderator
Registered: 09/08/06
Posts: 7086
Loc: South Alabama
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I've never needed a straightedge that long, but if I need something longer than my yardstick, I find a piece of white pine the correct length and joint one edge. It takes but a minute.
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Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
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Steve N
Member
Registered: 09/28/07
Posts: 8882
Loc: CinDay
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Aluminum bar stock is pretty straight stuff. If you have a local iron and metal scrap yard you may be surprised at the quality of material available for pennies on the dollar versus new. The pic below shows an 8' and (3) 4' pieces that were in great condition. I paid $12.00 for the lot. I`ve got some that is 1/4" thick x 2" wide x varied lengths, makes great winding sticks. Also get 3/8" x 3/4" bar stock, makes great runners for sleds, rip sleds, and other jigs for the miter track on the TS, plus it never warps when hot (UVMH) or swells/shrinks in temp extremes (hardwood runners).
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Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya 
GW
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mdhills
Member
Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 1262
Loc: Silly Valley, CA
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WxMan said:
10 years ago, I bought a two-piece extruded aluminum straight edge that, when assembled, provides an 8-foot long straight edge with one good side for use as a router or saw fence. It even came supplied with two small c-clamps for attaching it to the work piece. Don't remember the brand, but I bought it at Lowe's. Paid about $20 for it, IIRC. I used it for years as the straight edge for edge jointing stock with my router.
Here's one that is similar: Link to straight edge
I've got something like this, too. The individual sections worked fine, but I wasn't happy using the assembled guide, as I found the joint flexed a bit when I was using it as a guide for a circular saw.
I've now got the long Festool guide that I use for these types of cuts... but the MDF-based saw guide would be my choice for a budget-friendly saw guide. If you do make your own saw guide, make sure that your saw's motor will clear the fence and any clamps you use. In use, you'll need to give some thought to how you'll move along the workpiece as you cut, and also how the power cord will move. Nothing screws up a finish cut as much as twisting the saw, cords catching on clamps, etc.
Matt
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museumguy
Member
Registered: 02/15/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Md, USA
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I have 2 that have been my go to straight edges for over 20 years. Both are 1/2" plywood with plastic laminate edging. One is 8' 6" and the other is 5'. I cut the on a CNC panel saw and then edged them myself. I've seamed 8' laminate with it and it's absolutely perfectly straight. I can clamp them to a sheet of ply and rip it with a circular saw, no problem.
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AHill
Honored Veteran
Registered: 01/16/06
Posts: 5149
Loc: Antelope Valley, California
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Why don't you just snap a line with a chalk line? Folks have been doing that for years.
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Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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mobilepaul
Member
Registered: 04/20/10
Posts: 250
Loc: Alabama
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I'd have to agree with buying that 35.00 empire ruler for your straightedge and use one of the following for your circular saw
(note: there are many of these jigs and tips out there, I just included a few to get you thinking along these lines...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2hypJNYRQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8mTqlW3LPw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5dW-QcgeI&feature=related
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mobilepaul
Member
Registered: 04/20/10
Posts: 250
Loc: Alabama
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Okay, here's a couple more just in cast you can't watch the youtube vids on here
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/29056
http://garages.about.com/od/toolsmaterials/a/circular_saw_guide_long.htm
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/4283497
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toolmiser
Member
Registered: 01/31/03
Posts: 698
Loc: Wisconsin
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There was a tip a few years ago in some magazine (I know no technicals) about using a metal stud, they come in at least two different gauges. They are pretty straight, and pretty inexpensive.
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DaveD
Member
Registered: 04/17/04
Posts: 2045
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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I just took a piece of plywood about 10-12" wide and put a piece of aluminum angle on the factory edge. I inlaid the one leg of the angle so it was flush with the surface of the plywood and trimmed the other leg so it didn't drop below the other surface of the plywood.
Been using it on/off for probably 25+ years and it still does the job just fine.
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