Mini Review of the Porter Cable 42690 Micro-Adjust Edge guide

by Andy Lincoln

After being faced with making a series of stopped grooves (i.e. between two mortices) I scratched my head for a few minutes and remembered the Porter Cable edge guide.I thought briefly about making the grooves as a plunge cut with a dado blade on the TS but since they were not centered on the workpiece and an odd size .575"(1/2" MDF with veneer on two sides) I decided the router would be the best and safest way to go. The PC edge guide mounted to my 693 plunge router via 2 screws and rods. The fence is designed with a micro-adjust feature that is tick-marked off in 1/64" increments. To increase stability, I added a hardwood fence through the holes provided by PC as my groove was about 1/2" off the edge of the workpiece. I was able to rout to the depth needed in a couple passes and then reset the fence and sneak up on the width needed. This is where the micro-adjust feature performs really well.