Do I need a track saw?

[Doug Hart]

Well, I took the plunge and ordered the Makita.
We'll see how it goes

[subharmonic]

Well, I took the plunge and ordered the Makita.

Nice pun.

it should be as accurate as your tape measure. Angle cuts shod be a breeze.

[Doug Hart]

Nice pun

Haha !!! Completely unintentional. I didn't even catch it.

[thekl0wn]

I still use a 6" cordless circular saw and either a sled or guides like these, which double as clamps:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... te=ROCKLER

And you can get guide accessories that work with them too.

Found these at Menards last night... Surprisingly, they were less than Rockler. A 50" is now in my possession, and will stay in the Tahoe for those emergency trips to the store where they don't have a panel saw to get me down to my 6' max length. I carry a cordless saw for just such occasions anyway.

[LelandCrooks]

So I just finished setting up my old Jet table saw with a 60" fence and 5ft outfeed and infeed tables. Ripped up my first panel. Pure pleasure. No more circular saws for me.

[Harley]

So I just finished setting up my old Jet table saw with a 60" fence and 5ft outfeed and infeed tables. Ripped up my first panel. Pure pleasure. No more circular saws for me.

Well done

[Doug Hart]

So I just finished setting up my old Jet table saw with a 60" fence and 5ft outfeed and infeed tables. Ripped up my first panel. Pure pleasure. No more circular saws for me.

Yeah, I would have done that too if I had the room. haha

[el_ingeniero]

I've got the Makita tracksaw and a Skil battery powered circular saw.

I've been able to better accuracy with the Makita than with the circular saw on a sled. But that means on some pieces I could be as much as 1/8" out. There are places where you want to do better, like a DR throat.

IMO, a decent table saw with judicious upgrades and a pile of jigs is the key to super accurate cuts.

If you're out by 1/8" using the Makita you're doing it wrong. No offense, but you should be within 1/64". Either you've got a dodgy measurement setup or you're cutting on the wrong side of the line.

I had a cheap B&D circular before, and that sucker wouldn't cut straight, but the Makita is completely predictable.

If I make a cut that's 1/16" out in one direction, and another on the opposite side that's 1/16" out in the other direction, you get a panel that's 1/8" out.

It's not so much a matter of measurement as it is how you place the track.

And after a while that little strip of plastic along the rail gets beat up enough that it's not a reliable indicator of where the blade will cut.

[el_ingeniero]

So I just finished setting up my old Jet table saw with a 60" fence and 5ft outfeed and infeed tables. Ripped up my first panel. Pure pleasure. No more circular saws for me.

What happened with your Sawstops?

[LelandCrooks]

Well, the contractor model is at my son's shop. My original sawstop is in my Dad's shop which I've been using for the last 3 years. It replaced the jet, which has been in storage. I bought another sawstop for the new shop, because I did not want my 90yr old father running a standard saw. The jet became a panel saw for big cuts only.

[Rune Bivrin]

If I make a cut that's 1/16" out in one direction, and another on the opposite side that's 1/16" out in the other direction, you get a panel that's 1/8" out.

It's not so much a matter of measurement as it is how you place the track.

And after a while that little strip of plastic along the rail gets beat up enough that it's not a reliable indicator of where the blade will cut.

I don't quite follow. Why are you cutting the panels twice? If you've got a good, straight edge on one side you measure and cut the opposing edge. That's just one cut.

Either way, my track has seen quite a few cuts, and apart from where there's a nasty mark due to an early handling failure it still cut's right at the edge of the rubber strip.

[el_ingeniero]

If I make a cut that's 1/16" out in one direction, and another on the opposite side that's 1/16" out in the other direction, you get a panel that's 1/8" out.

It's not so much a matter of measurement as it is how you place the track.

And after a while that little strip of plastic along the rail gets beat up enough that it's not a reliable indicator of where the blade will cut.

I don't quite follow. Why are you cutting the panels twice? If you've got a good, straight edge on one side you measure and cut the opposing edge. That's just one cut.

Haven't built any DRs yet? Check out some build threads. Lots of beveled cuts and non rectangular shapes.

Either way, my track has seen quite a few cuts, and apart from where there's a nasty mark due to an early handling failure it still cut's right at the edge of the rubber strip.

Mine has seen more than a few handling failures in a few hundred cuts. But I'll probably buy another plastic strip soon, since I've pretty much learned every way there is to hose a cut with it and haven't messed it up very much in the last few weeks.

Track saws have a great edge in safety over a normal circular saw, but you still have to honor the tool:

* Wait until the blade is up to speed before you plunge
* use a sacrificial piece of MDF or cheap ply under the workpiece.
* clamp the track down over the workpiece; use spacers when the workpiece is small. For really tiny work pieces, screw the piece to the sacrificial surface.
* Let the spring in the plunge mechanism lift the blade all the way out of the kerf, then lift the saw off the track.

[Rune Bivrin]

Haven't built any DRs yet? Check out some build threads. Lots of beveled cuts and non rectangular shapes.

I have done 2 DR250 and 2 T39:s with the track saw. The Omni 12, 3 wedgehorns and two J10 were built with the old circular. The wedges in particular were no fun, which was why I invested in the track saw...

Either way, my track has seen quite a few cuts, and apart from where there's a nasty mark due to an early handling failure it still cut's right at the edge of the rubber strip.

Mine has seen more than a few handling failures in a few hundred cuts. But I'll probably buy another plastic strip soon, since I've pretty much learned every way there is to hose a cut with it and haven't messed it up very much in the last few weeks.

I think that's the heart of the matter. One of the strong points of the Festtool and Makita is that by default it cuts right at the edge of the rubber strip. Once that precision is compromised you're SOL.

Track saws have a great edge in safety over a normal circular saw, but you still have to honor the tool:

* Wait until the blade is up to speed before you plunge
* use a sacrificial piece of MDF or cheap ply under the workpiece.
* clamp the track down over the workpiece; use spacers when the workpiece is small. For really tiny work pieces, screw the piece to the sacrificial surface.
* Let the spring in the plunge mechanism lift the blade all the way out of the kerf, then lift the saw off the track.

All sound advice, but I have pretty much never needed clamps for the track other than for very small parts. The neoprene strip keeps it in place just fine as long as you make sure the surfaces are free from saw dust. Make sure you go slowly, and plan for managing the cord when the cuts get long. Few things are more annoying than wondering why the saw is stuck, only to realize you're standing on the cord...

[koturban]

I think that's the heart of the matter. One of the strong points of the Festtool and Makita is that by default it cuts right at the edge of the rubber strip. Once that precision is compromised you're SOL.

Track saws have a great edge in safety over a normal circular saw, but you still have to honor the tool:

* Wait until the blade is up to speed before you plunge
* use a sacrificial piece of MDF or cheap ply under the workpiece.
* clamp the track down over the workpiece; use spacers when the workpiece is small. For really tiny work pieces, screw the piece to the sacrificial surface.
* Let the spring in the plunge mechanism lift the blade all the way out of the kerf, then lift the saw off the track.

All sound advice, but I have pretty much never needed clamps for the track other than for very small parts. The neoprene strip keeps it in place just fine as long as you make sure the surfaces are free from saw dust. Make sure you go slowly, and plan for managing the cord when the cuts get long. Few things are more annoying than wondering why the saw is stuck, only to realize you're standing on the cord...

LOL. Done that a couple of times myself, along with the hose getting caught.

The Festool rubber track strip is replaceable if one is ever in doubt of the accuracy.

[el_ingeniero]

Haven't built any DRs yet? Check out some build threads. Lots of beveled cuts and non rectangular shapes.

I have done 2 DR250 and 2 T39:s with the track saw. The Omni 12, 3 wedgehorns and two J10 were built with the old circular. The wedges in particular were no fun, which was why I invested in the track saw...

So how did you make less than 4 cuts for the throat horn and the sides? Just saying ...