My newest Festool!

[Cliff Holmes]

In one of my other lives, I'm a wedding photographer. One of the guests at a wedding I shot last year runs a custom cabinet shop. He contacts me about shooting his work at a particularly nice custom home so he can use it in promotions.

So, I meet him at his shop to talk about the job. Then he tells me money's kinda tight and he want to work out some kind of trade. Well, I don't exactly have a burning need for custom cabinet work, even at a discount rate, so I'm getting ready to leave. Then I see a Systainer for a TS55 on a shelf. So I take a chance and ask if he'd be willing to trade it for the photography. Shockingly, he says yes! They had bought it to test out, then decided they really couldn't afford to outfit their entire operation with them right now. So they never even actually used it.

The job took about three hours including travel time and processing, plus I figure about $20 in gas and misc costs. I would have normally charged $200 for the job. So, while not really a killer gloat, I'm pretty pleased with the deal.

On the other hand, he probably thought I would charge a lot more than $200, so he's probably bragging on some other forum about the great deal he got.

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The Wood Nerd
http://www.thewoodnerd.com

[Dan Friedrichs]

Cliff, it sure seems like the Festool gods have been trying very hard to get you one of these tracksaws lately, eh? :)

[Cliff Holmes]

Yeah, it was kinda weird.

Now I'm waiting for the Ferrari gods to kick in :)

[Scott T Smith]

Very nice score Cliff! You're going to love that saw!

How long a track did you get with it?

[Cliff Holmes]

How long a track did you get with it?

The standard one, 55-inch I think?

[Jim Becker]

Such a deal!! Congrats!

[Rich Engelhardt]

The standard one, 55-inch I think?
Quick as you can - pick up another rail, the connectors and a pair of clamps while they are still 10% off. Maybe an extra blade also.


Nice score - you're going to be amazed at how handy that saw is.

[Cliff Holmes]

I was planning to pick up another rail so I can rip 8' sheets.

Are the clamps really necessary just to break down sheet goods? The rail seems to stay put pretty well by itself.

[Rick Markham]

I was planning to pick up another rail so I can rip 8' sheets.

Are the clamps really necessary just to break down sheet goods? The rail seems to stay put pretty well by itself.

I went ahead and got the normal screw clamps when I got my 2700/II rail for mine (since they were on sale) I think they are really worth it. They help me line everything up by myself, I can adjust one end, clamp it, adjust the other end, and get everything perfect. (maybe it is the perfectionist in me). They have really helped in ripping a straight edge on rough lumber (don't have the luxury of a big jointer) and are great for crosscuts on long boards that don't warrant 55" of track.

If you can only buy one thing for the saw, get the big track! It's seriously so much nicer not to have to screw with the connectors unless you have something giant you need to rip with the large track and the 55" track. I'd buy it while it is on sale, don't kick yourself later that's $40+ in savings! LOL I can justify nearly anything!

And that gloat is most definitely worthy of a YOU SUCK:p

[Cliff Holmes]

If you can only buy one thing for the saw, get the big track!

I really can't see getting the long rail right now, even on sale that's $260. I just don't rip full sheets that often.

I already have an 8' self-clamping rail, would it work to set the 55" rail against it, cut halfway, then slide Festool rail down to finish the cut? Admittedly not as elegant, but ...

[Will Overton]

Cliff,

At the very least you should get another 55" rail. As was mentioned above, the clamps (1 anyway) come in handy when setting the long guide into position. In reality, you can use any 'quick clamp' for that and remove the clamp prior to cutting, as once set the rail should stay in place.

If you learn/practice setting the rails precisely, you won't just be breaking down a sheet of plywood, each cut you make will be a final cut. You will not have to take anything to the table saw to trim it up.

After having the ts55 for a couple of years I bought the 32" rail. It comes in very handy when trimming glued up panels to size and when making angled cuts on panels. With a track saw, if you can draw the line you can make the cut.

[Rick Markham]

Cliff,

If you learn/practice setting the rails precisely, you won't just be breaking down a sheet of plywood, each cut you make will be a final cut. You will not have to take anything to the table saw to trim it up.

if you can draw the line you can make the cut.

That's the real beauty of it right there!!!

Now ya just need to make one of these, it's great for the tracksaw, and it comes apart like a big puzzle for easy storage. No worries cutting finished pieces from full sheets :D, I don't know who thought up this idea (wasn't me) but this one is the one I built.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/018-1.jpg

[Ben Davis]

Cliff,

The clamps are not necessary, but they are quite handy to have. Just as Rick pointed out, it is much easier to line everything up on the longer cuts.

Most people just love the 1400mm rail, which, I agree, is a great length. I find that I use the smaller 1080mm rail that comes with the MFT much more though. It's long enough, but not too long, for nearly everything that I do.

Yep, it's spendy. Gotta pay to play in the blue and green world though. They are the best tools I've ever used. No question.

[Dave Houseal]

Cliff, it sure seems like the Festool gods have been trying very hard to get you one of these tracksaws lately, eh? :)

Hahaha! Read this and then slowly put two and two together. I didn't think karma could make a round trip so fast! Congrats!

[Greg Portland]

On the other hand, he probably thought I would charge a lot more than $200, so he's probably bragging on some other forum about the great deal he got.I wouldn't doubt it, especially if he owns rights to the images! Sounds like it was a win-win for everyone. Enjoy the new saw!

[John McClanahan]

Yep. The best deal is one where both parties walk away happy.

John

[Dan Karachio]

Good for you and I hope you enjoy it! However, I am going to be very careful about inviting photographers to my shop from now on! :)

[tim rowledge]

I got one recently and just love it. I didn't get quite such a deal as you but since the dealer was out of stock they lent me the demo unit which got heavily used for a couple of months on my building site (see http://www.rowledge.org/tim/building/building/blog.html) until the 'real' one arrived last friday. So mine hasn't been used but I got to use one and tempted the sub-contractors as well. Such a deal!

[Van Huskey]

YOU SUCK!

As my neighbor would say "you must be livin' right".

[Rich Engelhardt]

Are the clamps really necessary just to break down sheet goods?
Not really - but - they are cheap insurance.
One of the better points of the Festool system is the exacting cuts it can produce, which, when using expensive hardwood sheet goods, reduces the "oops" factor.
One "oops" on a sheet of Cherry ply, due to the track moving, is something I'd rather avoid.

W/borg-wood ply, it's often bowed & the tracks don't lay nice and flat. The clamps hold the track nice and secure.

I bought the screw clamps when I got my system, but, had they been on sale at the time I'd have sprung for the ratchet ones.


+1 also to building a good cut table.
I built the one from woodshop.20m.com

Google panel cutting table.

I glued and screwed mine together - but - next one I'm going to drill and dowel and glue instead of screwing it.
I'm also going to put some extra distance between the table leg screws and the saw blade....