Track saws...

[Harold Burrell]

I kinda want one. I see how I could use one. But...I'm wondering are they really THAT much better that just a circular saw and a straight edge???

[Van Huskey]

I kinda want one. I see how I could use one. But...I'm wodering are they really THAT much better that just a circular saw and a straight edge???

I suppose how much different depends on the straight edge/guide, the saw and certainly the blade. In short, yes they are.

[Sam Murdoch]

Oh Yeah ! - NO contest.
Clean cuts, no tear out whatsoever, easy set up, perfect straightitude. Get a vac into the system and you can start cutting down cabs in a clients home without hesitation - OR, rip lots of ply in your garage and never mar the finish on your wife's Mini.

[Charles Wiggins]

I kinda want one. I see how I could use one. But...I'm wodering are they really THAT much better that just a circular saw and a straight edge???

For my money, yes. I used to do the regular circular saw on the homemade guide and the cuts were OK, for a while, but sooner or later the blade would get dull and I'd have problems with the saw starting to drift away from the guide, tear out, etc.

I now have a Festool TS55. It it so easy to set the depth of cut, so easy to set the guide rail right up against a couple of marks - no clamping required, the riving knife all but eliminates kickback. I love that it only takes a couple minutes to get set up and go right to sawing and the cleanness of the cut compared to the old method is night and day. The saw locks into the guide rail so there's no drift. Since it is a plunge saw plunge cuts are a snap. Everything is just faster, easier, and better. My one complaint I guess would be that the consumables like splinter guards are somewhat expensive, but that don't have to be replaced that often.

[Bill Huber]

I have wondered the same thing, I have a good straight edge that will do an 8' sheet of plywood and I have All In One Clamps that work great for cross cutting a sheet of plywood. I have 2 spacers that I use to lay things out with so I get the straight edge to cut correct with the circular saw.
I can use my circular for other things with no problem so why do I need a track saw and yes I have a good table saw.

[Victor Robinson]

Yes, it's a world of a difference if you are doing lots of sheet good work. After I got one, I couldn't believe what I had been missing. It's easier, cleaner, and a better cut than my circ saw with guide. Also safer.

Festool offers a 30 day no questions asked return policy. I'm not saying you need to get a Festool, but line up some sheet good projects, bring it home, and let 'er rip. Decide for yourself.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I kinda want one. I see how I could use one. But...I'm wondering are they really THAT much better that just a circular saw and a straight edge???
Yes.

Let me put it this way.

Is an Incra fence on a table saw better than something shop made out of plywood?

[Jerome Hanby]

I'd say yes. Takes some opportunities for user error out of the equation. You don't have to go all in for a full system like the Festool or the Dewalt. The PSI Portable Panel saw works well, has enough length to slice a full piece of plywood in half diagonally, runs a little over $100, and lets you use your existing circular saw. I got mine from Amazon with free shipping years ago. I've since purchased the Festool and it is better, but not night and day better. I still use the PSI PPS (and still have my Hitachi circular saw dedicated to the PSI PPS carriage). The PSI system also has a carriage for using it with a router but I've heard it's not worth the expense, a plate worked out to fit the saw carriage works better. I may look at doing that.

[frank shic]

i'll tell you all in a few weeks when i get that discounted dewalt trace saw ;)

[David Micalizzi]

Yes a track saw is worth the premium you pay to own one. Realize it is a solution designed from the ground up to accomplish what we as woodworkers want, straight tear out free cuts done in a safe way with dust collection. You could go other routes but if you do any amount of circular saw work and want close to perfect results the track systems are a no brainier.

[Craig Michael]

Can you get by without one? Sure, but the track saw as so safe, perfect cut, quick to use and set up, can do safe plunge cuts, great dust collection, etc. Try the festool out at a local dealer, you should have a rockler or woodcraft near you. The way I always look at things is do I regret the purchase or think it was worth it, etc. I have ZERO regrets, I love the saw and I think it was well worth the money.

[Dan Friedrichs]

i'll tell you all in a few weeks when i get that discounted dewalt trace saw ;)

A few weeks?! Mine is coming Tuesday - what's the hold up on yours? :)

[Van Huskey]

A few weeks?! Mine is coming Tuesday - what's the hold up on yours? :)

Maybe he means after he has time to use it. Mine shipped Friday and is due in on Friday.

[frank shic]

oh man i'm getting itchy lol

[Rich Engelhardt]

oh man i'm getting itchy lol
LOL!
You're as bad as a kid before Christmas! :D
jk

Anyhow, once you do get your hand on the track saw, give it a try on some luan and/or melamine.
You'll be amazed at how easy it is to get perfect quaility cuts on those two materials.
No splinters and no chipping.

Another thing a track saw can do without any fear/effort at all is to stop mid cut, then go back and finish the cut - and leave a perfect edge. Plus do it safely.
That's something that's not even possible to do safely on a table saw.


It's all those little details and a whole lot more that give the track systems a huge advantage over a shop made guide.

I can't even begin to count the number of threads I've read here about how to make a difficult or odd cut on a table or band saw and thought, "If you had a track saw, we wouldn't be having this discussion".

One thing I highly recommend is to build a table for it so you don't have to crawl around on the floor.
Also, I know the Rockler Universal Fence clamps work on the Festool tracks, but I can't say if they do or not on the DeWalt tracks. They're cheaper then the Festool clamps.
Even though they say you don't need to clamp the rails, I always feel better about it when I do use clamps.

Seriously, you've got good reason to be excited!
Once you actually use a track saw for any amount of time, it really spoils you as to how little effort is required to do what used to be something akin to sanding in the "I'd rather be doing something else" catagory.
I used to dread cutting sheet goods. Now it's just a routine mundane task ;).

[frank shic]

i was turned off of the track saw experience after my experience with... another brand many years ago that will not be named!

[Stan Krupowies]

LOL!
You're as bad as a kid before Christmas! :D
jk

Anyhow, once you do get your hand on the track saw, give it a try on some luan and/or melamine.
You'll be amazed at how easy it is to get perfect quaility cuts on those two materials.
No splinters and no chipping.

Another thing a track saw can do without any fear/effort at all is to stop mid cut, then go back and finish the cut - and leave a perfect edge. Plus do it safely.
That's something that's not even possible to do safely on a table saw.



Along with that you can also cut with either hand. I'm right handed and if I try to guide my saw with my left hand all sorts of bad things will happen. But with the track saw it's not an issue at all. Bottom line is I have to agree with all the comments made so far - the track saw is the best thing since sliced, uh wood! :D

[Will Blick]

IMO, its the track system that is the foundation of Festool.

How great is it? That depends what you are comparing it to. If you compare it to a beam saw or a good sliding table saw, well, it does not have many advantages to a good cut.....but you can't fold up that sliding table saw and put it on a shelf and pull your car in the garage. As for the Festool system, which is what I use, all I can say is.... its incredibly impressive in every way....ultra straight cuts (might not be that important for everyone), splinter free cuts (hard to fathom how good this is), easy to set up rails, often no clamp required. For non sheet goods, of course, the small straigh edges can often suffice.

But beware, once you get into the rails, you end up buying quite a few of them, but I would get rid of my TS before I got rid of my track saw. Cause the track saw can turn into a radial arm saw / TS via the MFT. AGain, which can all fold up and be put in the corner, or brought to a job site.

[Sam Murdoch]

[QUOTE=Will Blick;1904904]

, but I would get rid of my TS before I got rid of my track saw. /QUOTE]

I'm kind of amazed to write that I completely agree with Will's comment. The track saw is in many ways (that is an important qualifier - I know what all else the TS can do :)) more versatile and for lots of work - as accurate while being safer.

[Will Blick]

>more versatile and for lots of work - as accurate while being safer.

and.... you can fold it up and store it on a shelf. For those who suffer from "not enough space" this becomes invaluable..specially for weekend warriors who only work in shop for short periods, like a week or two, then a month or two off, etc. Add the "ya bring it to job site" for some, this is just hard to beat.

Funny thing is... Of course, all us old schoolers grew up on TS's, so of course I own a PM2K... I had the rails to break down sheets... I felt I had the best of both worlds, and I did. But the damn TS takes up so much space with its extension wing, and it can't cut wider than 20" without more space consuming attachments, i.e. sleds, extensions, etc.

Then while in Festool school, I started using the Festool MFT, (sort of TS and Radial Arm saw in one, using circ. saw and rails) I have seen it before, but never fully digested its capability.... after spending a week working with the MFT, I can honestly say that if space were an issue, I would NOT own a TS and go with the MFT and rails. The ability to cross cut 24" sheets on the MFT was so easy, repeatable, etc. You can develop an easy measure system to match that of a fence.

The part that really got me was.... making a 24"+ cut on TS against fence.... you must focus on keeping the work piece flush with the fence. This requires two pre requisites..... the edge of your work piece must be STRAIGHT, and your fence is both straight and perfectly parallel with the blade... which is not easy to maintain as most fences have different angles at different distances (often minor). Regardless, my longer cuts on TS are rarely perfect, I often hand plane them down to get rid of saw marks that come from slight jiggle of the board, or uneven edge on the workpiece making contact with the fence.

With the Festool Rail system, one push (no brainer cause the track keeps you straight) and the cut is glue-ready every time. why? Cause the saw ride on hump, which is its straight reference. compare this with pushing the workpiece which requires steady pressure in the proper direction, and the pre requisites above.

Next, I often had to rip some 8ft long boards for table tops.... rip on TS is hard without a good starting edge for the fence... a sled for 8ft long board? Bandsaw edge not clean enough either, as you often will be cutting to a line. So, I would joint the edge, not easy to run 8ft boards on jointer, most long beds might be 36-40" long per side... so hand plane to finish. I used to accept this as, best I can do... next cut the other side parallel.... long push through TS, lots of room required on both ends of the TS and hard not to have saw marks or be perfectly straight. and, surely two man job.

Those days are over.... drop the 3000mm rail down on the 1st bad edge, rip it, done, 2 minutes, straight edge, glue ready.... cut other side parallel? put on parallel attachment (with extended piece I installed on it for longer reference), rip it, done, 3 minutes, glue ready edge, no hand planing required.

anyway, not trying to tempt people to drink the green koolaid, but IMO, the cost of Festool rail system is much less than the retail price, if you consider what tools it can prevent you from buying....and add the fact, it simply does most tasks, easier, safer, faster and dust free. Then, space saving and portable can be of additional value to some.

Of course, I have a TS, so I still use it, mainly for fast quick cuts on smaller width boards. But I can honestly live without it after mastering the rail system.

[Rich Riddle]

I find a purpose for a track saw like many other tools. It's good for cutting sheet goods down and seems safer than using my Unisaw for that endeavor. I have a "track" and a decent circular saw, but it's not the same as a track saw. People have differing opinions regarding which brands to try. Makita makes one at a more agreeable price than Festool and it's rating is good. Others also have them. I like the riving knife that's part of the Festool track saws. The other saws lack this feature. Good luck in what you decide.

[Van Huskey]

I like the riving knife that's part of the Festool track saws. The other saws lack this feature.


Dewalt has one as well, of the 6 or 7 on the market (non-US included) the only one without a riving knife that I am aware of is the Makita.

[Jim Matthews]

I use a Porter Cable magnesium body saw on the EurekaZone (http://eurekazone.com/) track system.
I chose this as I already owned a solid circular saw.

It was a small fraction of the Festool cost - probably because it doesn't come with a set of plastic luggage.

It has largely eliminated my need for a tablesaw. Which is good, as I detest table saws.
Between this gizmo (which stacks neatly in a corner) and a bandsaw, I largely have all my power tool needs covered.

I like the fact that it sits on a shelf, instead of out in the middle of my garage.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I chose this as I already owned a solid circular saw.

It was a small fraction of the Festool cost - probably because it doesn't come with a set of plastic luggage
OTOH, I didn't own a decent circular saw before I bought the Festool, so,,,,,that fraction vanished pretty quick.
$200 to $300 for an EZ Ready saw put a pretty big dent in the $450.00 price tag of the TS55EQ's $450.00 price w/a a 55 inch rail.

The EZ would have run me more.
& it wouldn't have the plastic luggage ;)

[Michael Heffernan]

Well, received my tracks yesterday via UPS. The MDF carton that the 102" track came in was damaged and so was the track. Waiting on a reply from AmazonSupply for a replacement. I sure hope they don't want the whole kit back. I just asked for a replacement rail. CEVA is delivering the saw this morning. Fingers crossed.

[frank shic]

Well, received my tracks yesterday via UPS. The MDF carton that the 102" track came in was damaged and so was the track. Waiting on a reply from AmazonSupply for a replacement. I sure hope they don't want the whole kit back. I just asked for a replacement rail. CEVA is delivering the saw this morning. Fingers crossed.

this is my greatest fear

[John M Wilson]

Any idea why AmazonSupply used CEVA as a carrier? My unit is trapped in a warehouse a short distance from my house, since CEVA did not have my phone number to arrange delivery. This is a task that FedEx and UPS have managed to figure out without my phone number (and accomplish several times a week). My rails arrived undamaged (via FedEx)... Can't tell about the saw until tomorrow, at the earliest.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Any idea why AmazonSupply used CEVA as a carrier? My unit is trapped in a warehouse a short distance from my house, since CEVA did not have my phone number to arrange delivery. This is a task that FedEx and UPS have managed to figure out without my phone number (and accomplish several times a week). My rails arrived undamaged (via FedEx)... Can't tell about the saw until tomorrow, at the earliest.

CEVA is requiring a signature for delivery. Call them and arrange to pick it up at their office. I picked mine up yesterday after work.

Cliff

[Adrian Anguiano]

Was i too late on this dewalt deal? Who what when where why how?

[Greg Portland]

I kinda want one. I see how I could use one. But...I'm wondering are they really THAT much better that just a circular saw and a straight edge???
You can make equally clean cuts with a straight edge + saw if you tape the top of the cut & use a backer board (or solid foam panel). The advantage of something like the Festool TS55 is the following:
1) WYSIWYG fence (what you see is what you get). Place the edge of the fence on your line; that's where it's going to cut.
2) Sacrificial fence strip & zero clearance insert on the saw. This completely eliminates tear out. I have a ZCI for each common cut depth (3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" ply). No more taping!
3) Better dust collection due to the enclosed design of the blade guard.

[Van Huskey]

Was i too late on this dewalt deal? Who what when where why how?

I didn't last but about two days, when their stock got down to 3 it switched back to 599.

[frank shic]

You can make equally clean cuts with a straight edge + saw if you tape the top of the cut & use a backer board (or solid foam panel). The advantage of something like the Festool TS55 is the following:
1) WYSIWYG fence (what you see is what you get). Place the edge of the fence on your line; that's where it's going to cut.
2) Sacrificial fence strip & zero clearance insert on the saw. This completely eliminates tear out. I have a ZCI for each common cut depth (3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" ply). No more taping!
3) Better dust collection due to the enclosed design of the blade guard.

you might eliminate tearout on plywood but melamine will still chip although not as badly

[Van Huskey]

you might eliminate tearout on plywood but melamine will still chip although not as badly

Thats when you need to make a scoring cut first, a pain but short of a table saw with a scoring blade it takes two runs with any circular saw to get really good results.

[frank shic]

Was i too late on this dewalt deal? Who what when where why how?

oh dude, major bummer! i was hoping you would catch my post last week because i knew you were in the market for one :(

[frank shic]

Thats when you need to make a scoring cut first, a pain but short of a table saw with a scoring blade it takes two runs with any circular saw to get really good results.

to keep things simple, a perfectly clean edge on both sides is not necessary except for shelves although it sure does look nice ;)

[Van Huskey]

to keep things simple, a perfectly clean edge on both sides is not necessary except for shelves although it sure does look nice ;)

True, it is one of the things that drives my OCD crazy, nobody may know it is there but I do, on second thought it is exactly what my wife would see and point out!

[Mark W Pugh]

Dewalt has one as well, of the 6 or 7 on the market (non-US included) the only one without a riving knife that I am aware of is the Makita.

Are these Dewalt track saws you are talking about still on sale? If so, where. I can't seem to find the initial thread on this.

[Harold Burrell]

Are these Dewalt track saws you are talking about still on sale? If so, where. I can't seem to find the initial thread on this.

No. The sale is over. :(

[Van Huskey]

Are these Dewalt track saws you are talking about still on sale? If so, where. I can't seem to find the initial thread on this.

No, the sale ended when stock got down to 3, they were on sale less than 48hrs.

[Mike Camp]

Currently saving my pennies for the Festool TS55, because I would rather die then have to lift a large sheet onto my table saw again. The straight edge/cutting guide works pretty well, I cut all my stair treads this way for a stair face lift when I went to a hardwood stair case in our house before I had a table saw. No support for a beveled cut though which would have been nice to give the treads a tighter fit. Setting up every cut took an eternity and watching my friend breeze through a similar project with a festool and an MFT convinced me get a track saw.

Not to thread hijack but what was the price for that Amazon Dewalt deal?

[frank shic]

$379 for not just the saw and not just the 55" rail but also for teh 104" rail that they'll probably destroy in shipping...

[Victor Robinson]

Such a deal! I'm envious of this deal and I already have one. So much satisfaction in getting a deal, which is a downside of Festools.

[Adrian Anguiano]

My question for those that have the festool vacs and the dewalt track saw is if u can hook up the vac to the dewalt saw without any special adapters?

[frank shic]

i doubt it although blue painter's tape is great when there's no better alternative!

[Dan Friedrichs]

My question for those that have the festool vacs and the dewalt track saw is if u can hook up the vac to the dewalt saw without any special adapters?

I'll check for you on Thursday when mine comes :) Oddly, they shipped it in 3 separate boxes via 2 different carriers, and all of it is arriving much later than my 2-day Amazon Prime should be taking...

[Van Huskey]

I'll check for you on Thursday when mine comes :) Oddly, they shipped it in 3 separate boxes via 2 different carriers, and all of it is arriving much later than my 2-day Amazon Prime should be taking...

It wasn't eligable for Prime 2 day shipping, at least that is what it said when I ordered. Mine seems to be taking either 6 or 7 days based on the tracking.

[Mike Camp]

$379 for not just the saw and not just the 55" rail but also for teh 104" rail that they'll probably destroy in shipping...

I was gonna say that 104" is pretty much guaranteed to be destroyed. Tools-plus refuses to ship those longer tracks now, because so many were destroyed in shipping. And great deal! At that price I probably would have gone with the DeWalt, but I think the Festool is where I'll end up.

[Matt Meiser]

I've read Festool has a lot of problems with their long rail shipments too.

[frank shic]

when you guys say that the rails get bent, which way are you talking about? i wouldn't mind a bend as long as it's slight and perpendicular to the rail as opposed to a lateral bend... but we'll probably find out later this week!

[Michael Heffernan]

Well, contacted AmazonSupply about the damaged 102" rail. These guys are extremely helpful in making things right. But they have to be losing money on this package deal, based on what I've read here and other forums about damage to the long rail in shipping. I called them this morning, told them about the damage and asked for a replacement. Initially, they want to refund the cost of the whole kit (saw and rails) and return it. They are out of stock of the kit and I wouldn't get another one. Besides, all I wanted was a replacement long rail. James checked into it, called me back in an hour and shipped me a new rail. Actually, the way Amazon works, I purchased the new rail, they refunded me that cost to my CC and they shipped it next day. Should arrive tomorrow.
Now here's the thing; they don't want the damaged rail back. Said to keep it and do what I want with it. I explained to him that the only damage was to the anti-splinter strip separating from the track where the carton was smashed. The rail is fine and with a little tweaking, I could reattach the strip or get a new one to put on. As I paid for a new system, I want it to arrive undamaged and ready to go. Thus the call to AmazonSupply.
Hoping the new long track arrives unscathed, I'll have two good long rails. Look for one in the Classifieds soon, local pick up only.
Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I do have some sheet goods to break down soon. Looking forward to splinter free rips.

[Kurt Cady]

Well, contacted AmazonSupply about the damaged 102" rail. These guys are extremely helpful in making things right. But they have to be losing money on this package deal, based on what I've read here and other forums about damage to the long rail in shipping. I called them this morning, told them about the damage and asked for a replacement. Initially, they want to refund the cost of the whole kit (saw and rails) and return it. They are out of stock of the kit and I wouldn't get another one. Besides, all I wanted was a replacement long rail. James checked into it, called me back in an hour and shipped me a new rail. Actually, the way Amazon works, I purchased the new rail, they refunded me that cost to my CC and they shipped it next day. Should arrive tomorrow.
Now here's the thing; they don't want the damaged rail back. Said to keep it and do what I want with it. I explained to him that the only damage was to the anti-splinter strip separating from the track where the carton was smashed. The rail is fine and with a little tweaking, I could reattach the strip or get a new one to put on. As I paid for a new system, I want it to arrive undamaged and ready to go. Thus the call to AmazonSupply.
Hoping the new long track arrives unscathed, I'll have two good long rails. Look for one in the Classifieds soon, local pick up only.
Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I do have some sheet goods to break down soon. Looking forward to splinter free rips.

The splinter guard was detached? Seriously?

If you'd have seen my rail you'd be embarrassed to get a replacement for that minor of damage.

Mine was bent almost in half at about a 30 degree angle. The poor mdf packaging didnt have a chance. And the end that was suddenly free of packaging was nicely dented, bent, gouged, etc.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I too am really worried about the long rail. My luck with shipping hasn't been so great. It's coming on Friday... so fingers are crossed!

[Rick Potter]

Now you have me worried. I am supposed to get mine today. Hopefully it will be in one piece.

Rick Potter

[Cliff Polubinsky]

If it helps ease your mind my long rail came in one piece undamaged. Fed Ex brought the rails (which may explain the safe shipping). CAVA brought the saw. Don't understand why Fed Ex couldn't have brought everything, but it all showed up eventually.

Cliff

[Peter Aeschliman]

Yeah, I got a call from Cava. I can understand shipping via freight for big machinery... but I don't understand why they're using them for this. Kind of a pain because I have to be home to take delivery.

I only have one tracking number, so I don't know whether it will come via 2 shipments or 1.

[Adrian Anguiano]

Mike,
Id feel a little ashamed but it's not your fault they didn't want the old one back.

I had a problem with the rubber missing on the handle of a jet parallel clamp. I told them, they knew exactly which part I was talking about. 7 days later I get an entirely new clamp.

[Kevin Post]

I wondered the same thing until recently. I have certainly been able to get by without one for years and years. I have a cabinet saw and a nice circular saw. I have started a home remodel which includes a bunch of built-ins and cabinets.

I decided to bite the bullet and purchased a DeWalt track saw. The weight and precision of the saw is head and shoulders above my circular saw. Breaking down plywood is a breeze. I would say the cut is as good (if not better) than my table saw. The reason I say better is I never seemed to be able to get a perfect cut while wrangling a full sheet of plywood onto the table saw in my garage. It's getting even more difficult as I get older.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I'm with you there! Cutting full sheets of plywood on a tablesaw is one of my least favorite things to do in the shop. It's really hard to control, you have to spend a bunch of time setting up roller stands, etc. And the accuracy always leaves something to be desired.

That said, I still picture myself only using my track saw for breaking sheets down. I have a sliding table attachment on my table saw, I can easily square up rough-cut pieces and get parallel sides using the rip fence.

[Rick Potter]

Well, I just got mine. Packaging looks perfect, but the 8' track is not there, nor is it on their form as backordered. Next stop Amazon.

Rick Potter

[Larry Browning]

I got one of these. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PPS-2.html

For the money, it works great!. Much better than a simple straight edge, But not near as expensive as the others. For me it was just the thing!

[David Weaver]

Well, I just got mine. Packaging looks perfect, but the 8' track is not there, nor is it on their form as backordered. Next stop Amazon.

Rick Potter

You just never know with them. It might be coming separately. When I got my TS years ago, the fence arrived eagle freight with an invoice for the entire thing and a signature line that required me to sign that shipment was complete.

Because it wasn't something that would break me and the driver is helpful (he's delivered several things to me and gone out of his way to be really helpful), I signed anyway and then called amazon. Took a couple of days to get the rest of the TS and they had no clue where it was.

Indian CS agents could only tell me to ship it back to them (despite the fact that I didn't have it) and get a full refund, and the US side said they were not allowed to talk on the phone via customer service. Persistence paid off and they eventually found the other parts of my package, and confirmed they were already in transit just didn't get delivered with the fence for some reason. I was a little peeved I had to take two separate days off of work to get one TS.

So don't be surprised if the stuff comes separately, regardless of what the paperwork says.

[Peter Aeschliman]

In fact I think a few other people have said that their tracks came via Fedex and the saw came via freight.

[Van Huskey]

I had to reschedule delivery from tomorrow morning, hoping it will come today if not tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed the long rail is OK.

[Dan Friedrichs]

CEVA just called to schedule their portion of mine - they said they'd gladly leave it (no signature needed) as long as I left a note stating I wanted it left.

[Matt Meiser]

There's a good chance you give up rights to claim damage if you do that.

[Rick Potter]

Good news!

I called Amazon, talked to a nice lady named Barb in North Dakota, and she told me that my order was not split up. She also said they had no more in stock, but she would contact DeWalt and see if she could get me the 102" track I was shorted.

Half an hour later she called and told me she got one, and it would be shipped overnight, arriving here tomorrow.

That's customer service.

Rick Potter

[Alan Lightstone]

Picked mine up at Woodcraft. Fortunately, the rail was fine, though the packaging had taken a hit. Not fun driving home with what looked like a pole vault pole.

I usually write a note on the delivery order specifying that there is damage. I don't think you give up your rights if you do that.

I've found Amazon customer service to be great, so not surprised.

[Kevin Gagne]

I got the 3000mm Festool rail for Christmas and had no damage. It was shipped from the Festool warehouse. It is packaged in a wooded box so they would have to be really abusive to bend it.

[frank shic]

anyone got the number for CEVA? amazonsupply.com claims that they left a voice mail for me... except i didn't get any call!

[Michael Heffernan]

Frank,
The number is 856-241-4400. Hope it all arrives in one piece.


anyone got the number for CEVA? amazonsupply.com claims that they left a voice mail for me... except i didn't get any call!

[frank shic]

thanks, i scheduled a drop off for tomorrow. we'll see how it goes...

[Peter Aeschliman]

I love how this deal has all of us so giddy. ha ha

[frank shic]

and spawned a near EPIC thread!!! woot

[Victor Robinson]

I can't believe [deals on] tools make you guys so giddy. So immature. *:rolleyes::D

[Tim Reagan]

I received all 3 pieces of mine yesterday through CEVA if great shape. Thanks to OP frank.

[Larry Prem]

I don't think a track saw is a table saw replacement. Even if the track is perfectly straight, positioning it is done with a measuring tape and a pencil. How accurate can that be?
The average accuracy of TS is not comparable with that of a tuned table saw. For cabinet building (long cuts), I'd use a TS only for making rough cuts. The table saw with the digital fence produces better cuts faster.

That being said, track saws are portable. It's great to have one on a job site.

[Michael Heffernan]

Okay, so Fedex delivered the replacement 102" track today, no damage. As AmazonSupply didn't want the other one back, I'm offering it for sale. Check the classifieds. Can't imagine how much they lost on this deal with all the back and forth with shipping, damage, cheap price. Glad I got mine tho'

[Dan Friedrichs]

CEVA safely delivered the big track today (quite securely packed in a hardboard box - it would have been very difficult to damage), while UPS brought the small track and the saw.

Unfortunately, there was some damage (see first pic).

Apparently it got hot enough to melt the glue that holds the foam blocks in place inside the tool case. I'm outraged! I'm going to chew out Amazon, UPS, the mailman (just because), the president, and possibly the easter bunny (when he comes).

Actually, I'll probably just tear those off and throw them away, because I can't figure out where they originally were...

The saw is nice! So far, I've only used it to cut up the box that the long track came in, but I like it. I can't figure out what the "anti-kickback" lock on the baseplate is supposed to do, though - the manual for this thing is horrible.

To answer Adrian's question about the Festool vac hose: The port on the saw is bigger than the port on Festool sanders...BUT - the I.D. of the DeWalt port is the O.D. of the Festool hose. So you can just stick the hose right inside the port, and it holds very tightly.


Thanks again for the heads up on this, Frank! I can't wait to find a casework project to try this out on - I'm very excited to be ditching my previous "track saw system" (a scrap of hardboard and a $20 Walmart circular saw).

228772228773

[frank shic]

you're very welcome everyone but i'm DYING over here until i get the track saw in my hands lol

[Rick Potter]

Got the missing long track today. It was waiting on the porch when I got home, AND the wooden box looked undamaged......until I turned it over. One end was chewed up a bit and broken open. The rail itself has minor damage, mostly to the rubber edge on one side. I will give a call to Amazon again. Maybe they will send me a new rubber (plastic?) piece.

I also had some loose foam blocks (see Dan's post). They were loose inside that neat, custom made, stackable, black DeTainer the saw came in. Saw looks great. Haven't had a chance to turn it on yet.

My only (really minor) complaint so far is that the saw is made for left handers. Cutting narrower 8' strips off a sheet of ply and keeping the track on the larger piece, you will be going left to right and using your left hand, because the blade is on the right side of the saw. I am probably being picky, since it will be captured on the track, and not difficult to control.

Stay tuned for Amazon's reply. Even with the damaged rubber piece, it will work fine so I am very pleased so far. I have been wrestling with this purchase for a year now. Don't tell anyone, but I was at my rich buddies house the day before I ordered this, and told him I had decided not to get one. Fickle me.:o

Thanks Frank and Tri,

Rick Potter

[Adrian Anguiano]

Thanks Dan. That makes me feel okay to go with the dewalt saw pending you alls review.


Keep us posted on performance.

[Greg R Bradley]

Got the missing long track today. It was waiting on the porch when I got home, AND the wooden box looked undamaged......until I turned it over. One end was chewed up a bit and broken open. The rail itself has minor damage, mostly to the rubber edge on one side. I will give a call to Amazon again. Maybe they will send me a new rubber (plastic?) piece.

I also had some loose foam blocks (see Dan's post). They were loose inside that neat, custom made, stackable, black DeTainer the saw came in. Saw looks great. Haven't had a chance to turn it on yet.

My only (really minor) complaint so far is that the saw is made for left handers. Cutting narrower 8' strips off a sheet of ply and keeping the track on the larger piece, you will be going left to right and using your left hand, because the blade is on the right side of the saw. I am probably being picky, since it will be captured on the track, and not difficult to control.

Stay tuned for Amazon's reply. Even with the damaged rubber piece, it will work fine so I am very pleased so far. I have been wrestling with this purchase for a year now. Don't tell anyone, but I was at my rich buddies house the day before I ordered this, and told him I had decided not to get one. Fickle me.:o

Thanks Frank and Tri,

Rick Potter

That is not how anyone uses a track saw that I have ever seen. I believe all track saws are blade-right saws. Blade away from you for safety.

[Craig Michael]

That is not how anyone uses a track saw that I have ever seen. I believe all track saws are blade-right saws. Blade away from you for safety.

Plus with the saw is on a track so you can really use it many different ways since you only need moderate down pressure and a little pressure moving it forward.

[frank shic]

how frustrating is this? i'm on my way to work and at the stop light i see a rather LARGE truck pass by labelled CEVA logistics! aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh... felt like that moment from that movie "the empire strikes back" as luke and vader sense each other's presence as their ships pass!

me: "SAW!!!!"
dewalt track saw (muffled): "MASTER!!!"

[Neil Brooks]

Fear of Shipping (I'm a former logistics guy....) was partly why I ordered two shorter rails, and a connector.

I haven't used my DeWalt, yet. I hate when life gets in the way of having fun :)

Enjoy, all !!!

[Mac McQuinn]

If you're only going to cut down ply goods for cutting to size on the TS, a clamp on straight edge and good quality circular saw w/ appropriate blade does fine and will save you a lot of $ over a track saw. I can easily hold 1/32"-1/16" accuracy w/ my set-up and then you only take a sliver off cutting to size on the TS, creating minimal dust. I started using this process years ago when dealing with 3/4" Nova Ply and two bad disc.....
Mac



I'm with you there! Cutting full sheets of plywood on a tablesaw is one of my least favorite things to do in the shop. It's really hard to control, you have to spend a bunch of time setting up roller stands, etc. And the accuracy always leaves something to be desired.

That said, I still picture myself only using my track saw for breaking sheets down. I have a sliding table attachment on my table saw, I can easily square up rough-cut pieces and get parallel sides using the rip fence.

[Rick Potter]

Greg and Craig,

I understand what you are saying. I am talking about narrow strips where the track is too wide to set on the strip you are cutting off. In this case it looks to me like you would have to do it left handed.I would have trouble reaching over 4' to cut it the other way. For most cuts it would be fine.

Am I missing something here? A senior moment is not out of the question.

Rick Potter

EDIT: I just talked to Amazon again about the damaged 102" rail. They are sending another one. Very nice of them. Amazon rocks.

[scott Stilin]

you're very welcome everyone but i'm DYING over here until i get the track saw in my hands lol

Frank, how on earth did you ever find this deal?

[Greg R Bradley]

Rick,

Actually, now that I think about it more, I see your point. I sometimes forget that some people can't reach up and touch an 8' ceiling with their feet still flat on the floor.

I am more likely to make long cuts first and find that cutting on top of rigid insulation works great. Otherwise, my 4' x 8' workbench would have to stay empty enough to actually set plywood on top of it and that would be more work than to just make long cuts on the floor.

I'm thinking that if you are trying to work across the end you are cutting then you would have to keep sliding the rest of the sheet toward you so that you could do the next piece.

I just try to never have any part of my body on one side of a blade and some other part on the other side of the blade.

[frank shic]

Frank, how on earth did you ever find this deal?

i found it on jlconline.com under the trim carpentry section but you what the funny part was? they actually got the deal from the sawmill creek forum deal section for contributors!

[Victor Robinson]

how frustrating is this? i'm on my way to work and at the stop light i see a rather LARGE truck pass by labelled CEVA logistics! aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh... felt like that moment from that movie "the empire strikes back" as luke and vader sense each other's presence as their ships pass!

me: "SAW!!!!"
dewalt track saw (muffled): "MASTER!!!"

I'll admit, I chuckled.

[Chris Tsutsui]

They should ship the long rails freight by first boxing them, shrink wrapped, then strap the box to a 2'x10' pallet with a shock sensor and "no stacking" cone. heh

Amazon has some of the worse packaging techniques for I bought a starrett straight edge and it came loose in a badly beat up oversize cardboard box and there was ding in the middle of the straight edge. There was no popcorn or filler inside the box. I returned the damage straight edge expecting the new one to be better packaged, but it was packaged the same exact way and lucky the 2nd straight edge wasn't damaged with a ding, but the cardboard outer box again looked fairly worn out.

[frank shic]

package has been received and the long rail SURVIVED!!! praise god :) now i better find a place to hang it on my shop wall before i ding it up doing something stupid...

[Rick Potter]

Greg,

Never could touch a ceiling with my feet flat on the floor. Now I am getting more mature, and all I have is flat feet. I think for any cut over about 6 ro 7 inches wide, there will be no problem running it right handed.

Poor Frank, he started this thread, and half of us already have our saws. Left waiting at the alter Frank?? It's not that far a drive if you want to come over and visit one.;)

Rick P

EDIT: Ahhhh, never mind Frank, apparantly yours arrived while I was writing the above.

[frank shic]

ROFL i was beginning to feel a little left out ;)

[Rich Engelhardt]

How about a bit if irony?

I had to make a new kitchen cabinet to fit into the same scheme as the existing 1950's birch ply/pine face frames.
I used my track saw.
I had a devil of a time getting the cabinet square.
I finally figured out that the saw had worked it's way just slightly off 90* and that was throwing things off.

OTOH - I also had to cut some counter tops (stock Home Depot ones , laminate over partical board w/a backspash.)
Because of the backsplash, I couldn't use the track saw.
I had to dig out my cheap Ryobi circ saw and make an L-shaped saddle guide to use.
Measured the top, allowed for 1.5" distance from the scribe line for the edge guide, put some blue painter's tape on the laminate to prevent chipping - held my breath and made a test cut.
LOL!
It (and ll the other 6 cuts I had to make) turned out perfect!

Go figure!

[frank shic]

...but the dewalt looks cooler! ;)

[Rich Engelhardt]

But - I think if I had a TS75EQ instead of the 55EQ or DeWalt, I could have had enough depth of cut to do the backsplash ;).

I just thought it was funny in an ironic kind of way that the ceap Ryobi and very crude 2x4 edge guide worked perfectly - and with the blue painters tape, the laminate came out without any chips.

Then, my high priced super tool let me down! (ok, my fault for not checking, but still)..

The first thing I thought of was this thread & the comment of "Is it worth it". :D

The worst part was my wife was helping me....she said, "You're not using your Festool to cut this"?

[frank shic]

oh that's dangerous when the wife starts catching on... thanks for reminding us all to check the angle on our newfound toy... ummm... investment!

[hai hong]

I order 2 of these ,don't know why ,they arrive in perfect condition .Wait I didn't open the second rail yet ,but the box that it came in look fine so I'm assuming there nothing wrong with it .That probably why they when with a freight Co.

[Van Huskey]

When I got my cordless version I admit I didn't read through all the instructions as I basically knew how to use it and most of the adjustments were intuative. Earlier today I happened to be putting the new one up and figuring out where to store the rails and just decided to start reading the instructions, I was taken back when I read the Dewalt is not recommended for use with Corian and other solid surface materials. I never had plans to use it for such but it hit me since Festool sells a solid surface blade for their tracksaws.

[trevor adair]

Are track saws worth it? Heck ya.. I have he TS55 Festool.. Many have mentioned breaking down sheet goods which I use it for as well, however I also use it with the 14 tooth blade to take the live edge off rough lumber as well. If the budget allows I highly recommend the MFT/3 as well, This combo has cut my table saw usage by 80%. The accuracy simplicity and speed has had me drinking the green kool-aid... Oh and I love the plastic luggage

[frank shic]

you know they upgraded the luggage, right? ;)

[Mark Burnette]

After all the posts here I thought I would go see one for myself at Woodcraft. Very impressive (Festool). Maybe TOO impressive. I'm not going to build a table for it so I'm wondering if all the cool features are wasted on me. I just want to throw a sheet of ply on the floor across a couple 2x4's and rip it in 2. Then maybe crosscut it. My Unisaw can handle the rest. For $700 (salesman estimate for saw + 2 55" rails + clamps + whatever) I just don't see the value for a hobbiest. For a pro who's time is money, sure.

I like the concept and certainly would like a splinter-free cut for a change but maybe I should look at a system without so many bells & whistles. Has anyone received the Scheppach china knock-off one yet and had a chance to use it?

[Van Huskey]

After all the posts here I thought I would go see one for myself at Woodcraft. Very impressive (Festool). Maybe TOO impressive. I'm not going to build a table for it so I'm wondering if all the cool features are wasted on me. I just want to throw a sheet of ply on the floor across a couple 2x4's and rip it in 2. Then maybe crosscut it. My Unisaw can handle the rest. For $700 (salesman estimate for saw + 2 55" rails + clamps + whatever) I just don't see the value for a hobbiest. For a pro who's time is money, sure.

I like the concept and certainly would like a splinter-free cut for a change but maybe I should look at a system without so many bells & whistles. Has anyone received the Scheppach china knock-off one yet and had a chance to use it?

Shame you missed the $370 Dewalt deal with long and short rails. I will point out of you keep your ear to the ground the Dewalt stuff gets blown out every once in a while.

[Michael Heffernan]

OK,so I finally got around to using my new Dewalt track saw. Had to crosscut a 30" wide desk top for a job. Used the 59" track. As per the instructions, fit the saw snugly to the track, checked the riving knife to blade measurement and cut one side of the rubber anti splinter strip. Marked the line on the top, checked for square, lined up the track on the piece and ready to cut. As I wasn't familiar with the plunge action, I started the saw and began to plunge, when the track moved. Furtunately, I wasn't into the piece yet, so I pulled out in time.
Not in the instructions, but I found that you should have support the full length of the track, at least underneath the beginning and end of the cut, if your piece is shorter than the track. The track tends to deflect downward with the weight of the saw as you plunge, if it is hanging in mid air. Should have assumed this; glad it didn't ruin the top.
Finally did the cross cuts to size. The cut is smooth, splinter free. Nice....
Couple of things I'll do in the future. I'm gonna get me some clamps, probably the Festool ones or hold-downs with 1/4" bolts and star knobs. IMO, the Dewalt clamps are too long to be useful on a workbench or just a few inches off the floor or work surface. And make sure that I have spacer/fillers the same thickness as the cut piece to support the ends of the track.
I'm sure it'll get easier as I work with the saw more. Now I gotta figure out where to store the tracks in my already cramped shop. Still have the 102" rail in the MDF carton it came in, standing up in a corner.

[frank shic]

for those of you who haven't unpacked the rails yet, don't be a noob like me and chop them up, throw them away and start wondering what you'll use to support the rail while doing the first trim cut!

[Darren Ford]

Several pages back, Larry posted a link to a PPS-2 System direct from manufacturer for $79 + $17 shipping. Amazon has what appears to be the same product for $179/free shipping.

Does anyone see a difference between the two?

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PPS-2.html
http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-PPS-2-Portable-Not-included/dp/B0007W5STE

[Jim German]

They look to be the same to me PSI- Woodworking seems like it would be Penn State Industries.

Looks like a bit of a hooky product to me though, Can't imagine you get nearly as good a cut as with a real track saw. Might as well just make your own track with a piece of hardboard.

[Jerome Hanby]

They look to be the same to me PSI- Woodworking seems like it would be Penn State Industries.

Looks like a bit of a hooky product to me though, Can't imagine you get nearly as good a cut as with a real track saw. Might as well just make your own track with a piece of hardboard.

You don't have the tear out prevention or the ease in lining up the cut as you do with the Festool, but some tempered hardboard and a few nuts and bolts remedies most of that. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer the Festool, but mostly for the plunge and adjustment features of the saw and the way the guide rails hold themselves in place without clamps. I have no complaints with the cut from the PSI using my Hitachi circular saw with a Freud Diablo blade.

[Chris Padilla]

I skimmed this thread so I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it but rigid foam works great as a backer for cutting sheet goods on.

I often toss one on the driveway (2" thick), toss the plywood on it and attack it with my track saw. It lasts quite a while...flip it over for a fresh side when you need it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The problem w/ rigid foam is that you have to get down on all 4's to use it.
Getting down on all 4's really isn't the problem though - it's the upgetting that follows that's the problem.

A cutting table that elevates the work is a lot more civilized ;)

[Rick Potter]

I'll give you an old timers amen on that one Rich. I need a crane to get me back up.

Rick Potter

[frank shic]

i built a cutting table several years ago to accommodate a 2" sheet of foam like you mentioned. can't believe how much stiffer my back feels these days... who'd have thought? now where did i put that cane? ;)

[Chris Padilla]

Well, I keep forgetting that 42 is still young 'round these here parts! LOL The driveway is a nice "cutting table" for me. :D

[frank shic]

lol i know right? i'm turning 40 this year...

[Erik Christensen]

I use my TS75 for all kinds of stuff besides breaking down sheet goods (for that a 3/4" ply sheet on saw horses topped with a 3/4' foam panel is the cat's meow - back the truck up, pull sheets out & cut to size all safely single handed) : tapers on solid wood is a snap, safely cut 45's in scrap ply for french cleats, square up panels on the MFT is faster than setting up the sliding table, and even things like cutting raised panels to final size is brain dead easy - make them 1/4" or so over size, fit up to cab opening, mark top/bottom, cut to the line, same for inside edge and a few swipes with the hand plane and ready for finish and a perfect fit every time.

add in the fact that the same rails can guide routers and a whole new world opens up - yes I have drunk deep of the kool-aid

[Ryan Brucks]

I'd like to chime in on the TS55 and melamine.

It is possible to get perfect, chip free cuts, but sadly I haven't been able to keep that going for very long before some minor chips start reappearing. I think there are a few things that are absolutely critical to get chip free melamine cuts. It's certainly doable, since the first few panels I broke down with my TS55 were perfect, then slowly degraded... now I know what affects it.


1) The amount of wear on your splinter guard strip. Ripping wood will eat up your spliter strip on the guide rail. Run your finger along it. If its still very very smooth, good. If you've used it a bit, it will be rough and therefore not supporting the wood evenly enough. Same goes for the green splinter guard outrigger. Replace when worn.

2) How well supported is the workpiece? I noticed anytime I cut a piece a bit too large for my current bench setup, and there is ANY sagging of the workpiece, this will destroy cut quality.

3) sacraficial piece of MDF or plywood should be under the piece to be cut or you could get some chipping on the bottom as well.

4) Clean the blade frequently when cutting melamine. Its crazy how much "pitch" gets stuck to the blade, from the particle board glue and melamine itself. A clean blade makes a huge difference in melamine.


That all said, as others mentioned, 90% of the time you don't need melamine to be perfect on all the sides. But when you do, like for a door or something, it helps to check these main areas before making a cut. You'd go through splinter guards (strip and outrigger) way too quickly if you were anal about every cut being perfect. But you should replace them periodically anyways, and sometimes I do it before a critical cut if I was going to replace soon already.

But I do love my festool :)

[Ryan Brucks]

I see now my post is a bit poorly timed.... I was in some ridiculous "hybrid" viewmode that is apparently designed just to confuse people about the order in which things were said, and cause people to write entire irrelevant posts :D

[frank shic]

guys, i just discovered another great use for my dewalt track saw: trimming plantation shutters to fit! next time i'll try to remember to leave the control rods off until the fitting process is completed. it's so much easier than using the tablesaw and it leaves a perfectly clean edge whereas my scoring blade attachment would leave a very light rabbet on one edge.

[Ryan Brucks]

curious about your scoring rabbet edge.

Is your scoring blade non adjustable? Mine is side to side adjustable, height adjustable and also conically shaped so you can control blade thickness based on height. It only gave me a rabbet before I aligned it better, but I got it perfectly flush (technically a thou or two of a rabbet still but it doesnt show up really).

[frank shic]

my scoring blade consists of two smaller blades that fit together. they do adjust but if i get the scoring cut to match the main cutting blade too closely i get far too much chipout on cutting melamine which is my cabinet material of choice. the blade can be lowered when i'm cutting thinner stock like cabinet doors but plantation shutters are usually at least 1" thick so i need all the extra height i can get although i probably could lower it slightly just enough so that the scoring blade doesn't engage now that i think about it some more... still, it's a lot easier to just line up the track saw edge and make the cut rather than shimming it on the exaktor sliding table.

[Todd Brewer]

I see now my post is a bit poorly timed.... I was in some ridiculous "hybrid" viewmode that is apparently designed just to confuse people about the order in which things were said, and cause people to write entire irrelevant posts :D

I never understood hybrid mode. Yahoo forums seem to default to that setting. And some sites always display newest post first. Never understood that either.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program... I just bought the Festool track saw. Getting ready to build some cabinets for the shop. Looking forward to knocking down 4 x 8 sheets without having to man handle them on the table saw.

Frank, I'm curious to hear how much you use you sliding table saw after getting a track saw. We've been "conversing" in the Exactor EX26x thread. Maybe I don't need the slider now that I have the track saw.

[Keith Hankins]

I'll chime in on this topic as I've done it both ways. I now own the TS55 with several different lengths of rails. I use the TS55 to cut sheet goods down while not that often is a nasty thing to do on a TS since I don't have a Sliding TS. I use to use a clamping strait edge along with a PC 7 1/4" saw with a Forrest WWII. I could cut panels with perfect edges. Now the set-up was a bit of a hassle. I had to use a square get it just right. The PC is nice that you have a definate space from the edge to the blade so you could measure from your line to cut and place the clamp square and then cut. Now lets move to the TS55 from festool. You place the rail against the line square it (no need to clamp). Plunge it run the rail and your done clean and quick. I put a piece of 2" think insulation panel on the ground lay the panel on that and cut it on the floor. It's quick and easy. I've cut a lot of cherry ply and its perfect.

So in summary yea you can do it with a strait edege and CS but its no comparrison with the track saw. BTW the DC is fantastic no dust. Now add the MFT3 work table for the TS55 and a short rail and you can work very efficiently and quickly and very accurate. Now you can attach multiple rails together but I bought one long enough to do an 8' edge on ply just because I don't beleive you can get two together and be perfect. The rails come in good boxes and I store them in those. Mated with the Festool vac it's a great combo. Not cheap but you get what you pay for.

[Jim German]

My biggest problem with the track saw is getting the cuts square and consistently the same size. I was pretty careful making my cuts, but there is a still a reasonable variation in the cut size/angle which makes assembling things difficult.

[frank shic]

barring using even more complicated methods like festool's parallel rail system the easiest solution for me is to run the smaller panels through the table saw to get square edges.

[Brian Kincaid]

My biggest problem with the track saw is getting the cuts square and consistently the same size. I was pretty careful making my cuts, but there is a still a reasonable variation in the cut size/angle which makes assembling things difficult.

Jim,
If you want square and parallel you will need a crosscut rail and a rip fence. I have a home-built setup using some EZ components and an Incra TS-LS fence. I can easily cut matching components where you can flip/spin matching pieces and the difference is not detectable by touch. I was never able to master this with a table saw.

So, don't give up, but don't forget that the tracksaw rail will never be more accurate than a pencil-layout unless you integrate fences, etc. Same idea as marking vs using story stick.

-Brian

[Keith Hankins]

My biggest problem with the track saw is getting the cuts square and consistently the same size. I was pretty careful making my cuts, but there is a still a reasonable variation in the cut size/angle which makes assembling things difficult.

The MFT/3 with stops solve that issue Perfect and repeatable.

[Jim German]

How does that work with a 4x8 sheet? Do you need like 4 MFT's to support the sheet? Or do you have to just cut it into smaller pieces before hand?

[Keith Hankins]

How does that work with a 4x8 sheet? Do you need like 4 MFT's to support the sheet? Or do you have to just cut it into smaller pieces before hand?


:) 4 would be a tad much but sweet just the same. I cut down to smaller pieces, but to tell you the truth with a good precision square that rail will not move and those panels come dead square. I don't need large ply (don't use ply that much) however not having a slider horsing a 4x8 onto the ts IMO is dangerous and I just don't like doing it. Thats why I throw the 2" insulation down and the ply on top of that and cut away. I'm still using the first piece I bought and I can stand on it and not crunch it and I'm a big guy.

That TS55 and a track will cut it dead on. I will always have a good strait to start and the mft/3 will cross cut to that precision if you want. Another good use is putting dados where you want them. I'll throw the router up on the base set the stops and run the groves and the will be in the exact same spot each time. Once your set up is done you can fly. I really love it. It get's as much use as the CS. Now if you want bunches of stips of ply the same then then LR32 can whip em out. The rails are made that they can bolt togher (two shorts to make a long) however I sprung for the big one so I know that edge is true. Their stock blades are good and you can get Forrest and other makes of blades to fit the arbor.

[Van Huskey]

I must say this has been a monster thread given the fact the topic is discussed quite a bit!

Tracksaws are cool and apparently somewhat misunderstood by a lot of people.

[frank shic]

it got a big boost from that killer dewalt track saw deal!

[Rick Potter]

Cut a 4X8 sheet with mine for the first time today. Works great. I have to decide just what I am gonna cut on and find a bunch of oddball adaptors for my hoses etc, but what I really need right away is a set of those clamps, to keep the ends from sagging if they are not fully supported. I cut an 8' sheet on a 6' table and had a bit of sag. Dust collection worked great.

Rick Potter

[Keith Hankins]

Cut a 4X8 sheet with mine for the first time today. Works great. I have to decide just what I am gonna cut on and find a bunch of oddball adaptors for my hoses etc, but what I really need right away is a set of those clamps, to keep the ends from sagging if they are not fully supported. I cut an 8' sheet on a 6' table and had a bit of sag. Dust collection worked great.

Rick Potter

Go to lowes or home depot and get a 4'x8' sheet of 2" solid insulation. Lay that on the floor you can walk on it and it wont effect it. Lay your ply on that. Set your depth of cut to just below the ply and make your cut. It's easy it's fully supported and when you use up the panel get another one(I've had my panel for over 2 years and its no where near ready to be replaced. When not in use I stand it against the wall and lean my other ply against it.

http://www.drenergysaver.com/insulation/insulation-materials/rigid-insulation-board.html

[Van Huskey]

Go to lowes or home depot and get a 4'x8' sheet of 2" solid insulation. Lay that on the floor you can walk on it and it wont effect it. Lay your ply on that. Set your depth of cut to just below the ply and make your cut. It's easy it's fully supported and when you use up the panel get another one(I've had my panel for over 2 years and its no where near ready to be replaced. When not in use I stand it against the wall and lean my other ply against it.

http://www.drenergysaver.com/insulation/insulation-materials/rigid-insulation-board.html


Get extruded insulation (pink/blue) not expanded (white) or you will have little white "snowballs" all over the place!

[frank shic]

Get extruded insulation (pink/blue) not expanded (white) or you will have little white "snowballs" all over the place!

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Rick Potter]

Thanks guys,

I plan to use some foam, but I am going to cut on a table....getting to old to get down on my knees without a winch to get me up. It's the table part I have to figure out. What size, where to put it etc.

It will probably end up as a glorified outfeed/assembly table. I am thinking about using formica on the top with a foot wide strip of foam down the middle, lengthwise, recessed to be the same height as the table. All cutting would naturally be within this strip.

Any thoughts??

Rick Potter

[Rich Engelhardt]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?89903-I-built-the-Gary-Williams-quot-Panel-Cutting-Table-quot-yesterday

I use mine a lot & not just for using the track saw.
Having a good sized horizontal surface comes in handy.

[Keith Hankins]

Thanks guys,

I plan to use some foam, but I am going to cut on a table....getting to old to get down on my knees without a winch to get me up. It's the table part I have to figure out. What size, where to put it etc.

It will probably end up as a glorified outfeed/assembly table. I am thinking about using formica on the top with a foot wide strip of foam down the middle, lengthwise, recessed to be the same height as the table. All cutting would naturally be within this strip.

Any thoughts??

Rick Potter


Take a look at this video it was reviewed over at the festool site and prett good if you want to use a table.


http://youtu.be/p4VTxEGyU0Y

[Rick Potter]

Love to look at it, but I can't get it to work. Sorry.

Rick P

[Van Huskey]

Love to look at it, but I can't get it to work. Sorry.

Rick P

Worked for me BUT you could try clicking on the YOUTUBE logo at the bottom which takes you out to youtube to watch it there, maybe that would help. It is an excellent video and the table is an excellent idea if you don't wanna crawl around on the floor and by folding up doesn't take up much space, with a sheet of half inch ply cut to fit on it and some sort of quickie hold down system it could be used as an auxillary table in the shop (with sturdier legs).

[Rick Potter]

Hey Van,

I have no idea why, but when I turned on the computer this morning, the video was right there on the post. Go figure.

Thanks,
Rick P

[Van Huskey]

Hey Van,

I have no idea why, but when I turned on the computer this morning, the video was right there on the post. Go figure.

Thanks,
Rick P

Some days I think computers hate me... or maybe they just love me and are simply "punking" me???

[frank shic]

i built a cutting table out of 2x4's and salvaged some legs from a collapsible table a few years ago. it works really well except for the time when i leaned something behind it... and it fell on my wife's brand new SUV!

[Van Huskey]

i built a cutting table out of 2x4's and salvaged some legs from a collapsible table a few years ago. it works really well except for the time when i leaned something behind it... and it fell on my wife's brand new SUV!

That is a good way to significantly reduce your new tool budget!

[Jerome Stanek]

Thanks guys,

I plan to use some foam, but I am going to cut on a table....getting to old to get down on my knees without a winch to get me up. It's the table part I have to figure out. What size, where to put it etc.

It will probably end up as a glorified outfeed/assembly table. I am thinking about using formica on the top with a foot wide strip of foam down the middle, lengthwise, recessed to be the same height as the table. All cutting would naturally be within this strip.

Any thoughts??

Rick Potter

Is that a winch or wrench? either one will work

[frank shic]

That is a good way to significantly reduce your new tool budget!

fortunately she hasn't noticed the small dings... yet!