taking the festool plunge

[David Gutierrez]

I am considering buying a festool track saw and rails for breaking down sheet goods. I am just a hobbyist but I am in a position to spend the $$. So I am looking at the TS 55 REQ and two 55 inch rails. in addition I am wondering about the guide rail accessory kit #497652. Looking for any opinions on this as it relates to breaking down 4 x 8 sheet goods.
Want the ability to cut a 8' length and I wonder how reliable, ie straight, the cut will be with two rails joined to make the cut? Also do not want to wrestle with/store a 106" rail.
What about the accessory kit does anyone have one and is it worth it?

Thanks in advance for your feed back.

[Jamie Buxton]

I attempted to use two short rails to rip plywood sheets, and eventually gave up. I sold one short rail, and bought a long one. When you join the two short rails together, there's nothing which sets them to be straight, so you need a long straightedge to align them. That's a bummer. Worse, the joined short rails wouldn't stay straight. They'd get knocked out of alignment in normal shop handling. So you have to get out the long straightedge to check them before every cut.

[William M Johnson]

I have used the two short ones successfully but for expediencey I bought a long one. One very pleasant surprise was the cut quality. I just glued up a table top using only the TS55 without jointing the boards. It was that smooth using the regular blade. I just purchased teh Raptor (or some other goofy name) blade that is specifically for ripping. Have not used it yet. I think the accessory kit is worthwhile. The most important accessory however is the Woodpecker 24" T square. This is indispensable.

Bill

[Mike Nguyen]

I don't mind joining 2 short rails because one in a great while I have to rip length wise, but I use 5x5 baltic birch all the times so I got a 55" and a 75" instead.

Mike

[Brian Kincaid]

It is a lot easier to trust a solid rail. If you are ripping a lot of 8' plywood then you should go ahead and plan to purchase a longer rail.

For oddball cuts like the "once a year 12' rip" I join some rails and pay just a little extra attention that they are aligned before the cut.

-Brian

[Larry Frank]

I have two of the shorter rails and frequently join them together to cut full sheets of plywood. I take my time and make certain that it is straight by using a 4 ft level to check where they are joined. I never have had a problem.

As to the accessory kit....it would not be useful to me. I do have the pieces to join the two short lengths and also two of the clamps.

I have never regretted getting the Festool track saw and rails and wish I had gotten it much sooner.

Good Luck

[Kevin Wolfe]

I was going to buy a 55 but wound up getting the dewalt equivalent. Great saw and a fair amount less. Especially for the tracks. It also got very good reviews on the wood whisperer. Might want to give it some consideration. My saw with a 55 and 102" track was $576 shipped from the tool barn.

[Jim Becker]

I have to agree with the one short, one long rail crowd. I also started with two shorter ones. It worked but wasn't the most convenient thing. While I rarely need to use the long rail, I have used it and when I did so, it was the right tool for the job! The Festool saw is just one of the many tools I have from them and every one has provided great satisfaction each and every time I use them. "Not cheap" (initially) to buy, but super quality and a good long term investment, IMHO. I don't like to buy more than once... ;)

[Dave Novak]

I frequently read that folks have trouble joining two rails together and achieving a straight cut, so there must be something to it. I however, have never had that problem. Compared to man-handling an 8' sheet of plywood through the table saw trying to keep it flat and tight against the fence, my results joining rails are far superior.

[Tom Henderson2]

I love my ts-55.... And live with shorter rails and join them as required.

joining is pretty easy; I use the factory edge from a 4' end of 1/2" ply instead of a level. Costs me nothing, gets hung on the wall with the rails, so is always at hand. It only takes a few moments.

I considered a long rail, but they are expensive and somewhat awkward to store (in my garage/shop anyway).

so you can't really go wrong.

-Tom in SoCal

[Greg R Bradley]

I've had a track saw for 25+ years and don't own a table saw so perhaps I have a different point of view. You don't have to start breaking down a 4x8 sheet of plywood by making 8' cuts. Is that what you do on a table saw so that is what you want to do with a track saw? The saw plunges so you can start in the middle of the sheet if you have to.

You can start with the saw and one 55" rail and see how it goes. Each person's requirements are different and hindsight is always better than what you think might work on a new workflow. I find the 32" and 75" rail very useful. I don't find much problem joining two rails but I do it on top of a sheet of plywood with the help of my 8' level and don't lift if off the plywood, just sliding from piece to piece.

I have both a Makita SP6000 and TS55 and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Makita unless the riving knife and outside anti splinter of the Festool are important for you.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I have the TS 55 and several rail options. If I had the ability to store the 118" rail I would buy it, the 106" rail is kind of useless since you need to be pretty precise in setting up, because you should have about 6" before cut and 4" after. Most if the time, I join my 2 55" rails, at first I used a level, but after buying the Betterley connector, I have had zero issues. If you are going to get 2 rails, I would buy the 55" Holey rail as the second rail. It is the same price and if you get more into the system, and want to get into the LR32 system, you will be a step ahead in terms of rails.

[Matthew Hills]

I picked up the long rail for this (I didn't like joining the two pieces of the guide that I'd gotten from the borg for use with regular circular saw)
It works well, and as others have said, cut quality was a very nice surprise.

I don't use the long rail too frequently, and have had some problems with the splinter guard losing adhesion to the rail... grr...

Matt

[john Intosa]

I own the 32,55, and 75 inch Festool rails and happy with this combination. The occasional rip cut of plywood sheets can be managed by joining the 75 and 32. Storing and transporting a 100 plus rail was another consideration. The 32 is more manageable when squaring up a panel and the 75 is nice when edge joining a board. What's best for you, only you know. If unsure, I would work with the coupler system and when it is clear the 100+ rail is needed, you can purchase. Festool is better supported than Dewalt, plus I think easier to square to 90. The Makita rails will work with a Festool saw, but need to be slightly modified.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

I bought the accessory kit. The rail joining rods and stops are useful. The "angle unit" I have never found a use for... I would advocate pricing the accessories you need & systainer vs the kit.

Two rails can be aligned by bridging the saw over the track junction but I seldom find two joined rails as accurate as one long one.

[Harvey Miller]

Betterly tools sell a guide to help align the rails. Also the Makita connectors are better designed than the originals & work with the Festool tracks.

[David Gutierrez]

I will forgo the accessory kit. I am going to get two rails and connect them for the occasional full length rip. I work in my garage and storage of the long rail is a issue, plus I could probably get a nice 6' level to align the short rails and still be less expensive than a long and short rail. I will take the advice and get one rail with holes as there is no price difference. a plus for the festool is it is part of a larger system which is why I decided not to go with the Dewalt.

Thanks to everyone for the information.

[Vijay Kumar]

Betterly tools sell a guide to help align the rails. Also the Makita connectors are better designed than the originals & work with the Festool tracks.
Do you have a source for this. I went to Betterly tools (http://www.betterleytools.com/) but coudnt find it.

[Greg R Bradley]

Do you have a source for this. I went to Betterly tools (http://www.betterleytools.com/) but coudnt find it.

http://www.festoolproducts.com/Betterley-SLC23-StraightLine-Connector-for-Guide-R-p/slc23.htm

[Sam Murdoch]

I will forgo the accessory kit. I am going to get two rails and connect them for the occasional full length rip. I work in my garage and storage of the long rail is a issue, plus I could probably get a nice 6' level to align the short rails and still be less expensive than a long and short rail. I will take the advice and get one rail with holes as there is no price difference. a plus for the festool is it is part of a larger system which is why I decided not to go with the Dewalt.

Thanks to everyone for the information.

If I had room to store and was willing to carry a long rail in my truck I would likely have bought the longest option Festool offers by now - connecting rails can get tedious especially if you are going from one rip to a crosscut then back again. You do need to plan your moves.

Having said that - this (what you wrote above David) is what I have been doing for at least 6 years (longer I think). The angle jig I traded for some extra clamps and that was a good trade. The extra stuff in the accessory kit can be just as cheaply bought as separate items. Eventually you might decide to buy a 42" rail in addition to the 2- 55" rails, and then a shorter one still. They all come in handy.

I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH ALIGNMENT connecting 2 rails and I do this weekly. The secret to my success (I believe) is that my work surface is dead nuts flat. I have a dedicated work table that is 4 x8 on a strong back. As it is flat - any ply that I am cutting is flat and so there is no deflection in the guide rail as I cut. If you can't dedicate a 4 x 8 foot surface at least create a set up that is better than a few saw horses with 2Xs set on top. FLAT FLAT FLAT is the key (within reason :D).

[James Baker SD]

This was my experience also. I just could not get a good, straight cut with two 55" rails joined together. I love most things Festool, but the rail joining system is not one of them.

[RDave Evans]

I have the 55" standard, 55" holey, and 75" and the accessory kit. I usually cut across a sheet of plywood first so I am not dealing with the long edge, but when I do I join the 75 and 55" I just take my time setting it up and making sure it is straight. I also use the clamps. Like others have said I wish I would have gone with the track saw earlier. A suggestion, go with the "holey rail" if you do take the plunge. It is only a few dollars more and it will work with other Festool items. I did not think I would be getting that many more Festool items so got the standard rail, and let's just say I soon needed the holey rail!

[David Gutierrez]

Sam next project on the list is Ron Paulks work bench which I hope /plan to build dead flat. I am going to try connecting two rails with level for alignment. if that does not work out then I can always buy a long rail or perhaps the betterly alignment device suggested above. As it turns out I am in the market for a 6' level.
thanks

[Sam Murdoch]

Sam next project on the list is Ron Paulks work bench which I hope /plan to build dead flat. I am going to try connecting two rails with level for alignment. if that does not work out then I can always buy a long rail or perhaps the betterly alignment device suggested above. As it turns out I am in the market for a 6' level.
thanks


That seems to be a great set up. As it is when I go into the field and need a big work area for my track saw I often just throw a sheet of foam panel on the floor and cut my ply on that. Should really think about building a Paulk style bench myself :rolleyes:

On the subject of levels check this out - http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/page/4/ There are 3 articles on this page about the Stabila R-Beam levels.

For those who might be saying to themselves - Ron Paulk Workbench:confused: here is another link - http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2011/09/09/the-ultimate-work-bench/

[Harvey Miller]

The MF-TC is another neat workbench design for Festool style setups. It looks a more complex to build, but it's smaller size could be handy.