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Thread: Track Saw Setup

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Minnesota
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    463

    Track Saw Setup

    Newbie woodworker, and most experience with hand tools.
    Just ordered the Makita track saw with two 55" tracks.
    Any neat setup or other tips I should be aware of off the bat?
    Do you folks wax the tracks?

    I'll likely pick up some foam at some point, but for now I've got old closet doors as sacrificial work support.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    The one "setup" thing you need to do is to run the saw down the length of the rail to trim the rubber edge so it's zero clearance with your particular saw and blade before you start to use it for cutting material. Congrats on your new tool!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    10,304
    Figure out how to connect your two track sections together so that they are straight enough for your purposes. On my track saw, the joiners don't assure straightness. A long straightedge is necessary.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
    Posts
    1,719
    I use a couple of TSO Products when using my Festool track saw.

    Not sure if these would fit the Makita track, but here they are.

    The first is the https://tsoproducts.com/tso-guide-ra...e-rail-square/ GRS-16 which allow for a good 90 degree cross cut.



    The other is their https://tsoproducts.com/tso-parallel...-guide-system/ Parallel Guide system, that has stops, so it's easy to make repeatable parallel cuts without measuring each time. I bought this a la carte, so I didn't buy the pieces I thought were redundant.


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Shorewood, WI
    Posts
    897
    Make sure you cut the rubber edge using the blade you intend to use with the tracksaw.

    Presumably the Makita comes with a good blade, but with some cheaper saws you'd replace the blade and then cut the edge.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Northern Virginia
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    The Makita blade is fantastic for plywood. Get a 28t tenryu for ripping hardwood and for general usage. The 14t blades tend to deflect and vibrate thereby eating the splinter strip.

    Also just bite the bullet and get the 118" track. Its so much nicer better and faster than two 55's

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    The prices for the Makita tracks are sometimes pretty good if you can catch a sale/promotion...there are those of us who use them with our Festool saws (they are compatible). There's a thread here somewhere where someone did get the 188" track, maybe a year ago or so for that purpose. (?) The price was right for sure. My "shortie" track is a Makita track I recently purchased from another 'Creeker.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    463
    Thanks for the feedback.
    After some fiddling, I was able to dial in 90° and I'm pretty blown away at the cut quality with the stock blade cutting plywood and mdf.

    I can definitely see where the longer track would be beneficial. Kind of a pain to join/unjoin all the time, but at this point accessories are going to have to wait. I already took this cash from the 2020 Wedding/Honeymoon fund. The good news is I'm mostly a hand tool hobbyist and won't need daily use from the saw. But so far, I'm very pleased.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    854
    I got the long track last year. It is nice, if you have room to store it, but definitely a luxury.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    'Glad it's worked out for you, Nathan! While I agree that the long track is desirable, you can just put it on your "wish list" for later and when you are ready, keep your eye out for a promotion that helps with the cost. The Makita tracks are priced pretty reasonably compared to some others, fortunately.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    2,255
    I always like to flag safety related issues when I see them.


    Quote Originally Posted by Nathan Johnson View Post
    I already took this cash from the 2020 Wedding/Honeymoon fund.

    This may not be safe. Not safe at all...

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Between No Where & No Place ,WA
    Posts
    1,339
    [SIZE=3]RE. TSO products -- from the web site:

    "Compatible Guide Rails (Both): FESTOOL, MAKITA and TRITON (not compatible with FESTOOL HK 55 Carpentry Saws including the FSK 250, FSK 420 and FSK 670; not compatible with BOSCH or DEWALT tracks)"[/SIZE] Emphasis added: RCN

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Carl Beckett View Post
    I always like to flag safety related issues when I see them.

    This may not be safe. Not safe at all...
    Vegas, try Vegas. (Put the rest in an index fund.)

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/s...g-chapels.html

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Minnesota
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    463
    Ha, I appreciate the concern.

    We've been engaged for 11 years and we're doing a very small wedding at the house. My brother will officiate.
    My fiance doesn't know I've been squirreling away a little extra in this separate account. Technically it's my future fishing boat account, but...priorities, ya know.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Mac View Post
    I got the long track last year. It is nice, if you have room to store it, but definitely a luxury.
    The little hooky-things that Festool sells to make longer tracks out of shorter ones, IMO they don't work reliably, it's really the workmanship of risk. It's one of their weaker products. I wouldn't consider it a luxury to be in a position to trust your tools to work right. :^/

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