Quote Originally Posted by Mike O'Keefe View Post
I would like to purchase a track saw rail to fit my Porter Cable circular saw. I really don't want to buy a saw and rail combo. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. If necessary to buy a saw and rails which would you recommend ?? I do not want a cordless saw. Thanks Mike O'Keefe
Any guide rail system can be used for a standard circular saw. You just need to make a carrier board for your saw.
You will lose some depth of cut, the thickness of the material you use to make the carrier board, and you may negate the anti chip feature, but a roll of painters tape has been used for decades to to perform this function. The plunge function is also gone, but there are ways around that.
Get a small piece of pre finished Baltic Birch ply, like the type that Woodcraft sell. Cut it about 2" longer than your circular saw base, and an inch or two wider. Trim off a piece the width of the distance from the edge of the guide rail to the center "track" extrusion.Lay the two piece on the track on both sides of the extrusion. Center your saw and mark it so that the blade is parrallel to the edge guide. Drill holes and mount. You could probably also use double sided tape to locate it temporarily while you align everything and drill holes.
Look at some pictures of the old EZ Smart system guide rails and the saw carrier bases for the system. You're replicating that, but for a different system
There should be some extra length in front of and behind your saw plate. Take a small piece of material and connect across the width to tie the front, back, and sides into a rigid form.
If you're careful in your measurements, you will retain the anti chip feature.
If you have a table saw it will take 10 minutes to make one.
I once put a 10" circular saw on a set of Festool guide rails.It's not difficult.