Track Saw Parallel Rips Sheet goods: Any good demo's out there?

[Keith Hankins]

You ought to reconsider the festool parallel guides. I know they are not cheap at 260$, but once you use them you will be hooked. Repeatable, fast, and no fuss set up. I've had mine since they first came out. I'm not sure they will fit the makita track (i have the ts55), but if they do, its worth it. JM2CW

[Kevin Jenness]

I'm with Rick Potter. Just make gauge blocks for your most frequent rip sizes with additional blocks for odd sizes, butt one end to the sheet edge and the other to the track, clamp if you must, and rip away.

[Chris Parks]

You need two straight edges and two of these or similar http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/pag...25&cat=1,43513

Set the measurement on one of the straight edges and lay the other straight edge on the one already set and set it. Now place each straight edge at each end of the cut and butt the track up to the ends of the straight edges. I don't suggest wooden blocks as stops as they aren't accurate enough. Over the track lengths available it only takes a minute amount of error to be a long way out of square. I have had the same issue when I borrowed a track saw and wish I had thought of this idea at the time. I suppose you could use any straight bit of steel, round bar etc as a setting tool.

[Robyn Horton]

You need two straight edges and two of these or similar http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/pag...25&cat=1,43513

Set the measurement on one of the straight edges and lay the other straight edge on the one already set and set it. Now place each straight edge at each end of the cut and butt the track up to the ends of the straight edges. I don't suggest wooden blocks as stops as they aren't accurate enough. Over the track lengths available it only takes a minute amount of error to be a long way out of square. I have had the same issue when I borrowed a track saw and wish I had thought of this idea at the time. I suppose you could use any straight bit of steel, round bar etc as a setting tool.

That sounds like a great idea Chris I'm going to have to try it

[Rick Potter]

Going with Chris' idea, how about a simple hardwood block with a round steel bar going through it, with a little wing nut to tighten it. Cheap and easy.

Rick Potter

[Peter Quinn]

The saw arrives tomorrow. I'm thinking along the lines of Rick's original idea, a stick with block screwed to it. Actually I'll figure out the off sets required, then make one piece of BB plywood up with a perpendicular stop piece glued to one end, then rip this in half so the distance is exactly the same. Basically I need one for uppers, one for lowers. This won't be replacing my TS so I don't need infinitely adjustable stops, or even frequently adjustable. Its a two trick pony....or maybe occasionally a third odd size for fridge cabs or such, but there are rarely more than one fridge cab in a kitchen, I could probably measure those. I'm not sure the best way to connect the stops to the fence, do toilet bolts fit in there like the t tracks you can buy? I received the clamps for the rails, and they don't fit in t tracks. I don't mind machining something out of phenolic or even aluminum if required, or perhaps muting the ones listed above to make the rail to parallel stops connection. Not sure I see the value in the $260 set ups if I don't really need the adjustability.

I like the Lee Valley ruler stops and have wanted one of those for a while, but I don't think a ruler that size is rigid enough over the distance involved, I don't see a way to connect that the of setup to the rail, and most importantly my rulers presently are Starret, they stay in the shop for layout, and they cost more to replace than the festool stop system, so they are staying put! The actual distance is not as important as the relative distance, 23 1/4" rip.....23 5/16" rip, irrelevant as long as both stops are the same and edges are parallel. I'll post some pics when its set up, probably going to be made of wood!

[Lee Reep]

I have a Festool track saw and bought the Seneca Woodworking parallel guides. They are not cheap, but they were less expensive than the Festool parallel guides, and have gotten rave reviews. They are an absolute delight to use, as is the Festool track saw and guide rail system. The guides from Rip Dogs look very similar, and are a little cheaper. Perhaps either company can advise if these might fit the Makita track.

I do not own an an MFT, but CNC'd my own top with 20mm holes for use with bench dogs and rail dogs.

[Keith Weber]

My solution is simple, cheap, effective, and common. Just a couple of strips of MDF or nice ply glued together. Cut the lower one about an inch longer than you need it, and then run the circular saw along the upper rail to cut off the excess. When you use it, just line up the edge of the guide along your line and clamp it down as shown below in my "picture is worth 1000 words" SketchUp image. Remember to leave enough width on the upper part that your circular saw will clear your clamps (DAMHIKT!)

Keith

homemade track.jpg

[Lee Reep]

One thing I forgot to mention. I'd highly recommend Googling "Paulk Homes" or see the "Paulk Workbench" YouTube videos. Ron Paulk is a home builder that developed his own portable bench system for Festool track saw use. I delayed buying a SawStop saw because of the cabinet work that Paulk and others are doing with Festool track saws. You get tear out-free cuts because of the splinterguards on the saw and the guide rail. Lots of cabinet makers and remodelers out there using this system to build cabinets. And it could certainly be part of a system for other track saws or even regular circular saws, with some accessory guides. Ron's bench is pretty neat since it is portable, light, strong, and incorporates support for a small contractor saw. I needed something similar, but no portability required. But I have a small shop so cutting 4x8 sheets is simpler when you are not feeding the sheet, but instead sliding the saw along the sheet sitting on your bench. My bench is also the out feed table for the contractor saw I decided to keep. I did breathe some new life into it by installing a Forrest blade.

[Mike Goetzke]

Check out the UEG (universal edge guide) from Eurekazone. Perfect for making parallel rips on sheet goods.

Mike

Found some pictures (found a perfect use for my 18V Makita - this is easy to carry):




Mike

[Chris Parks]

I was thinking as I typed, literally the idea came as I was typing the post. Any round bar would be ideal with a stop on it with maybe one or two little improvements. The stop would be a fence type stop with some length to it for stability especially when using the first set stop as a story stick for the second. Chasing a round stop and bar and trying to hold it while setting the second would get old fairly quickly. Beyond that I don't think that you can beat simple and it sure would be cheap but more importantly accurate. I have always stayed away from track saws for the simple reason of setting the track to an accurate and square dimension but I might buy one now.

[Rick Potter]

I am curious to see what you come up with Peter. I am sure it will be more elegant than something I dream up, and I will undoubtedly use it to create the same thing for my DeWalt track saw.

Thanks in advance,

Rick P

[Cary Falk]

Rick,
Here was my solution for the Dewalt.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...des&highlight=
Cary

[Chris Parks]

Carey, that is very nice but I think it is overkill for the job. I would mark the sheet, place the tracks on the marks as best I could see and set one bar off the reference edge. Using that I would set the other using the first as a reference and nothing was measured beyond the first marks. If one of the marks is off a bit end to end after setting the bars then your marking out was off which is a fairly common occurrence or we would not be having this conversation.

[Rick Potter]

Thanks Cary,

I bookmarked that for future reference.

Rick P