Buying a Tracksaw

[user22161]

Thank you for suggesting parallel guides, I have watched Peter Millard's excellent videos, but as yet it has not proved as high up the list of desirables as the need to x-cut at 90 degrees for example.

I've just bought these, Parallel Guides Bracket for Festool Tracksaw Extension 2 Pair - Guide Rail Track | eBay nice snug fit on rails and now awaiting the Incra T track to go with them. For the 90 degree cuts, I copied the one Peter shows on one of his videos, works well and cheap to construct. For everyday use, Benchdogs one would be my choice.

 

[Spectric]

I have a 3m rail which is indeed a lot better for doing long cuts (e.g. trimming floor edges in situ, doing cut outs for electrical trays, etc) - but it's a pain to transport it about (it won't fit in my van!) and even moving it round on sit can be awkward, as is storing it safely so some muppet doesn't end up bending it.... So limited usability but very good when I do need it

To keep it flat why not make a simple board that it can be attached to when being transported, I used a similar concept when having to move 2 metre lengths of 8mm stainless pipe around, just make sure no muppet decides "thats a handy length of timber, just need to cut a bit of the end"!

 

[JobandKnock]

The Festool doesn’t have a specific “scoring” facility...

The older TS55 and the TS75 don't, the newer TS55R and TSC55 do have a scoring facility. I have the older saws and as you rightly say it is hardly rocket science to do a 2mm deep scoring cut (albeit a little slower). And you are so right about how much better the cut you get on melamine faced boards is using the scoring cut

This shows the little knob to set the scoring feature to give a shallow cut, cannot see any mention of offset issues.

Because there isn't one? It's really very simple: you pull the knob out, the depth of cut is then limited to 2mm, you make the scoring cut, you push the knob back in and the saw then plunges as normal. There is no offset BUT because of the amount of tooing and froing to make a scoring cut it is highly sdvisable to use the clamps on the rails to prevent them.moving during the whole process (which they can)...

I picked up a secondhand Bosch GKT55CE today, specifically to break down and trim about 300 sheets of cement fibre boarding we are installing. No point in wrecking a good Festool or Makita on this job. It is remarkably similar to the original Festool TS55 and has few bells and whistles, although by removing a plastic insert in the bottom of the base it will run on Festool/Makita rails. Unlike the original TS55, though, it does have a "scoring" facility which allows you to set the blade angle to -1°. This could presumably allow you to make a 2mm deep scoring cut, to be done before the main cut. Not so sure I"ll be using that feature on cement board, however

 

[MAC65]

Sorry to pee on your fire but I think that you will find that B&Q have advertised that price but out of interest I looked and the item is not available for home delivery and even though I live near to one of the largest B&Q in the country it shows no stock and also no stock in any nearby store.

It is so annoying when shops advertise great deals with no stores actually having any in stock, it’s not just B&Q, most do it. A marketing ploy to get people in the stores and on the websites.

 

[angelboy]

Powertool World.

EVOLUTION R185CCS 185MM MULTI-MATERIAL CIRCULAR SAW WITH TCT BLADE SKU: EVO027-0001C Voltage240v 1 Excl. Tax: £49.96 Incl. Tax: £59.95 EVOLUTION ST2800 1400MM X2 CIRCULAR SAW TRACKS INC CONNECTORS, CLAMPS & STORAGE BAG SKU: EVO004-0010 1 Excl. Tax: £69.96 Incl. Tax: £83.95

Subtotal (Excl.Tax)​ £119.92​ Subtotal (Incl.Tax)​ £143.90​ Shipping & Handling (Excl.Tax)​ £0.00​ Shipping & Handling (Incl.Tax)​ £0.00​ Grand Total (Excl.Tax)​ £119.92​ GB standard VAT (20%)​ £23.98​ Tax​ £23.98​ Grand Total (Incl.Tax)​ £143.90​

I haven't used it yet but it looks to be fine - a lot of saw for the money, and everyone's track seems to be expensive. A compromise, not to the standard of the dedicated plunge saws but I wanted 1/ the price, and 2/ the metal cutting capability.

That saw doesn't fit the track.

The one that's for the track is this one - https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/evolution-r185ccsx-185mm-multi-material-circular-saw-in-carry-bag

 

[Spectric]

They do that Evolution in 110 volt, at that price it is a disposable asset providing it delivers and does not make the job take longer.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That saw doesn't fit the track.

The one that's for the track is this one - https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/evolution-r185ccsx-185mm-multi-material-circular-saw-in-carry-bag

It does fit the track. Powertoolworld say it fits the track, the box the track comes in says that saw is compatible.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It is so annoying when shops advertise great deals with no stores actually having any in stock, it’s not just B&Q, most do it. A marketing ploy to get people in the stores and on the websites.

A store near me used to advertise Levi 501s, Caterpillar boots etc. very cheaply. They actually went out and bought a one or two (pairs) at full price from another shop and put them in their advert cheaply in the local rag with a warning in small print that stocks were limited and you should phone first. Of course most people just turned up and finding them out of stock would buy something else.

 

[danst96]

I'll keep the Makita for the rough work but the track saw is way nicer to use, I bought a couple of 1.5m Makita rails the other day and will probably buy the Makita track saw soon..I'm on the slippery slope.

haha good luck, you should have just gone straight for the TS55 in that case, you will end up spending the same.

Might I add, in case it is helpful to anyone, i got a TS55 110v with 1.4m track and systainer from powertool world for £475 incl VAT last week which i figured is a pretty good deal.

 

[bluenose]

Please don't laugh will you

My Makita turned up today and I can't wait to have a look at it, problem is I can't open the B*@5## carry case!!

I have undone the catches but there seems to be a little black bit of plastic in the front right hand corner which I have moved in every direction possible but it just won't release the lid. I don't want to snap it off just in case but, if anyone has purchased one recently and can advise me it will be most grateful.

Many thanks.

 

[PerryGunn]

Please don't laugh will you

My Makita turned up today and I can't wait to have a look at it, problem is I can't open the B*@5## carry case!!

I have undone the catches but there seems to be a little black bit of plastic in the front right hand corner which I have moved in every direction possible but it just won't release the lid. I don't want to snap it off just in case but, if anyone has purchased one recently and can advise me it will be most grateful.

Many thanks.

Are you sure it's not the anti-theft cable tie - lots of Makita boxes have them to avoid the contents 'going missing'

You just cut it off...

 

[bluenose]

Are you sure it's not the anti-theft cable tie - lots of Makita boxes have them to avoid the contents 'going missing'

You just cut it off...

Ha Ha I do believe that you are right PerryGunn, closer inspection does reveal that it is a cable tie. Thank you so much. I've said it before but I'll have to say it again...................................it's definitely an age thing

 

[Filament]

Enjoy your Makita bluenose!
For what it's worth, I tend to be extra cautious in terms of dust inhalation, so the general things used as a sacrificial board underneath (as you want to cut around 3mm deeper than whatever you're cutting) didn't really appeal- as you've probably seen, many use either a sheet of MDF or a sheet of insultation such as Kronospan or Celotex. Although MDF is certainly not as toxic as a) it used to be and b) as many people still think, the dust each of those things creates is fairly fine and masked up or otherwise, I'd always rather limit as much as possible so I bought a 6ft pine table from someone on ebay for £10 and use the top from that on trestles. It gives a solid base and pine is one of the least bad dusts (as far as I can tell from the reading I did, but perfectly happy to have someone tell me I'm wrong)

 

[bluenose]

Enjoy your Makita bluenose!
For what it's worth, I tend to be extra cautious in terms of dust inhalation, so the general things used as a sacrificial board underneath (as you want to cut around 3mm deeper than whatever you're cutting) didn't really appeal- as you've probably seen, many use either a sheet of MDF or a sheet of insultation such as Kronospan or Celotex. Although MDF is certainly not as toxic as a) it used to be and b) as many people still think, the dust each of those things creates is fairly fine and masked up or otherwise, I'd always rather limit as much as possible so I bought a 6ft pine table from someone on ebay for £10 and use the top from that on trestles. It gives a solid base and pine is one of the least bad dusts (as far as I can tell from the reading I did, but perfectly happy to have someone tell me I'm wrong)

Thank you for the tips Filament. I've got a pretty good vac for my dust etc and am pretty careful in that regard. Great idea with the pine table top.

 

[pe2dave]

Ha Ha I do believe that you are right PerryGunn, closer inspection does reveal that it is a cable tie. Thank you so much. I've said it before but I'll have to say it again...................................it's definitely an age thing

Can we have a quiet titter now? Simply 'cos we've been there / done that (and looked daft). Enjoy the tracksaw. Great tool.

 

[bluenose]

Thank you pe2dave, yes a quiet little titter is perfectly in order. I feel so stupid really. What happened was that I took the saw out of the transit packing and unclipped he carry-case clips and didn't look at what turned out to be a cable clip, I was just feeling it and couldn't make out what it was. I had been outside all day painting the fence and so was a bit tired and felt a bit like Alec Guinness did when he came out of the corrugated hut in Bridge on the River Kwai, I couldn't find my reading glasses and realised that they were out in the car and I just couldn't be bothered to go and get them! When I did get them I spotted things immediately.
Yes I'm really looking forward to making use of the saw. I particularly like watching the very informative YouTube video's by Peter Millard, I find them a great help along with the help offered by the great members on here. I think that this forum is absolutely brilliant, even the non-woodworking sections!

 

[pe2dave]

As I said, been there / done that!
Agree, Peters video's add experience. One point he does mention (only time I've seen it). Keep the "rubber" strips under the tracks clean to grip the wood. Normal use, there's little tendency to move sideways, but it does happen and those strips are most often all you need to keep the track stable on the MFT.

 

[angelboy]

It does fit the track. Powertoolworld say it fits the track, the box the track comes in says that saw is compatible.

Have you used it yet?

Like most saws, you'll be able to use the track as a guide, like you'd use any straight edge, but it won't be used as a track saw where you use the nylon strip as the blade guide. There'll be a difference between where the blade sits and the nylon guide. The 'X' version has a different base that fits over the track and cuts snug to the nylon strip (you make a cut first to trim it to your set-up).

I have the earlier Rage circular saw that is similar to the CCS version with virtually the same base and I also have the CCX+ which is specifically designed to use with the track, which has a different base.

If you could use the cheaper version with a track exactly the same as the one specifically designed for the track then why would Evolution even bother making one with a base that fits the track because everyone would buy the cheaper (non-track) version?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Certainly - I did know its limitations, but I wanted the saw for other purposes.

There'll be a difference between where the blade sits and the nylon guide ...

No, it sits in the same place. The guide has to be trimmed to suit the blade.

 

[JobandKnock]

...I tend to be extra cautious in terms of dust inhalation, so the general things used as a sacrificial board underneath (as you want to cut around 3mm deeper than whatever you're cutting)...

No need to go 3mm - on a flat cutting table most sheet materials I find I can get away with 1mm, with plywood requiring 2mm as it is never truly flat.

Although MDF is certainly not as toxic as a) it used to be and b) as many people still think, the dust each of those things creates is fairly fine and masked up or otherwise, I'd always rather limit as much as possible

According to the COSHH sheets, European MDF isn't toxic at all, and hasn't been since about 1995 when the E1 standard was introduced. AFAIK that effectively ended the use of resins containing formaldehyde on the production of MDF.

@petermillard did a YouTube video about MDF toxicity which you might find of interest

You do well to wear a mask, but is your mask up to it? At work (construction) we mandate the use of face-fitted P3 masks when cutting MDF, chipboard and plywood together with an L-class or M-class vacuum depending on what is being cut.

In a home environment you obviously won't be able to do a full face fit test (which requires a test rig and a trained tester) but if you are relatively clean shaven you could opt for a JSP Force 8 mask with P3 filters (AFAIK the only mask to feature a seal self test facility), or if you are whiskered then the obvious choice would be an air cap or air helmet of some description which blows filtetedcair down over the face (but can be a bit cold in winter), again with P3 filters. In terms of vacuums, most home vacuums or shop vacs aren't up to the task of filtering MDF dust, but if you can't run to an M-class vacuum, you can get near to the same effect by fitting a pre-filter cyclone between your tool and the shop vac

... and pine is one of the least bad dusts

It depends. About 20 years ago the OSHA in the USA did some research which concluded that the dust from western red cedar is carcinogenic...

And whilst it may or may not be carcinogenic, the formaldehyde in softwoods as well as the resins can lead to a form of allergic rhinitis - something I know about from first hand experiencr