Using a track saw vertically

[moosepig]

Hi all,

Contemplating a (possibly cordless) Festool track saw as I tend to find myself cutting up quite a bit of sheet material. I've read some great things abou the Festool track saw system and it appeals a lot. Trouble is, I'm struggling to justify the expense unless i can use it inside my tiny shop (just under 10'x8').

This summer when I could work outside I cut horizontally using an old circular saw and a home-made guide track and (bodged) zero clearance device, which worked albeit with moderate success (poor accuracy being the most common problem). However as winter approaches and my activities move indoors I am left wondering whether it's easy and safe enough to use a track saw to cut sheets of material that are held vertically or near-vertically (such as would be the case in a vertical panel saw). I've googled this and searched on here but searches keep directing me to vertical panel saws, and I definitely haven't got room or budget for one of those!

I'm not talking about full sheets; I get them cut at the suppliers so they fit in the car. The biggest I'm likely to be starting with is 4 feet square. That's just impossible to do horizontally in my shop without clearing most of it out into the garden first.

So, firstly is the accuracy and convenience worth the money or should I just remake my track and recalibrate everything every time it wears out; and secondly can it easily be used near-vertically as described when space does not allow horizontal cutting?

I want to be sure before I part with my cash

Many thanks

 

[custard]

I'm not talking about full sheets; I get them cut at the suppliers so they fit in the car.

Hello, I can't help you with your vertical question I'm afraid as I've only used my Festool track saw horizontal.

However, I'm not that far from you, so i was wondering which sheet goods supplier you use that cuts to your cutting list and lets you collect?

Thanks

 

[griggs]

I've not tried it with mine, so can't say 100%, but can't think of a reason off top of my head why it wouldn't work, can think of reasons why it's a whole lot easier flat ;-) The rail would need to be clamped to workpiece which could be a faff and lifted off ground to allow rail and saw clearance at beginning of cut, need to be careful for kickback or saw coming away from rail perhaps.

I'm sure someone else will point out obvious reasons why you can't taht I've overlooked

 

[marcros]

there was a demonstration at the newark show of the marfell being used vertically. The track clamped on with a vacuum I think.

 

[moosepig]

However, I'm not that far from you, so i was wondering which sheet goods supplier you use that cuts to your cutting list and lets you collect?

Thanks

Wickes usually :wink: I find their stuff marginally better (i.e. flatter) than B&Q.

I'm only a hobbyist so I don't use a trade supplier or buy in bulk (nowhere to store stuff anyway).

 

[moosepig]

I guess gravity plays quite a large part in keeping these saws on the rails, I can see how clamping the rail vertically could cause problems. Hmmm. Time to experiment with my home-made setup, methinks.

 

[custard]

However, I'm not that far from you, so i was wondering which sheet goods supplier you use that cuts to your cutting list and lets you collect?

Thanks

Wickes usually :wink: I find their stuff marginally better (i.e. flatter) than B&Q.

I'm only a hobbyist so I don't use a trade supplier or buy in bulk (nowhere to store stuff anyway).

Okay, thanks for that.

 

[Woodchips2]

Here http://www.finewoodworking.com/workshop ... l-saw.aspx is one idea for a home made panel saw using your existing saw.

Regards Keith

 

[moosepig]

Thanks Keith - that's the sort of stow-able thing I had in mind (although smaller). Those guides look exactly like mine ;-) I'm thinking now that it will be a lot cheaper, even in the long run, to remake the saw guide each time the edge wears out rather than to shell out on a specialised track saw system, however good they undoubtedly are.

I made a couple of free-standing 5-drawer under-workbench units recently and found that it was difficult to get cuts to within a couple of mm of where I wanted them using my existing guide - but I got round this by cutting slightly oversize and then trimming the workpieces on my TS. Therein lies another tale of poor accuracy - refurbished cheapo TS that I got off Gumtree which is on its way out... but can I justify buying a decent TS when I can just refurbish another used one? I love shiny new toys but it has to be worth it. It was only shop furniture but I needed sub-mm accuracy to get the full extension drawer runners right, and ended up having to shim about half the runners because some of the drawers were about 0.5mm too narrow. Only a hobby, but that sort of lack of precision I do find irritating.

 

[RickN]

My concern would be using the saw away from horizontal would likely bring it closer to your face when used vertically, and i don't know about the rest of you but having watched Hostel the movie, A circular saw to the face isn't a prospect I'd think was fun.

as for festool, I looked extensively into tracksaws before i took the plunge, I didn't like the way the festool rails joined, I found it to be a bit of a faff. I ended up with a bosch , which incidentally the mafell uses the same rail extrusion and jointing system. and has the most power of all three ... granted the red one is also the most expensive which is why i went for the blue one.

 

[petermillard]

I've done this a few times - usually opening up previously-boarded alcoves to fit wardrobes into. It's do-able, but I wouldn't want to do it regularly as it's quite hard to keep the saw plunged and move it up the track - especially at the bottom of the cut. Putting the board on an incline (as in the DIY panel saw linked to above) and cutting right -> left would make it easier, certainly.

And FWIW I've never had a problem joining my Festool rails, though I'd agree that the Mafell approach appears to be more robust.

Edited to add: to the OP - if you remake your own track, why not incorporate the (replaceable) rubber edge from e.g. Mikita guide rails? Available as a spare part for well under a tenner from a variety of places, including Axminster

Cheers, Pete

 

[moosepig]

to the OP - if you remake your own track, why not incorporate the (replaceable) rubber edge from e.g. Mikita guide rails? Available as a spare part for well under a tenner

Good idea! Although if I'm going to be making my own track I'm more inclined to make my own sacrificial edge out of a strip of ply or whatever I've got lying around. I will see if I can incorporate this into the design for the next one