Rated 4.4 stars out of 5 overall based on 1,700+ reviews on Amazon
Rip, crosscut, and make angled cuts up to 50" long in plywood, MDF, and panels
About this store:
Amazon return policy: For the 2021 holiday season, returnable items purchased between October 1 and December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2022
Rockler return policy: If for any reason you are not satisfied with the merchandise you ordered, just return it within 90 days to receive a refund in the manner of original payment for merchandise only.
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Rated 4.4 stars out of 5 overall based on 1,700+ reviews on Amazon
Rip, crosscut, and make angled cuts up to 50" long in plywood, MDF, and panels
About this store:
Amazon return policy: For the 2021 holiday season, returnable items purchased between October 1 and December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2022
Rockler return policy: If for any reason you are not satisfied with the merchandise you ordered, just return it within 90 days to receive a refund in the manner of original payment for merchandise only.
I recall Tommy Silva on TOH showing how to make your own straight edge with two glued pieces of plywood, so one side is for left side guide and the other for right side guide of your saw. I think it's on TOH YouTube.
I broke down and bought one of these a couple years ago when I decided to make a couple cabinets for my house. I'll admit I'm not a cabinet maker, but I'm not someone that accepts shitty work on their home either (and custom cabinets = $$$$$$). I'm also an engineer FWIW.
I knew making long crosscuts in the plywood (the skeleton of the cabinet basically) would be difficult without some sort of guide, so I bought this, knowing that while I needed good cuts, I didn't want to spend multiples $$$ to get a "better" saw combo (true track saw).
If you pay attention to the setup, it goes a long way to making this true - like using a straight edge to align the tracks and not just end-butting the pieces of aluminum together and assuming it's square (hint: it won't be). Also, I don't take them apart now that they are true - the setup doesn't take up that much more space this way.
Second, get a good saw - not a HF special. I actually bought a few items specifically for the cabinet projects - this track, a good circular saw, and an RO sander.
Lastly, I made all my cuts on the floor using a couple pieces of 2" EPS (foam board) as a support. MAN that makes it all SO MUCH easier without worrying about supporting workpieces or farking up the blade. Also, the bottom of this track is rubber, so while it doesn't tend to move, I blew off the workpiece and the bottom of the track on every cut (sawdust) as well as put some weight on the track when I had it lined up. If I were making more cabinets or other projects I might invest in some clamps.
Will this replace a real track saw? No, but it doesn't cost as much as a real track saw either, and I'd say the quality of cut is identical.
The largest benefit is speed. There is less setup between cuts. You don't have to figure out your offset line when lining up the edge clamp. Once you got it all dialed in, you just line up the rail with where you want the cut and go. You will want to keep the circular saw in the jig to avoid recalibration. There is a sacrificial piece of plastic that gets cut into when you do the setup. The rail is held in place by friction with rubbery pads vs being clamped to the surface. They always stayed in place for me. I mainly used it for cutting sheet goods. I prefer the table saw or miter if possible.
A home owner here trying to be handy. Was thinking about getting a table saw so I could rip. Safety was/is a concern. A track saw could be a good compromise for me. Thanks OP
There is a place for the table saw.... For example, I need to cut off a trim for the door because it is too close to the wall. So, I have 3 inch trim and need to cut of 1/2 inch. It is not easy to use track saw for that. But on a table saw, that is easy. I am a beginner so I also have safety concern with table saw. I do it very slowly and carefully.
I once had a contractor to help and they took off all the protector cover and cut with the table saw really fast. I can't do it that way. But I don't need to cut stuffs on table saw all day also.
Technically yes, but it will require additional work.
I have used my regular circular saw with a diamond blade and a diy water feed to cut granite using a simple guide. So if you use the right blade + find a way to feed water you should be able to do it.
I recall Tommy Silva on TOH showing how to make your own straight edge with two glued pieces of plywood, so one side is for left side guide and the other for right side guide of your saw. I think it's on TOH YouTube.
I recall Tommy Silva on TOH showing how to make your own straight edge with two glued pieces of plywood, so one side is for left side guide and the other for right side guide of your saw. I think it's on TOH YouTube.
Exactly.
Either this diy rig ( I am using it for years now) or invest into plunge saw with set of guides for both 48" and 96" like Makita or Dewat, or if you have few extra $$ then Festool.
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Honest question here from an amateur: you have to make your two marks to line this up. But without this gadget, I do that anyway, and simply use my $15 metal straight edge and a pencil to mark a line between the marks. Then I just do the circular saw myself carefully. Is this that big of an improvement?
Tool swapping, additional lines, and "carefully" all take more time. If you are doing one cut, sure, whatever. If you're doing a lot of cuts that time adds up. A lot easier to mark, plop, and rip. Also only a matter of time before "carefully" becomes "woops I went off mark"
Whether or not the cost (and storage) is worth that to you is another matter. A circular saw can do everything a table saw does afterall, but people still buy those.
There is a place for the table saw.... For example, I need to cut off a trim for the door because it is too close to the wall. So, I have 3 inch trim and need to cut of 1/2 inch. It is not easy to use track saw for that. But on a table saw, that is easy. I am a beginner so I also have safety concern with table saw. I do it very slowly and carefully.
I once had a contractor to help and they took off all the protector cover and cut with the table saw really fast. I can't do it that way. But I don't need to cut stuffs on table saw all day also.
For those reading that are expecting to get seriously into woodworking (or just have big budgets…), look into SawStop table saws.
I don't love the company, but you can't beat their saws when it comes to wanting to keep all you digits.
I recall Tommy Silva on TOH showing how to make your own straight edge with two glued pieces of plywood, so one side is for left side guide and the other for right side guide of your saw. I think it's on TOH YouTube.
I recall Tommy Silva on TOH showing how to make your own straight edge with two glued pieces of plywood, so one side is for left side guide and the other for right side guide of your saw. I think it's on TOH YouTube.
That is a great, simple, quick and easy saw guide. I've even made them in the field when I needed to make complex cuts where guiding the saw by hand just wasn't accurate enough.
But at home, I use a slightly more advanced one that traps the saw between two edges so there's no possibility of wandering (especially while stretching to finish a long cut) and it helps to prevent tear out on both sides of the cut. Here's a video similar to what I have: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0BZLbW1lvQ&t=1s
noob diy'r here. when looking at these options at HD last night, I went with the 24" rip cut option[homedepot.com]... I guess they can do the same thing but you get a longer straight edge for $70? If spending $70, I'd just put it towards a table saw.. like this one for $119[homedepot.com]. (now this saw is burning a hole in my cart...
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Dr. J
I broke down and bought one of these a couple years ago when I decided to make a couple cabinets for my house. I'll admit I'm not a cabinet maker, but I'm not someone that accepts shitty work on their home either (and custom cabinets = $$$$$$). I'm also an engineer FWIW.
I knew making long crosscuts in the plywood (the skeleton of the cabinet basically) would be difficult without some sort of guide, so I bought this, knowing that while I needed good cuts, I didn't want to spend multiples $$$ to get a "better" saw combo (true track saw).
If you pay attention to the setup, it goes a long way to making this true - like using a straight edge to align the tracks and not just end-butting the pieces of aluminum together and assuming it's square (hint: it won't be). Also, I don't take them apart now that they are true - the setup doesn't take up that much more space this way.
Second, get a good saw - not a HF special. I actually bought a few items specifically for the cabinet projects - this track, a good circular saw, and an RO sander.
Lastly, I made all my cuts on the floor using a couple pieces of 2" EPS (foam board) as a support. MAN that makes it all SO MUCH easier without worrying about supporting workpieces or farking up the blade. Also, the bottom of this track is rubber, so while it doesn't tend to move, I blew off the workpiece and the bottom of the track on every cut (sawdust) as well as put some weight on the track when I had it lined up. If I were making more cabinets or other projects I might invest in some clamps.
Will this replace a real track saw? No, but it doesn't cost as much as a real track saw either, and I'd say the quality of cut is identical.
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Updated: Found it, you lucky dogs...
https://youtu.be/qIeIZdrbz-Y
Add a rubber backing and you are golden...
I knew making long crosscuts in the plywood (the skeleton of the cabinet basically) would be difficult without some sort of guide, so I bought this, knowing that while I needed good cuts, I didn't want to spend multiples $$$ to get a "better" saw combo (true track saw).
If you pay attention to the setup, it goes a long way to making this true - like using a straight edge to align the tracks and not just end-butting the pieces of aluminum together and assuming it's square (hint: it won't be). Also, I don't take them apart now that they are true - the setup doesn't take up that much more space this way.
Second, get a good saw - not a HF special. I actually bought a few items specifically for the cabinet projects - this track, a good circular saw, and an RO sander.
Lastly, I made all my cuts on the floor using a couple pieces of 2" EPS (foam board) as a support. MAN that makes it all SO MUCH easier without worrying about supporting workpieces or farking up the blade. Also, the bottom of this track is rubber, so while it doesn't tend to move, I blew off the workpiece and the bottom of the track on every cut (sawdust) as well as put some weight on the track when I had it lined up. If I were making more cabinets or other projects I might invest in some clamps.
Will this replace a real track saw? No, but it doesn't cost as much as a real track saw either, and I'd say the quality of cut is identical.
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47 Comments
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I once had a contractor to help and they took off all the protector cover and cut with the table saw really fast. I can't do it that way. But I don't need to cut stuffs on table saw all day also.
I have used my regular circular saw with a diamond blade and a diy water feed to cut granite using a simple guide. So if you use the right blade + find a way to feed water you should be able to do it.
Updated: Found it, you lucky dogs...
https://youtu.be/qIeIZdrbz-Y
Add a rubber backing and you are golden...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukM0rz0
Updated: Found it, you lucky dogs...
https://youtu.be/qIeIZdrbz-Y
Add a rubber backing and you are golden...
Either this diy rig ( I am using it for years now) or invest into plunge saw with set of guides for both 48" and 96" like Makita or Dewat, or if you have few extra $$ then Festool.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Whether or not the cost (and storage) is worth that to you is another matter. A circular saw can do everything a table saw does afterall, but people still buy those.
I once had a contractor to help and they took off all the protector cover and cut with the table saw really fast. I can't do it that way. But I don't need to cut stuffs on table saw all day also.
I don't love the company, but you can't beat their saws when it comes to wanting to keep all you digits.
Updated: Found it, you lucky dogs...
https://youtu.be/qIeIZdrbz-Y
Add a rubber backing and you are golden...
Updated: Found it, you lucky dogs...
https://youtu.be/qIeIZdrbz-Y
Add a rubber backing and you are golden...
But at home, I use a slightly more advanced one that traps the saw between two edges so there's no possibility of wandering (especially while stretching to finish a long cut) and it helps to prevent tear out on both sides of the cut. Here's a video similar to what I have: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0BZLbW
He also made an improved version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc77cL8
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Dr. J
I knew making long crosscuts in the plywood (the skeleton of the cabinet basically) would be difficult without some sort of guide, so I bought this, knowing that while I needed good cuts, I didn't want to spend multiples $$$ to get a "better" saw combo (true track saw).
If you pay attention to the setup, it goes a long way to making this true - like using a straight edge to align the tracks and not just end-butting the pieces of aluminum together and assuming it's square (hint: it won't be). Also, I don't take them apart now that they are true - the setup doesn't take up that much more space this way.
Second, get a good saw - not a HF special. I actually bought a few items specifically for the cabinet projects - this track, a good circular saw, and an RO sander.
Lastly, I made all my cuts on the floor using a couple pieces of 2" EPS (foam board) as a support. MAN that makes it all SO MUCH easier without worrying about supporting workpieces or farking up the blade. Also, the bottom of this track is rubber, so while it doesn't tend to move, I blew off the workpiece and the bottom of the track on every cut (sawdust) as well as put some weight on the track when I had it lined up. If I were making more cabinets or other projects I might invest in some clamps.
Will this replace a real track saw? No, but it doesn't cost as much as a real track saw either, and I'd say the quality of cut is identical.
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