JosephThomas Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 No it's a totally different animal. I don't believe the tracks are interchangeable. The HKC 55 is purely a carpentry saw. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk The HKC saw works on the old tracks, but old saws aren't compatible with the new track, as it has an additional 'rail' in the middle Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 A excalibur sliding table and cabinet saw will take care of it all..No offence to all but as long as I can pick up a sheet of ply its the way to go.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 9 minutes ago, mat60 said: A excalibur sliding table and cabinet saw will take care of it all..No offence to all but as long as I can pick up a sheet of ply its the way to go.. Words of a Tracksaw virgin right there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 1 minute ago, shaneymack said: Words of a Tracksaw virgin right there... Ya..Im 55 and may feel different soon.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Ya..Im 55 and may feel different soon.. Haha! Ya im sure ! Don't get me wrong, I think a slider is great but it just doesn't beat the ease of breaking down the sheets into more manageable pieces with the tracksaw. Don't forget to post some pics when you get your tracksaw Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Been there sold that. Went with a track saw and have never looked back. My issue with my Excalibur slider was lifting full sheets, not fun. Accuracy not even close to the track saw, that could be on me. Quality of cut is really good off my festool track saw. But the biggest one is I don't have to wrestle full sheet goods any more. Just slide them out of the truck onto a piece of 2" foam insulation and cut away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 2 hours ago, Joeitalia7 said: I assume I'd need to make sure I have a factory edge so it's plumb, right? The important thing is to use a good factory edge on the guide that glues to the base. You leave the base wide so when you make the 1st cut, the saw cuts the base to the exact width of the saw plate to the blade. As the drawing shows, hardwood is good to use as the guide because it will wear well. But it might be challenging to get a long piece that is perfectly straight. Ripping the factory edge of plywood or MDF would be easier. If you do that, then @wdwerker had a good suggestion to wipe some yellow glue on the edge to harden the fibers & make wear better. Gluing some coarse sandpaper to the underside of the base will help keep it from slipping on the stock your cutting. BTW, plumb refers to something that is exactly vertical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeitalia7 Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 3 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: I don't understand why you can't cut more than 11" on your contractor table saw. Is it a really small jobsite saw? I can only slide the fence to a max of about 11 inches before I reach the end of the table 30 minutes ago, drzaius said: The important thing is to use a good factory edge on the guide that glues to the base. You leave the base wide so when you make the 1st cut, the saw cuts the base to the exact width of the saw plate to the blade. As the drawing shows, hardwood is good to use as the guide because it will wear well. But it might be challenging to get a long piece that is perfectly straight. Ripping the factory edge of plywood or MDF would be easier. If you do that, then @wdwerker had a good suggestion to wipe some yellow glue on the edge to harden the fibers & make wear better. Gluing some coarse sandpaper to the underside of the base will help keep it from slipping on the stock your cutting. BTW, plumb refers to something that is exactly vertical. You're right, I don't know why I'm interchanging plumb and square. So it sounds like the base can be any piece of scrap I have lying around as long as the piece that guides the saws plate is square? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 5 hours ago, Joeitalia7 said: I assume I'd need to make sure I have a factory edge so it's plumb, right? If you are referring to the plywood that you are going to cut - When measuring where to place the track you can use a factory edge if it is good or use a square off of any other edge. If you don't have any good edges, use your new handy track to make one. 1 hour ago, Joeitalia7 said: So it sounds like the base can be any piece of scrap I have lying around as long as the piece that guides the saws plate is square? You want the piece to be flat and in good condition. I used left over 3/4" MDF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 3 hours ago, Joeitalia7 said: So it sounds like the base can be any piece of scrap I have lying around as long as the piece that guides the saws plate is square? Yes, as long as it's square. I like to use something fairly thin, because the thicker it is, the more depth capacity you loose. I mostly use a 6 1/4" cordless saw with not much depth to begin with so I've got a base made with 1/4" ply & a 1/4" guide. If the guide is too thick it'll interfere with lowering the saw all the way cause the motor housing hits the guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 +1 to whay Drzaius says. I have a track made from 1/4 ply for the base and 3/4 ply for the guide, and my saw motor just kisses the top of the guide when fully plunged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 20 hours ago, Joeitalia7 said: Where do I get my hands on a winning lottery ticket? I assume I'd need to make sure I have a factory edge so it's plumb, right? It is true that some tools reach a price point where if they are not making you money it is a luxury to have them. that being said, I have some pretty pricey tools and have a non-woodworking day job. Enter the shop made solutions that many folks have used to break down sheet goods. these methods do not come close to doing all the things a well designed guided saw system will do but, they will break down sheetgood with usable accuracy. Factory edges are not as straight as you think. I would never use one as a reference. JMHO. Ronn has shown one example. Here's another. You want your guide longer than what you will be cutting so that you start and end the cut against the guide. This one is around 54". I have an inexpensive one from the BORG (about $20) for longer cuts but, it needs fiddling around to assure that the path is straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeitalia7 Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Thanks everyone for your help, looks like I need to get into the shop and make myself a jig! 12 minutes ago, gee-dub said: It is true that some tools reach a price point where if they are not making you money it is a luxury to have them. that being said, I have some pretty pricey tools and have a non-woodworking day job. Very true statement. I have quite the list of tools that I just stare at drooling because I know i'd never get and ROI on them, at least not any time soon. Maybe one day, we can all dream....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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