davestanton Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I have played around with making my own little version of a track saw and have been pleased with the results. Again, I chose to recycle rather than buy new. To this end I decided to go with my little cordless DeWalt panel saw. I created a dust shroud and base plate using some ply that was lying around the shop and a couple of 40mm plumbing fittings. I think I have loaded the pics, will know in a minute. I have also saved a quick ustream of the setup in action. The recording is a little overexposed, but hey, you will get the idea of how it works. Also, you will have to put up with a 30 second commercial near the beginning. http://www.ustream.t...corded/16672040 and http://www.ustream.t...corded/16672143 This is a better video closeup http://www.ustream.t...corded/16674045 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimV Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 That's cool dave. Very ingenious. I can't tell if that says "Daves Tool or Dave Stool"??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Thanks Tim. I guess I left myself open for the Davestool comments. My play on words was of course directed at Festool I have finished the new tracks today and they are much better in the anti chipout stakes. The bottom of the track is 6mm mdf, the previous one was 3 mm. The reason they are thin is with a little diameter blade on the cordless saw, I need as much depth of cut as possible. At present I can cut 20mm of sheet goods. I also took your advise and waxed the tracks, very smooth. The lengths are 2440mm, 1400mm and 1020mm, total cost of the tracks was $20 plus some glue and wax, maybe add $4.... Obviously they are not the same quality and weather resistance as the festool and dewalt aluminium tracks, but for my garage and my home made MFT they will do just fine, actually 100% better than I have ever done before. The old tracks I made may go into service with one of my routers. The other upside of this is the enjoyment of thinking it through, acting on it and getting a half descent result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texfire Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Good low cost modification. But I think I'll stick to my Fe stool sample. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VitalBodies Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Functional modifications for sure! Seems like you a created a much better saw, nice job all in all! So what did you learn in the version that you needed fine focus on - what needs to be focused on? What would someone who might follow in your foot steps (or footstools) need to take this even a level higher on this project? Also, the track, any images or advice there? Have you come up with a way to keep the saw in/on the track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Functional modifications for sure! Seems like you a much created a better saw, nice job all in all! So what did you learn in the version that you needed fine focus on - what needs to be focused on? What would someone who might follow in your foot steps (or footstools) need to take this even a level higher on this project? Also, the track, any images or advice there? Have you come up with a way to keep the saw in/on the track? Hi Vitalbodies. Thanks for the pat on the back. I will post images of the different tracks tomorrow. The saw stays on the track very well as I hold the saw handle with my right hand and the dust outlet with my left hand, very good control. Regarding improvements, a depth gauge would be handy and now that I have my standard 6 mm deep tracks, I can use a felt pen and make marks in appropriate places. The other thing that would make it safer would be a way of moving the blade guard out of the way when the cut is started. I removed the handle to give a close fit to the shroud I made. The possibility of friction tape under the tracks is an area to explore as well. Apart from those 3 things, I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VitalBodies Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 I would not thought to make a guard out of ply but you did a nice job on that. So is your idea mostly adding a new plate on the bottom and sort of a shark fin (with a dust port) next to the opening on the existing guard? Thus the shark fin blocks the opening and catches the dust. If so, that seem pretty easy for folks to create a better saw. Hard for me to tell with only the two images at those angles. I would imagine your plate is zero clearance around the blade? If not, I offer that as an idea towards your project. Zero clearance, is that right phrase? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Close to zero but not around the blade. The ply shroud or "shark fin" as you call it fits snugly beside the guard that covers the blade. The saw is still height adjustable and the blade cover slides up and down beside the ply shroud that I made. The ply base was only made to give the shroud a fixing point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VitalBodies Posted August 18, 2011 Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 If the plate (ply base) was made to be removable and replaceable you could easily have zero clearance around the blade. As easy as putting a new plate on and slowly dropping the blade to cut a new zero clearance slot. You could keep the plate simple, a rectangle of wood and make the shark fin more complicated to hold the simple plate and perhaps the track. That way the plate could be simple scrap. Just some ideas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 If the plate (ply base) was made to be removable and replaceable you could easily have zero clearance around the blade. As easy as putting a new plate on and slowly dropping the blade to cut a new zero clearance slot. You could keep the plate simple, a rectangle of wood and make the shark fin more complicated to hold the simple plate and perhaps the track. That way the plate could be simple scrap. Just some ideas... Do it and take some photos for me of the finished item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 Some pics of the tracks as requested. Here is a youtube clip of the combo working , Cutting an 8 x 4 sheet of 5/8" melamine. I don't rush things, be warned. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBQYfmv2U5M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VitalBodies Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 Those tracks seem like they work really well. They must help a lot for true cuts. They appear to be made of two sheets of something, is that Masonite? I had to cut peg board today and they would have been handy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VitalBodies Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 Do it and take some photos for me of the finished item. It might be a while but I might just do that. I am currently setting up dust collection and storage. I will have to study my saw(s). I would try to make the track and shark fin generic and the plate somewhat/slightly custom for each saw. Looks like it is cold in the land of oz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 Those tracks seem like they work really well. They must help a lot for true cuts. They appear to be made of two sheets of something, is that Masonite? I had to cut peg board today and they would have been handy... Please read item #3 regarding the tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 I have been using a "saw board" like that with my corded Porter Cable circular saw for years now and they do work very well. Of course, my saw is not dust free like your is. What I don't understand after watching your video of cutting the sheet is, How do you keep from cutting into your work bench top? I usually have to put some scrap strips as spacers under the sheet or use saw horses which have sacrificial tops on them. My bench gets beat up enough with out running a power saw across it. Rog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davestanton Posted August 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 I have been using a "saw board" like that with my corded Porter Cable circular saw for years now and they do work very well. Of course, my saw is not dust free like your is. What I don't understand after watching your video of cutting the sheet is, How do you keep from cutting into your work bench top? I usually have to put some scrap strips as spacers under the sheet or use saw horses which have sacrificial tops on them. My bench gets beat up enough with out running a power saw across it. Rog Hi Roger. I covered the bench pretty extensively in this post http://woodtalkonline.com/topic/4636-what-do-you-do-when-you-want-something-but-its-too-expensive/ Have a look through it, it was a fun project and one that I am extremely satisfied with the results. I still have my carpenters bench that does not have a sacrificial top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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