# DIY Tracksaw



## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Thought this might be of interest to someone. Also check his thin rip jig.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Personally, I think you could do the job well with just the board without the strip of metal or the board attached to the base of the saw. It's not that difficult to keep the base of the saw up next to the lip on the wood.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Steve Neul said:


> Personally, I think you could do the job well with just the board without the strip of metal or the board attached to the base of the saw. It's not that difficult to keep the base of the saw up next to the lip on the wood.


Been using ones like you describe for decades.


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Me too, but no question I get a better result with a track saw. You have to check the blade is parallel to the base edge - not easy to do and not easy to correct!

I think the best route is make an auxiliary plate and not use the stock one.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

A track saw secures the saw laterally on the track. A saw guide has no lateral control, it's all up to the operator to keep the saw's base registered against the guide.
I don't currently own a track saw, but I had the Festool TS75 and all the tracks including a 120" one. I never did use it, I sold it and haven't missed it yet.
The Bora track saw uses their WTX clamps as a guide/track, so it's proprietary. However I added a thin UHVM spacer and the inside on my Bora router guide to close up the gap so I can use it on other than Bora WTX clamps. It was aroound $40.00 on Amazon. I like having the clamp that's built in rather than separate clamps.
I think having a router base is just as important as the saw base because it makes dados for cabinets easier. There are times when you can set up all your panels, clamp them and run a dado across all of them in one pass, assuring they are all in the same location.


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## kwoodhands (May 1, 2020)

I have not used a track saw, just a straight edge. I made a panel saw which takes the place of a track saw and also cross cuts. I used the panel saw for about 12 years til I retired and sold it. Built along the lines of a Milwaukee panel saw that you see in the box store. Wooden frame with 1-1/2" casters on 6" centers for the sheet to slide on. The track for the saw is Stanley Sliding Door hardware. the saw is a Porter Cable 6"saw that is mounted on an MDF board and the door rollers. A vacuum was hooked up to the switch box that turned on & off with the saw switch. 
Thought this might be interesting to some folks.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I used a Festool track saw onetime. Did a great job. Guy took it home, I didn't miss it


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## BigCountry79 (Jun 2, 2021)

If I ever get a track saw it will be for the dust collection.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

BigCountry79 said:


> If I ever get a track saw it will be for the dust collection.


Yes, they have great DC, but they are also a plunge type saw. Are you OK with that type? Personally, I didn't like that when I had a TS75 Festool and tracks.
I think you could make some side panels for your circular saw easy enough. My PC 6" Saw Boss has a front dust connection port. My other saws aren't as good.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> Yes, they have great DC, but they are also a plunge type saw. Are you OK with that type? Personally, I didn't like that when I had a TS75 Festool and tracks.
> I think you could make some side panels for your circular saw easy enough. My PC 6" Saw Boss has a front dust connection port. My other saws aren't as good.
> View attachment 436949


I have two of those, Porter Cable Saw Boss saws, I use one for the homemade track saw I have now. I gave my Unisaw away so I need something that I can cut a sheet of plywood with. I made a wooden base for the saw that has a groove in the wooden base that fits over a lip of a long piece of 1/8" aluminum I had made a few years ago. I have used it a lot including straight ripping lumber. It cost me $25 for the aluminum and having it braked.

The main reason I love my "tracksaw" is, a saw blade will lead to one side at times, and can lead away from a saw guide where it can't from a track. I also love my set up because I can use the same setup with a router to make flutes etc, easily.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

BigJim said:


> I have two of those, Porter Cable Saw Boss saws, I use one for the homemade track saw I have now. I gave my Unisaw away so I need something that I can cut a sheet of plywood with. I made a wooden base for the saw that has a groove in the wooden base that fits over a lip of a long piece of 1/8" aluminum I had made a few years ago. I have used it a lot including straight ripping lumber. It cost me $25 for the aluminum and having it braked.
> 
> The main reason I love my "tracksaw" is, a saw blade will lead to one side at times, and can lead away from a saw guide where it can't from a track. I also love my set up because I can use the same setup with a router to make flutes etc, easily.


Yes, the main design difference between a guide and a track is the track prevents any sideways deviation from dead on straight.
There are the commercial versions of track saws from Makita, Grizzly, Dewalt, Festool and others, BUT they can get pricey at the high end.
I have seen enough videos where the so called "sticky base or non-slip" track is not supposed to move, but I don't trust it.
I prefer a clamp system which is an option on those.

That Bora saw base or router base I posted is $40.00 on Amazon and will only work with Bora NGX clamps, but I made a small modification to mine that allows it to fit the long bar clamps I already owned made by A10.
Prior to all this I have used a 10 ft long 2" square aluminum extrusion I have used with clamps to break down my plywood outside on saw horses.
I have also used a 8 ft long barn door track with a slot where a "F" clamp slides right in any any point. Tractor Supply has them, I think?
That way the clamps are always out of the way and under the work! The track is straight "enough" for breaking down the plywood.
But as with all the "guides" there is no means to attach the saw base directly to the guide to prevent lateral movement. Operator focus is key!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

kwoodhands said:


> I have not used a track saw, just a straight edge. I made a panel saw which takes the place of a track saw and also cross cuts. I used the panel saw for about 12 years til I retired and sold it. Built along the lines of a Milwaukee panel saw that you see in the box store. Wooden frame with 1-1/2" casters on 6" centers for the sheet to slide on. The track for the saw is Stanley Sliding Door hardware. the saw is a Porter Cable 6"saw that is mounted on an MDF board and the door rollers. A vacuum was hooked up to the switch box that turned on & off with the saw switch.
> *Thought this might be interesting to some folks.*


That is interesting! Would you have a photo of it?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

kwoodhands, I would like to see that also, that is interesting.

Bill, I wonder if a Unistrut would work, they have trolleys in different configurations that might work. I don't know the cost difference between the Unistrut and barn door track though.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

BigJim said:


> kwoodhands, I would like to see that also, that is interesting.
> 
> Bill, I wonder if a Unistrut would work, they have trolleys in different configurations that might work. I don't know the cost difference between the Unistrut and barn door track though.


I'm sure it would work, just that the opening may not be a good fit for the Jogensen "F" clamps, but I don't know?
I used the barn door track because I had one extra on hand and saw that it could work.


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## BigCountry79 (Jun 2, 2021)

woodnthings said:


> Yes, they have great DC, but they are also a plunge type saw. Are you OK with that type? Personally, I didn't like that when I had a TS75 Festool and tracks.
> I think you could make some side panels for your circular saw easy enough. My PC 6" Saw Boss has a front dust connection port. My other saws aren't as good.
> View attachment 436949


No, I really don't like the smaller blades, the bulk, or the plunge cuts... but if I'm not using my table saw, then I'm probably not in my shop, and it would be great to be able to hook up a shop vac


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

DrRobert said:


> Me too, but no question I get a better result with a track saw. You have to check the blade is parallel to the base edge - not easy to do and not easy to correct!
> 
> I think the best route is make an auxiliary plate and not use the stock one.


My personal saw is spot on with the sled. My work saw, a DeWalt, had to be beaten into submission with a 5 lb. mallet to square the base up with the blade. I use it mostly for trimming the bottom of doors and it kept walking off the sled on me. I taught it a good lesson and for now, it is behaving.


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## Kenh3497 (Jun 5, 2021)

I have a old Craftsman saw guide. I used it to cut all the pieces for my hobby room work bench. It was a poor mans torsion box type. I just didn't add all the cross pieces. I Didn't like the fact you had to remember the offset measurement from the guide to the saw cut. It was a real odd number so I always had to double check myself. 

Ken


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## kwoodhands (May 1, 2020)

woodnthings said:


> That is interesting! Would you have a photo of it?


Sorry, no pics. I sold the panel saw after I retired and did not take pics when I was using it. Pretty simple though, an A frame with small casters on the base so sheets can easily slide across. The casters are really not needed but I saw this on commercial panel saws so I built it the same way. The sliding door rail hardware is mounted vertically for crosscuts only. The saw is the saw boss pictured in another post. A vacuum hose was hooked up to the saw boss and a shop vac . the saw and vacuum went on at the same time with a switch mounted receptacle.
I only crosscut on this set up as I have a cabinet saw for ripping with a power feeder.
I was going to add some kind of arrangement to dial in the saw for dead square cuts. After several test cuts I was pleased to see that is was not necessary. The saw cut square . The base was on a skid as I only needed to move the panel saw 3'-0" to get it out of the way. If the panel saw had 3" casters on the base that locked , then it could be moved around the shop if necessary.
mike


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