Track Saw Table (MFT Clone) Advise

[Stytooner]

I can see where having those ratchet clamps would be nice. Especially if you used it all the time in the shop.
Mine will see limited use really, so the Grizzly's should be fine.

I love cutting sheets on a table saw, but that simply takes a nice heavy saw and surrounding tables and ample shop space. I do have the cast iron top PC saw in the new shop. It's heavy enough, but the space ain't there. The new shop is basically a dedicated machine shop.
My old shop is slowly reverting back to a wood working only shop. It never did have the space to cut big sheets.
I have always broke them down on saw horses and a circular saw.

This track saw will just make those jobs a bit nicer to do.
I will be making a torsion base thingy that I just just quickly throw on the horses. I am thinking about 3' x 6'. That should hold the sheets flat enough.
What size cutting bases do you guys use?

[gsmittle]

The really great thing about being over 60 is ....

I forgot what it was. But I'll edit my post when I remember.

Yep, they say the memory is the second thing to go…

g.

[Condoman44]

For me it is easiest to break down the sheet in the garage and carry the parts around to the basement door.

In this weather I have had to carry through the house, not as easy.

I use a piece of 3/4 ply to toss up on folding saw horses as the base for cutting anything less than 3/4. If it is just 3/4 it stands alone.

I'll bet in my life I have been through 4 or so straight edge methods for cutting. The track saw is by far the best and most accurate. The dedicated saw always cuts in the same place each time if the guide edge is positioned correctly.

[JimD]

3x6 should be big enough. My lattice work of 1x4s is about that size and works well. I like having the full sheet hanging off a little because it is easier to clamp the guide that way.

I could cut full sheets in my old shop when I moved the "crap" out of the way but I would not want to go back to doing this on a table saw. The track saw is just a nicer way to cut sheet goods - not to rough size but to final size. Once you get the sheet goods on the supports moving it through the saw isn't bad but you still have to concentrate on keeping a monster size piece up against the fence. With the track saw, once the sheet is on the cutting surface (I like to put my lattice on the top of the trailer I haul the sheets in) the struggle ends.

Jim

[Stytooner]

I set my old shop up to rip long boards. Maybe 10' long, but no sheet goods over 4' square. The BT3100 is on casters though, so I can shift it.
Ripping long boards has to be done with the doors open, but I have ripped many a linear foot of lumber that way. Planer sat right beside the saw at the time. It will be that way again.

I mentioned 3' x 6' because I think that size is easy to store for me. My current saw horses are over 10 years old and they do not fold up. They were made with treated lumber and I have treated them very rough. I think it is time for a new set of horses. Some that fold up maybe.
I'll start a new thread for suggestions on the saw horses. Thanks for the feedback.

[lrr]

Lee,

Not sure if you've seen it, but the Paulk Workbench is a really slick full sized workbench that busts down for hauling in truck or van. Ron Paulk is a home builder that has done some really nice projects for those needing portability, or at least the ability to bust down for storage. I was going to build his workbench, but eventually decided to build a stationary bench. I really like the torsion box design and may build one some time just for use in the garage. Ron Paulk sells plans, too, for those not interested in reinventing the wheel (or at least his plans can give someone a jump start on their own design).

He has build videos of this, plus a similarly designed miter saw stand, on YouTube. Although his bench and miter stand are designed with Festool in mind, both are well suited to any brand saw, although the miter stand will likely need some tweaking for other brand miter saws.

[JimD]

I haven't purchased the plans from Paulk yet but I watched all the videos of his workbench build. I don't think the workbench is really for Festool specifically and I think the only thing about his miterstation that is unique to Festool is the height of the saw versus the support surface for the wood. That seems pretty easy to change.

What I really like about it is the idea to have a hollow 8 inch thick bench top so you can put tools and other stuff inside instead of on top. It's a relatively simple idea but it will probably get incorporated in my next bench.

[lrr]

Jim,

You are right, I just meant he is a Festool track saw and Kapex miter saw user. His workbench uses 3/4" holes, so he definitely is not a user of all the 20mm accessories like bench dogs and rail dogs. I became a believer in bench dogs after watching videos from halfinchshy and Peter Parfitt.

I am currently adding a vise to the end of my "MFT-XL" workbench, and after that, a storage shelf like the one he incorporated via the torsion box design.

[bigstick509]

Jim,

You are right, I just meant he is a Festool track saw and Kapex miter saw user. His workbench uses 3/4" holes, so he definitely is not a user of all the 20mm accessories like bench dogs and rail dogs. I became a believer in bench dogs after watching videos from halfinchshy and Peter Parfitt.

I am currently adding a vise to the end of my "MFT-XL" workbench, and after that, a storage shelf like the one he incorporated via the torsion box design.

Love to see some pics when you get done with the additions.

[lrr]

Hopefully will have vise addition completed in a few days, and will post some pictures. Here is the clamp -- a bench mount pipe clamp vise.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=69583&cat=1,41659

[JimD]

The pipe vise is an interesting idea. I'm not sure if I like it more than a regular front vise - and the price is the same. But it is an interesting idea.

[Stytooner]

I did receive the Grizzly saw. No chance to check it out much. The spring seems fine on it, so probably something that has already been remedied.
I'll let you guys know how it works when I get a chance.

[Neal]

Just curious...

Wanted to see if you had a chance to use and review your grizzly track saw. I'm considering one for some projects I have which will require plenty of cutting sheet goods and just don't want to try to wrestle them through the BT3000.

THanks,

[hermit]

In case anyone is still interested, I purchased the truetrac system at last years wworking show. It is awsome. No clamping at all. Make 2 pencil marks and lay it down. Stays put and it uses your current saw. A little playing initially to mount the plate, but works well. I tapped my base so I could easily remove the base when needed. Just finished cutting a bunch of T1-11 for a shed project. Works as advertised. http://www.insighttoolworks.com/



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[JimD]

Looks like a reasonable alternative I am curious how long your edge pieces last, the little plastic pieces you cut off the first time you use the guide. My experience with "shoot boards" leads me to believe my Milwaukee had significantly more blade wobble at startup and shutdown than my DeWalt track saw. If yours does too, the plastic pieces will gradually get eroded where you start and stop.