Tracksaw advice

[evdamadiynot]

Ive got a job coming up which involves cutting lots of 8x4 osb into strips of identical width
I have absolutely no knowledge of tracksaws in use

Ive previously just clamped a nice piece of par to guide the circular saw for similar smaller jobs
I could fabricate a setting jig to reposition my timber guide rail after each cut

My question is would a tracksaw be significantly easier / more accurate than that?

Of course we all love new toys but not having ever seen one in use I dont know if I can justify the price given that it wouldnt get used that often afterwards
Any thoughts?

 

[ETAF]

yes , I dont have a tracksaw - i do the same - using various straight edges - metal rather than PAR
A trend guide - purchased when on sale - goes out 4m I think maybe more
and then for cross cuts a metal guide - i got from toolstation - faithful or silverline i think - but i clamp it on rather than use the clamp things that come withit as they are useless
But my son-in-law has a mitika and its so much easier once setup

i suppose you could then sell 2nd hand once used

Also you will need a long track if cutting 8x4 along the 8' side

I seem to get good accurate cuts - using a template to make sure the Circ saw is in the correct position, allowing for waste and always cut with the waste to the right of the saw - then i account for the waste

I have a template for each type of blade i have - Freud and Saxtontools

As a DIYer i find i cannot seem to justify the £500 odd quid

not sure how good the cheap ones are / shops like aldi/lidl - peter Millard on youtube has a lot of videos on various tracksaws - worth a watch

Done a lot of DIY cutting this way - Just last weekend cut a worktop and some Ikea cupboards down

If on a bench you could set up a stop - make sure to include the blade width as on waste side , and then just move the OSB to the stop and cust

BUT expensive

 

[Wayners]

Peter Millard on YouTube has everything you need to know about tacksaws.

To answer.
You can throw some polystyrene sheets on the floor or build a bench like Peter has done..
Cut away.
You are going to need a long rail and he has another video on the different rails and what fits the saws. From memory I think evolution saw and track would be your best bet unless you want festool.
Some rails won't fit some brands of saw. Festool rails are the standard design and fit a few different saws. There are some cheaper copies of the festool saw rails although I don't know what the current standing is.

My saw and rail was a B&Q own brand for under £100

 

[Wayners]

Looking online it's £189 for saw and 2.8m track.

I have a smaller track for cutting the bottom off doors

 

[evdamadiynot]

Are tracksaws significantly more accurate/easier for repeat cuts than a homemade guide rail and a setting stop/jig?

 

[Wayners]

Maybe not if you have it setup for repeat and cut.

 

[ETAF]

Are tracksaws significantly more accurate/easier for repeat cuts than a homemade guide rail and a setting stop/jig?

depends on the homemade rail and jig i guess , I suspect its easier with a tracksaw
how much are you actually cutting

 

[evdamadiynot]

In what way would the tracksaw improve things regarding resetting for repeat cuts -is there some sort of width stop like a circular saw?
I would have to reposition the track for each cut what method would be used?

 

[ETAF]

is there some sort of width stop like a circular saw?

No , as mentioned in 1st post - you would need to set that up - see peter millard videos

I cut a bit of timber - so its the exact size from the end of the circhular saw plate and saw blade
in fact i did for each blade that i have - as they have different kerfs
then metal guide rather than PAR , unless absolutly straight - which i have not found - i have used furniture board with the laminated edge before - I got the trend guide - also i have used clamps and also double sided tape to keep the guide down on the material

 

[^woody^]

You'll be better off with a cheap table saw

 

[Wayners]

You'll be better off with a cheap table saw

No.

2.4m feed in one side with 2.4m the other.
You need a 5m long area..

How would you get a 1200mm wide sheet on a small table saw?...

We have a massive table saw at work to cut sheets.
Table saws aren't very useful for DIY unless you hobby making small things

 

[flameport]

Table saws aren't very useful

That is the complete sentence.
Table saws exist to cut up large sheets of material - and if that is a regular thing, it would be better served by a vertical panel saw.

Those who believe otherwise have been watching too many videos of people in North America using table saws for everything they were never designed for.

 

[cdbe]

I have a cheap erbauer (refurbished eBay) and 2x 1.4m tracks (minimum for 8x4).

The track system provides the level of precision that you just won't get from a circular saw pushed against a length of wood, or even a jigsaw following a pencil line - so it depends how important that is.

 

[evdamadiynot]

The input is greatly appreciated

I initially mentioned what is important to the job, is that every cut piece is an identical width to the last.

I used a timber guide and a large circular saw once before on the similar job with acceptable results what I need to know is what other significant advantage (prescise line noted) has a tracksaw if the whole thing has to be repositioned each time in the same way as a timber or angle iron guide?I

Woody - I have a cheap table saw- one of my most regrettable purchases.

 

[opps]

I have a first generation Festool track saw. It is accurate to 0.2mm. It is great for sheet materials, but little else.

A small retail table saw is less likely to be accurate- and yes, I have used proper 3 phase table saws in the past.

I have single Festool guide rails long enough to cut 8 by 4 sheets, you cannot do that accurately on a tiny counter top table saw.

Edit- if you have a supplier with a wall saw, why not get them to do the repetitive cuts, 50p per cut will be cheaper than doing it yourself. They will then deliver to you.

In west London. I use B&B timber. Asian guys, Southall. Consistently reliable. But provide them with the cutting plan when working with multiple sheets.

And they deliver on time, and on cost.