Track saw ?

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New to using Track saw but seems they are all left handed? In that you can’t see blade during cutting and to rip off lengths from a board you have to use left handed or the cut section will be under the track .(not practical for narrow cuts.)
 
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My Festool is right handed, with the blade being to the right of the handle when in use

53dbb960-f7e4-11ea-810e-005056b31774_1600_1066.jpg

For narrow cuts why do you need to see the blade?
 
Mines right handed also. No need to see the blade as long as the cutting edge of the track is on your line markings.
 
My Festool is right handed, with the blade being to the right of the handle when in use

View attachment 308797

For narrow cuts why do you need to see the blade?
My reference to narrow cuts is regarding the track position not sight of the blade .As in photo operator is having to lean over work piece to see the cut and if that work piece is more than an arm length he is going to have to move to the right of the board and use the saw left handed .
Circular saws have blade to left of handle making long cuts easy for right handed.
 
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Mines right handed also. No need to see the blade as long as the cutting edge of the track is on your line markings.
If you need to stop a cut at a precise point on the board sight of blade is essential .
 
My reference to narrow cuts is regarding the track position not sight of the blade .As in photo operator is having to lean over work piece to see the cut and if that work piece is more than an arm length he is going to have to move to the right of the board and use the saw left handed .
Circular saws have blade to left of handle making long cuts easy for right handed.

Once I have lined up the guide rail with my pencil marks (and clamped the rial down), I do not need to see the cutting edge.

The point of the rail is that the saw follows the rail.

Sorry, am I missing something here?
 
If you need to stop a cut at a precise point on the board sight of blade is essential .

Sorry, I miss understood your original question.

If I am cutting out for a hob, I just lean over the saw, it really isn't a biggie. Alternatively, I intentionally stop the saw short, pull it back and nudge forward as required.

Oh, and you can use pencil marks/etc on the track to tell you when to stop
 
Circular saws have blade to left of handle making long cuts easy for right handed.

My only other circular saw is a massive corded Dewalt. To be honest I have never used it. From memory, the handle is too is to the left of the blade.

I was under the impression that it was only the tiny saws the have the blade on the other side. I may well be wrong though (and often am).
 
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Mines right handed also. No need to see the blade as long as the cutting edge of the track is on your line markings.
to be extremely pedantic because your pencil line has width you place the track on the bit you want to keep this will include half the pencil thickness
if you decide to cut waste side the track will be around 1.5mm off the mark with the blade falling in the gap and removing waste side off the line --------
---now you understand why your cuts are sometimes 0.5-2mm out :unsure::giggle:
 
i saw on an old Peter Millard video - waste side jigs from strawbyte - now in various Kerf thickness
my son-in-law purchased some for his makita track saw and he seems happy with them - DIY (but he is very fussy and accurate, i know i have worked with him on various projects)
 
to be extremely pedantic because your pencil line has width you place the track on the bit you want to keep this will include half the pencil thickness
if you decide to cut waste side the track will be around 1.5mm off the mark with the blade falling in the gap and removing waste side off the line --------
---now you understand why your cuts are sometimes 0.5-2mm out :unsure::giggle:

I use 0.7mm mechanical (Bic) pencils.

I mark the sheet, line the track up to the inner face of the pencil line.

Worst case scenario, I will be 0.25-0.5mm out.

How precise do you expect from a track saw?
 
If the blade was the other side of the saw wouldn't the track fall with the cut?
 
I use 0.7mm mechanical (Bic) pencils.

I mark the sheet, line the track up to the inner face of the pencil line.

Worst case scenario, I will be 0.25-0.5mm out.

How precise do you expect from a track saw?
its more the track on the waste side will make you the blade width out iff you get the half mark correct many will cut the matk out or leave it fully in
 

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