Determine degree of Toe-In for Track Saw

[MacBoy]

Just discovered a new YouTube guy showing his “think slightly differently” techniques.

Very modest fellow, showing how he uses a Planer Sled, clamps up mitered picture frames, etc.

On this video, he shows at the 16-minute mark how to see the degree of toe-in of your track saw.

Later on in the video, he adjusts the base of the track saw. And then calibrates the toe-in similar to the original setting.

What is an appropriate degree of toe-in for a track saw?

 

[MacBoy]

Another reference is Sedge’s video from 3 years ago on his SedgeTool channel.

However, Sedge did not show how to see the toe-in.

He recommends and shows to use a business card as the calibration gauge in this video.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Personally, I think the business card method is too much. It's ok for sheet goods and such, but full depth in hardwood, it can put too much side load and flex the blade toward the track.
Notebook paper, maybe, not more.
It takes some fiddling, but I have all of my saws adjusted to work with the same track. TS 60 is the easiest.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Personally, I think the business card method is too much. It's ok for sheet goods and such, but full depth in hardwood, it can put too much side load and flex the blade toward the track.
Notebook paper, maybe, not more.
It takes some filling, but I have all of my saws adjusted to work with the same track. TS 60 is the easiest.

Yep, a Post It note between the freshly cut stock (with guide rail clamped) and the rear teeth is all you need.

 

[tjbnwi]

I own 7 TS saws. I needed a way to match them so I could use any rail with them.

I created this fixture using an R model as the baseline saw (it has less adjustment than the EQ). This allows you to set the blade location and toe in one step. If I recall correctly the toe in is 0.005”.

Tom

 

[Michael Kellough]

Nice fixture! Capturing both sides of the blade is brilliant. Post It note thickness is .004”

 

[smorgasbord]

Great information here.

@tjbnwi, I'm not sure I'm getting your fixture, but does it have a blade slot cut in it? Maybe a picture without a saw on it would help.

Interesting to read about toe-in. Tablesaw users have tweaked this setting for decades adjusting miterslow to blade alignment and then rip fence to blade alignment. The miter slot needs to be really parallel, but some users like the rear of the rip fence to pull away from the blade just a smidge.

I wish my SCMS had a toe-in adjustment. Does the Kapex? The idea is aligning the blade with the travel.

 

[Michael Kellough]

It didn’t have the slot at the time of the photo but that would be the next step.

 

[tjbnwi]

Great information here.

@tjbnwi, I'm not sure I'm getting your fixture, but does it have a blade slot cut in it? Maybe a picture without a saw on it would help.

Interesting to read about toe-in. Tablesaw users have tweaked this setting for decades adjusting miterslow to blade alignment and then rip fence to blade alignment. The miter slot needs to be really parallel, but some users like the rear of the rip fence to pull away from the blade just a smidge.

I wish my SCMS had a toe-in adjustment. Does the Kapex? The idea is aligning the blade with the travel.

I do not have a picture with the saw off the fixture. Yes, there is a slot. That is an R model saw, the one I made the cut with, it was new out of the Systainer. In the picture you can see the FastFix locking the blade down. This fixture allowed me to match all the saws.

I know where the fixture is at the shop, I’ll take a picture next week.

Tom

 

[Cheese]

Also interested in taking a look at your saw fixture Tom. I have a TS 55 K, HKC 55 and a Mafell MT 55 that I need to align on the Festool rails. It's been one of those "we'll do it tomorrow" projects that has stretched on for way too long. Right now it's the Festools on the Festool rails and the Mafell on the Mafell rail but it'd be nice to have some flexibility.

 

[Michael Kellough]

When I made a fixture for this I used thick stock but really full plunge is all that matters. I do think capturing the outboard side of the blade is an improvement, especially if aiming to synchronize multiple saws.