MFT vs Table Saw

[pgurnee]

On 12/12/23 I joined the ranks of the TS injured. Final cast came off Wed and PT started yesterday. Est. 6-8 weeks for rehab but expected to be able to back to work. First / only surgery related to my job in 48 years working...and I feel very very fortunate.  I know 2 guys that can no longer work due to their TS injuries.

How many of you now use your track saws instead of your TS on the job site?
I use my TS to break down ply but thinking of letting the TS go. The Sawstop is too much, especially now w/o work for 4/5 months.

I have found numerous folks on u tube who have made the switch but they are working in their shops.
Thanks, Paul

 

[ChuckM]

Sorry for your injury. Speedy recovery!

If breaking down the plywood sheets had always been the main reason you used the table saw for, I don't see why replacing the table saw with a tracksaw-based system would be a problem. The supports can be an MFT, sawhorses, Centipede, a foam sheet, etc. on the job site, depending on your requirements.

A tracksaw by itself can't replace the table saw if all other functions of a table saw (e.g. cutting dadoes) are needed.

 

[nclemmons]

I have a TS and a Sawstop Jobsite saw.  I use both in making furniture and home renovations.  Don't think I'd want to make furniture without a Tablesaw.  I accidentally tripped the Sawstop once due to wet wood, but am very glad to have the safety of it in my shop.  I have used a Tablesaw for 35 years and adopted a FT track saw and MFT about 12 years ago. I find both have their place. 

If accuracy on small parts is your priority you can do it with an MFT but it will take more time and patience.  For example, cutting a  3/4 x 1 5/8 x 12" rail for a cabinet face frame will be tedious with an MFT particularly if you are interested in productivity and accuracy.

Sorry to hear about injury but glad to hear you are recovering.

 

[woodferret]

The 7"-8" rail width has always been the annoying bit.  You can do narrow rips, but it requires more set up and auxiliary support.  Workable if you're cutting strips, but can be annoying if you need variable rips.  Also, cross cutting narrow boards in the field requires either a good form of clamping, or an MFT with it's rail supports.  Otherwise the weight of the track saw wants to tip the rail. 

I did an all tracksaw floor and trim-work without a MFT so it's certainly doable.  Because I was dealing with so many narrow boards, I threw a 12" x 8' board with some 20mm holes on a Dewalt sawhorse and that ability to just randomly clamp and cut worked fine.  Also, the pistol clamps are nice for narrow crosscuts - just saying.

 

[Peter Kelly]

The Sawstop is too much, especially now w/o work for 4/5 months.

I'm not a fan of Sawstop but a portable one would be a lot less expensive than getting injured again. Narrow, accurate rips are do-able but a complete time consuming PIA with an MFT and track saw. Time is money on the job site.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

This is one of those big debate topics. I generally agree with [member=57948]ChuckS[/member] in that a track saw can do most of the cases where you would use a table saw. It's all relative though. The "common" uses for a table saw that a track saw doesn't excel are ripping small pieces (like drawer sides) and grooving.
The ripping can be worked around with a fixture. Grooving can be done with a router table. Going without a table saw is not as detrimental as the "the table saw is the heart of the shop" people would have you believe.
Just ask the bandsaw guys who don't own a table saw either..... They will tell you that you don't need a table saw at all.
(Keep that upper blade guide down) I am constantly amazed by the Youtube woodworkers who could lose an entire hand, with one minor slip.

It's all about what you need to cut most often and whether it is time sensitive or not. A "pro" would not mess with work arounds that take more time. A home-hobbyist definitely can.

Sorry to hear about your injury. Seems like the recovery is going well, you are looking to the future.
My own incident was almost exactly 10 years ago now. I took off the left thumb, right at the first knuckle, clean and easy  [scared] back to work in 8 days.  [embarassed]

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
Just ask the bandsaw guys who don't own a table saw either..... They will tell you that you don't need a table saw at all.
Snip.
It's all about what you need to cut most often and whether it is time sensitive or not. A "pro" would not mess with work arounds that take more time. A home-hobbyist definitely can.

Spot-on on those two points.

Bandsaw -- and they'd tell you that a router could do dadoes instead. True, but then they aren't making an apple to apple comparison, are they?

Time sensitivity -- Every furniture and cabinet maker I know in person, including the one who specializes in cabinetry work for high-end homes, doesn't rely on workarounds as their modus operandi. Some of them have both the table saw and track saw.

 

[peter halle]

Sorry to hear about your situation.  I wish you a speedy recovery physically as well as mentally.  I say mentally because after I fell off of a roof and landed on my head it took me almost 2 years before I could face getting up on a roof again.  I suspect you might go thru something similar - I know I would.

If you break down plywood and sheet goods with a table saw, then heck yes get a track saw.  Also get the longest rail you can manage in your situations but at least the 2700 in addition to the one that comes with the saw.  When you get your track saw, and if the 1400 rail comes with that get the rail that has holes in it just in case you ever want to expand to possibly doing shelf pin holes.  In North America it doesn't cost any more.

You can get by with a 2" foam sheet and a pair of sawhorses to use as a platform to cut down your sheets. Heck, you can drop the sheet on the floor or ground if you want.  If after doing this for a while, and depending on the size of pieces you normally create, you want more ease and possibly accuracy then think of the MFT.

As already written, ripping strips less than the width of the rails requires some creativeness but certainly can be done.  I was a traveling carpenter and for the last 7 years I didn't carry my Dewalt tablesaw with me any more.  The only time I used that was for cutting (ripping) pickets out of pvc boards.  If I did those constantly I would have thrown my MFT into the trailer and used a procedure that [member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] posted about years ago which resulted in having a pattern for say pickets, or in his case cabinet rails and stiles that was quick and accurate.  If you are interested in that concept I'll try and find the thread - just let me know.

You will get lots of good advice hear for you to ponder.  Take care of yourself and good luck on rehab!

Peter

 

[ChuckM]

Sorry to hear about your situation.  I wish you a speedy recovery physically as well as mentally.  I say mentally because after I fell off of a roof and landed on my head it took me almost 2 years before I could face getting up on a roof again.  I suspect you might go thru something similar - I know I would.
Snip

You must have a guardian angel.

Someone I knew fell to his death from the roof of his garage as he tried to cut down some branches overhanging onto his property and lost his balance. I've since been using the story to remind a close neighbor not to go up his roof to do the Christmas lighting.

 

[jeh]

Sorry to hear about your injury and glad you are on the road to recovery. It isimportant to note your incredibly long run using a tablesaw without an injury. Many of the SawStop naysayers claim it’s unnecessary if you are using one properly. They neglect the possibility of an accident. They can and do happen to everyone no matter your experience.
Consider walking. We put 10’s of thousands of miles on our feet and yet somehow we occasionally slip and/or fall.

Get the small SawStop and use the track saw when you can.

 

[pgurnee]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. Appreciate it. I am at the stage of reteaching the fingers that the individual digits are actually supposed to bend. The day I got home from the hospital I told the family that I would be getting the Sawstop. When they read up about it they insisted on that plan. Now I have gotten cold feet (Jim, I like your comment referencing feet/accidents) and tried to backtrack a bit hence my query here.

I was anticipating the router as the tool to help with the 'gone' TS.
I have the makita with 4 tracks/connector sets so I do have a variety options. I have been breaking down sheet goods for a long time.
But once the framing is done the TS comes out and sees me the end of the job.
My job site table is 60 x 32 and drilled for dogs but it is not an 'official' MFT spaced top.
It works well for gluing making prepping etc. I never got around to the finer capabilities.

The efficiency troubles me. I would have to discount my hourly rate to be fiddling with inefficient work arounds.
And to be honest my hand is worth than 1000.00 to me. I used a table saw with no incident for 48  years.... then one moment in time I did not.
OK. Think it is now a moot point. Thanks for all your input. Very helpful.

But, Peter, I would appreciate information on that procedure with the MFT if you can locate it.
I would like to integrate it into the work I am looking forward to doing again.

 

[peter halle]

[member=64321]pgurnee[/member] , here is a link to the thread.  Unfortunately due to a software problem the thumbnail images won't enlarge, but the description of how to do it might suffice.  If further explanation would be helpful, just shout out.  Link: How TJBNWI Cuts Thin Strips in the Field Thread

Peter

 

[Doug S]

I know a couple of guys with Mafell saws, the Mafell style tracks have a second clamping option which is right next to the splinter strip, this seems to work well for narrow cuts, might be worth a look.

 

[woodferret]

I'm thinking you might want a (non-plunge) HKC instead of a TSC.  It's a misnomer because the HKC can be set to do an initial plunge, but for the most part works as a circular saw you may be familiar with.  It can use the standard rail or a special FSK crosscut rail and would replace both your CS and TS for narrow boards while still being precise.  Hyper precise parallel rips take time to set up, but if this is standard sheeting, line strikes and dropping the rail on the line is fast - if not faster+safer than maneuvering a full sheet to the TS.

 

[Packard]

I got the track saw to break down plywood sheets to a size easily handled on the table saw.  I found over time that I can accurately cut sheets directly from the track saw, so most of my flat sheet cuts are done on the track saw.

However, the table saw is faster for multiple cuts of the same width.

The table saw is also better for narrow cuts and dadoes.

Of course the only time I got injured on the table saw was cutting very narrow strips that were also very short.  I would have been OK if I first cut the narrow strips and then cut them to the short lengths.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I wrote the bandsaw thing last night and just this morning I saw someone doing it. Searching would have been easy, this was purely random.

 

[ChuckM]

Legendary Sam Maloof did it like that all the time, but he explicitly warned his viewers not to do what he did!

This kind of bladestop technology from Australia should be made available in woodworking bandsaws:

 

[woodferret]

That's a nice bladestop.  I've seen too many YTers cut round/curved work with a fully exposed blade.  One got caught and luckily only got away with a bruised knuckle instead of getting pulled in.  The algorithm buried it though... YT influencers..

edit: ah, found it - jay bates.  Props to the humility of acknowledging his mental lapse.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I get it, in some cases (like Sam cutting parts curved in the opposite plane) but these guys cutting absolutely flat parts? It's just lazy/stupid. Plus, the blade is far more stable, when the upper guide is down where it should be.
You attempt to follow a curve and the blade twists with the part and continues to cut somewhat straight, until suddenly the pressure on the back of the blade is enough, then it tends to over-cut. Far better results come from proper adjustment. A bandsaw, when adjusted correctly, is one of the safest tools in the shop. The blade is almost completely covered by the workpiece and it cannot kick-back, but you can turn it into a dismembering device in seconds.

 

[dashboardpws]

Dash-Board® products allow the use of track saws to replace a majority of tasks (not all) traditionally accomplished with a table saw, including narrow rips, safely and very accurately.