My Solid Wood Tool Kit and Workflow

[peter halle]

[member=1674]Peter Halle[/member] & [member=40772]Holmz[/member] , thanks for your suggestion on using the TS55 and guide rail for ripping solid wood planks.  I understand the concept of using an extra board to support the guide rail but how do you ensure the piece you are cutting doesn't move?  Let's say I need to rip a 1x4 or 1x6 down the middle, how do I stabilize that piece?

Thanks!

My Bosch rails have a slot for a clamp.
Don't the Festool ones also have a clamp slot?

And I clamp the rail to the old lady's church bake sale table, with the peace I am cutting in the middle, like burger-patty between the buns.

Of course the Festool rails have a clamp slot.  Lots of mentions here about Festool clamps and guiderails.

Peter

 

[Holmz]

[member=1674]Peter Halle[/member] & [member=40772]Holmz[/member] , thanks for your suggestion on using the TS55 and guide rail for ripping solid wood planks.  I understand the concept of using an extra board to support the guide rail but how do you ensure the piece you are cutting doesn't move?  Let's say I need to rip a 1x4 or 1x6 down the middle, how do I stabilize that piece?

Thanks!

My Bosch rails have a slot for a clamp.
Don't the Festool ones also have a clamp slot?

And I clamp the rail to the old lady's church bake sale table, with the peace I am cutting in the middle, like burger-patty between the buns.

Of course the Festool rails have a clamp slot.  Lots of mentions here about Festool clamps and guiderails.

Peter

[wink] I know Brutha.
I suspect that they could be useful in these applications.

 

[JimD]

The issue is not with cutting narrow pieces, it is cutting narrow boards.  I see no way to take a 2.5 inch piece of wood down to 1.5 inches without putting another piece of wood under the other edge of the track to hold it up.  If both are totally flat this works fine.  But if either is warped, it tends to lead to the track not staying put.  I like to clamp but that is harder when the wood doesn't hang off the worksurface (it is possible coming up from below but isn't quick and easy).  I find my technique also makes a significant different in how accurately I can cut without clamping. 

But it is far easier to work on pieces narrower than the track on a table saw.  Ron Paulk's workbench and total station are track saw friendly workbenches with built in support for a small portable table saw.  That sort of combination will work easier than trying to use the track saw for everything.  Good portable table saws are several hundred dollars but even a little cheap direct drive saw will make good cuts up to about the same thickness wood at the track saw.  Their big disadvantage is a lousy rip fence you must check for each cut.  That is still less work than trying to do rip thin pieces with a track saw. 

 

[Patrick Cox]

Well, after all of this discussion I decided to research table saws a bit more as an option. If I were to purchase a table saw it would need to be a contractor style. But now what I am running into is it sounds like if I want reasonable dust collection then I may need to step up to a large dust collection system, which I certainly don't have room for. So is that accurate?  Or will my CT 26 do a reasonable job of dust collection with a contractor saw?  Thx

 

[tjbnwi]

You'll need this high tech 27 mm hose to table saw adapter.

(or buy a 50 mm hose)

Tom

 

[rizzoa13]

Is that a paint roller? Your ghettoness is impressive to me.

 

[Holmz]

Is that a paint roller? Your ghettoness is impressive to me.

[big grin]
Always good to have a budget.

When ILC came out, then we had colour-TV...

 

[tjbnwi]

Is that a paint roller? Your ghettoness is impressive to me.

Yep-3/4" nap roller sleeve.

Tom

 

[MrGinCT]

There are 2 flesh sensing table saw mfg'rs to choose from.  Both have a job site portable saw; SawStop is the original design and Bosch just came out with their version.  The latest that I've read is that SawStop has prevailed in court against Bosch  for patent infringement.  I only mention this because if SawStop prevails in getting the courts to order Bosch to stop selling their version then getting parts / stuff for it may become a problem for folks that own one.
I have the SawStop 3hp version and love it, but you must NEVER let on the flesh sensing technology replace following all safety processes for using a table saw. 
I would not trade my table saw for ONLY having a track saw - I have the Festool 55 - because it can do so much more and with much longer boards than is easily accomplished with Festool 55.
I also have the Laguna 14SUV and I love it.  I've had other brands and the Laguna is so much better.  The only issue I had with the Laguna is the blade guides.  I replace the factory ones with the Carter bearing guides.  Night and day difference.  A bandsaw, properly set up with the right blades, can provide you with extremely smooth cuts and very accurately.

If you get a "big" machine and you'll have a "big" footprint, but it will still do everything that you need it to do. If you get a small machine, it won't be able to do what you want it to do and you'll end up replacing it with something that will.

Henry Ford once said that if you need a piece of machinery and you don't buy it, you will find that you have paid for it and don't have it.  I work with companies on how to be more productive, efficient, and safer without working harder.  It doesn't matter if you are a hobbyist; no one should have to do something the hard way as it takes away from the fun and enjoyment of doing it.

 

[tjbnwi]

There are 2 flesh sensing table saw mfg'rs to choose from.  Both have a job site portable saw; SawStop is the original design and Bosch just came out with their version.  The latest that I've read is that SawStop has prevailed in court against Bosch  for patent infringement.  I only mention this because if SawStop prevails in getting the courts to order Bosch to stop selling their version then getting parts / stuff for it may become a problem for folks that own one.
I have the SawStop 3hp version and love it, but you must NEVER let on the flesh sensing technology replace following all safety processes for using a table saw. 
I would not trade my table saw for ONLY having a track saw - I have the Festool 55 - because it can do so much more and with much longer boards than is easily accomplished with Festool 55.
I also have the Laguna 14SUV and I love it.  I've had other brands and the Laguna is so much better.  The only issue I had with the Laguna is the blade guides.  I replace the factory ones with the Carter bearing guides.  Night and day difference.  A bandsaw, properly set up with the right blades, can provide you with extremely smooth cuts and very accurately.

If you get a "big" machine and you'll have a "big" footprint, but it will still do everything that you need it to do. If you get a small machine, it won't be able to do what you want it to do and you'll end up replacing it with something that will.

Henry Ford once said that if you need a piece of machinery and you don't buy it, you will find that you have paid for it and don't have it.  I work with companies on how to be more productive, efficient, and safer without working harder.  It doesn't matter if you are a hobbyist; no one should have to do something the hard way as it takes away from the fun and enjoyment of doing it.

I don't agree at all with the ability to cut/rip longer boards on a job site table saw than the TS. I can link well over 160 feet of track and make a prefect rip in a board of that length, try a 12-14-16- 20'er on a job site table saw and you'll get a board with barked ends and wonders.

I've trimmed decks/porches over 80' in length with my TS-55 and connected rails.

Have yet to come across a rip that I can't do with the TS with better results than any job site table saw. The TS-55 is far safer than any job site table saw also, with or without skin sensing technology.

There is a video of a TSC ripping 300'. Try that with any table saw, good luck supporting it and finding 600+ feet of clear space to run the board.

30 seconds of thought will normally overcome any rip limitation one has in their head.

Tom

 

[Svar]

There is a video of a TSC ripping 300'. Try that with any table saw, good luck supporting it and finding 600+ feet of clear space to run the board.

That might actually be easier than finding 300' of rails connecting and aligning it, placing 300’ of sticks to support the rails for a narrow rip, securing your stock and finding and leveling tables to rest this contraption on.

But seriously, I find this “what’s better track or table saw” argument utterly absurd. Both excel at different things. Lets leave it at that.

30 seconds of thought will normally overcome any rip limitation one has in their head.
Tom

Same principle equally applies to a table saw. No?

 

[Holmz]

If you already have the TS55 and the jigsaw then try to make both of them work.
I could do this using the jig saw and a thicknesser.
Or a track saw with or without a plane.
If you cannot do it with the existing tools then the table saw will not likely overcome that.

 

[rizzoa13]

Track saw vrs table saw: This is what I do so its right.

 

[ear3]

With two saw horses, a sacrificial sheet of ply, and a long rail, you can do a lot of stuff the table saw can do.  Though I like the suggestion made by some about a jobsite saw as well.  Table saws can be lethal if mistreated, but under normal conditions and with proper safety accessories (like fence rollers, feather boards, or some other anti-kickback device), you can eliminate most of the danger.

One work around I've done when ripping narrow material while on site without access to a table saw is to cut it long, then shoot some nails from a cordless nailer into either end to secure it to the table (usually a sheet of ply).  After it's ripped I can just chop off the ends.

 

[ear3]

Just got the new issue of Fine Woodworking in the mail today [member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member] and there's a good article on how to joint wide boards using a benchtop planer.  With a lunchbox planer, a tracksaw and a jack plane (to deal with twisted boards), you're in pretty good shape to handle the majority of stock preparation situations that might otherwise call for a jointer.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Just got the new issue of Fine Woodworking in the mail today [member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member] and there's a good article on how to joint wide boards using a benchtop planer.  With a lunchbox planer, a tracksaw and a jack plane (to deal with twisted boards), you're in pretty good shape to handle the majority of stock preparation situations that might otherwise call for a jointer.

Thanks Ed.  I'll check that out.

 

[JimD]

My table saw is a Ryobi BT3100.  It is more capable in some ways than a jobsite saw but is a lot closer to their size and capabilities than a big cast iron cabinet saw.  I used to have a wide table kit for it that gave me 60 inch rip capacity and I built a lot of furniture for myself and my kids on it.  But then I got a track saw and took the extension rails off.  I like the track saw and little table saw a lot better than either alone.  The track saw is better and big pieces of wood, solid or laminated.  The table saw is better at small pieces.  I do not see it as any more complicated than that.  I can do little pieces on the track saw and can and have done big pieces on the table saw but it's better to not fight things and work within the tools comfort zone. 

My Ryobi isn't sold any more so unless you find a use one, I would look at the DeWalt and Bosch job site saws.  If you have the budget, the Bosch is available with flesh sensing technology as is the SawStop.  One of these little saws to go with your tracksaw will put you in good shape to build furniture.  My other frequently used cutting tools are a 12 inch CMS and RAS on their own bench.  With more limited space, a sliding miter (Kapek is great but expensive) could largely take the place of both.  A lower priced option would be a Bosch glide, or Hitachi or I've seen a good review of the Rigid 12 inch slider.  The Rigid was tested to have decent dust collection.  You can use the table saw for small crosscuts and the tracksaw for large ones, however.  I would view the CMS or RAS as much less important than the table saw or track saw. 

 

[Svar]

I like the track saw and little table saw a lot better than either alone.  The track saw is better and big pieces of wood, solid or laminated.  The table saw is better at small pieces.  I do not see it as any more complicated than that.

Well said. Agree 100%.

 

[Brent Taylor]

Pat, to be quite honest the best and safest tool you can acquire is knowledge.  Find someone or a school that can teach you how to work safely and use tools safety.  Any tool  can hurt you,  if you don't have the knowledge of how to use it properly.  I hate seeing all the different post from people that think that any form of manual labor is simply and easy,  between Bob Vila showing that you can build a house in a half hour to the mechanics on the Spike telling you that you only need a wrench and a screwdriver to install an engine. 
Knowledge is the best and safest tool you can acquire.  End of rant. B