Support for under workpiece / rail with TS55EQ and rail

[zzzzdoc]

Trying to figure out the best way to use this.

1.) Sawhorses
2.) Sacrificial foam under workpiece
3.) 1 x 1 wood supports under workpiece
4.) ??????

The clamps seem to get in the way with the small workpieces or clamping it to a table (I don't have a MFT).  Haven't tried sawhorses or foam.

What's the best way to use the track saw and be able to clamp the guide to the workpiece and support it?

 

[DavidCBaker]

In some cases you don't need to clamp it. That material under the guide keeps it pretty stable.

 

[peter halle]

I use saw horses with 1 x 4 spanning them ( 2 or three) then 2" foam on top.  I rarely clamp the rail, but if necessary you can.

Peter

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

From a previous edition of SysNotes in September of 2009, our email newsletter:

Here's the article in SysNotes.

A special thanks to Marte Yerkins for sharing his project for building a mobile saw table which can be folded for storage.  Read the Marte's tutorial (in PDF format) about the Mobile Saw Table, complete with blueprints and instructions for making your own.

 

[RONWEN]

That's a great design Shane.  It could easily be adapted to clamp the 4'x8' ply sheets to it & swing into place to avoid lifting them.  Marte did an excellent job.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Out in the field I use 2 saw horses with 36" 2x4 to support a full 4x8' sheet of 19mm plywood, usually a sheet with a cosmetic defect, or inexpensive material. My experience has been that 50mm insulation is soft enough it is a problem clamping the rails when I need to do so.

In my shop the benches I use for guide rail cutting are slightly more refined. There is a frame made of 2x6 36" wide and 84" long, with legs bringing it to a comfortable working height. Each leg has a hinged caster, so when they are lowered the bench can be moved. The sacrificial top is made of 2 sheets of shop-grade beech 19mm plywood,  with a series of 20mm holes drilled on 96mm centers using my CNC nested router. The sheets are held together with a few dabs of glue near the edges. The bottom sheet is held to the frame with dabs of hot melt glue. When the top sheet is so badly nicked it no longer effectively prevents tear-out, the assembly gets flipped over. Once the second side gets badly nicked, the sheets are separated and the process repeated.

My experience is that my TS55 or TS75 is most effective sawing sheet goods when the underside is fully supported on a sacrificial surface. By using 4x10' sheets I can move the rails around a lot to spread the nicks. Those shop benches are mostly used for angle cuts. In the field, on-site or location, I use the sacrificial surface for all plywood cuts.

 

[zzzzdoc]

How far do you set the saw to cut below the surface?  I think I'm setting the cut too deep.

 

[tiralie]

I set mine to a minimum - 1-2mm sometimes more if the board is very long. If I forget to set my depth correctly (in a hurry) and cut more I am pissed.
This may not be optimum but I figure why cut more material (table) than you need to?
Good luck.
Tim

 

[Sparktrician]

An issue I've noted is that the track seems to lock itself down to the workpiece just fine, but often the workpiece slips around on the MFT surface (or whatever I'm cutting on) unless I clamp it.  Well, along comes Rockler with the "Bench Cookie? Plus Work Grippers and Optional Risers" - (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=25232&filter=bench%20cookies).  The risers apparently drop right into the holes in the MFT or can be screwed to a work surface, or even dropped into 3/4" holes drilled in the top of sawhorses.  I haven't tried them yet, but it sure seems like a pretty sweet idea to keep material from sliding around as it's being cut.  I would think that these would be really good when one is sanding a highly finished product, or when one is finishing a piece that needs to have the laminate trimmed without clamping damage to the laminate.  [smile]

 

[cahudson42]

I use mostly solid wood - 2" to maybe 12" width. Possible length up to 72" or so. My two setups are shown below - the first for  all crosscuts and short (24") rips. The second for longer rips.

I use 2 MFT1080s joined lengthwise, but with a 'full' (almost) sacrificial cover of 1/4" MDF. Cheap and easy to move off when I need the holes.

The MFT rail clamps/guides really are useful for this, IMHO. I use one set for the crosscut setup, and the second set for the long rips. The MFT fence is at the rear of the crosscut setup, useful for assuring parallel.

With the MFT 800 still available on closeout for $306, you might consider it to get the clamps, rails, and fence. Build an adjoining same-height extension, where you could use your existing rails as extensions for longer cuts.

I use these setups for everything. Haven't used my cheap Ryobi BTS10 contractor saw since, and debating about taking it to the dump. (Don't think it would be responsible to sell it to anyone.)

Chris

 

[zzzzdoc]

Seems a little harsh to use the Fine Woodworking as a sacrificial cover, but I suppose that's one approach.

 

[simon]

Shane, for the mobile saw table the material list specifies poplar. Is that a soft or hard wood. I live in Suriname, South America, and have different names for the wood types.

 

[upscale]

Shane, for the mobile saw table the material list specifies poplar. Is that a soft or hard wood. I live in Suriname, South America, and have different names for the wood types.

Poplar is considered to be a hardwood in North America (don't know about elsewhere), but as far as hardwoods go, it's certainly one of the softer hardwoods. If I had a choice between working with poplar or working with pine as an example, I'd choose poplar, but they're both pretty soft woods. My personal experience is that poplar has less tendency to warp.
http://woodworking.about.com/od/typesofwood/p/Poplar.htm

 

[BobKovacs]

A special thanks to Marte Yerkins for sharing his project for building a mobile saw table which can be folded for storage.  Read the Marte's tutorial (in PDF format) about the Mobile Saw Table, complete with blueprints and instructions for making your own.

Great article.  Gotta love the line at the end of the first paragraph, though- "Space and work surfaces are at a premium in my 3,000 sf shop, so portability was a major requirement".  Hmmmm.....yes.....having only 3,000 sf to work in would really cramp the style of many of us who are having to share a 2-car garage with the car, the lawnmower, and other assorted junk.....lol

 

[mouppe]

Shane, for the mobile saw table the material list specifies poplar. Is that a soft or hard wood. I live in Suriname, South America, and have different names for the wood types.

Simon,

The term softwood or hardwood has nothing to do with the hardness of the wood. Simply, softwoods come from evergreen trees, and hardwoods from deciduous trees. Some hardwoods like poplar can be softer than than a softwood such as pine.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

Richard.

 

[JeromeM]

Shane, for the mobile saw table the material list specifies poplar. Is that a soft or hard wood. I live in Suriname, South America, and have different names for the wood types.

Simon,

The term softwood or hardwood has nothing to do with the hardness of the wood. Simply, softwoods come from evergreen trees, and hardwoods from deciduous trees. Some hardwoods like poplar can be softer than than a softwood such as pine.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

Richard.

And FWIW Balsa is a Hardwood and has a Janka number of 100 while Yew that is a softwood has a Janka number of 1600,

Mesquite 2345, Ipe 3680, Lignum Vitea is at 4500