The versatility of the tracksaw

[mouppe]

Thought it might be interesting to start a thread based on useful ways to use a tracksaw.

Here's how I used my TS55 today to level an already assembled table.

After scribing a level line to even up the feet, you can then measure and mark a parallel cut line for the top.

To get a finish this accurate can only be done once the piece is assembled.

Perfectly parallel

 

[Staniam]

Nice! Those things seem to find themselves in crazy places pretty often. I mounted my track on a huge headboard the other day. Instead of disassembling it I clamped it on and used it horizontally. It was pretty damn cool.

I apologize but, as cool as the picture looks, I'm still trying to make out where everything is.

 

[mouppe]

I have clamped some long boards to my bench with an overhang, then clamped the table and track to the overhang. You can use the same setup for casework and drawers.

Here's a photo of the result of the first two tables.

 

[tjbnwi]

High angle bevel rip.

Tom

 

[Owego]

Tom,  Your 3rd picture: the bevel face on that piece looks much wider than a ts75 can make.  How did you make that cut ?

 

[tjbnwi]

Tom,  Your 3rd picture: the bevel face on that piece looks much wider than a ts75 can make.  How did you make that cut ?

Just finished the cut in the other photos with the 850 plane. Maybe camera angle that distorts the look.

Tom

 

[peter halle]

RL - Great Idea for a thread!

Tom - Great to see someone showing how versatile it is to have the ability to clamp using the front and / or sides of the MFT.  I have done what you illustrated for custom thresholds.  CAUTION to everyone - make you sure you know where your blade will cut when you are setting it up near the aluminum extrusions.

Peter

 

[chris s]

RL; Very interesting, I have used the tracksaw in situations where dis assembly was not practical.
        Your shop looks very interesting, I like the large windows and it appears to be several stories up. I notice in one picture there is a large flexible pipe with an outlet thru the window. I don't image you rain dust and shavings down on the side walk. So what is the function of it.        Chris

 

[mouppe]

Thanks Chris, I'm in an old industrial building on the third floor mostly inhabited by small retail shops, photographers, artists etc. The light is very good. The ductwork is for a floor-standing air conditioner. I have an air purifier too, but thanks to mostly hand tool work and festools for the rest there isn't much dust!

 

[ear3]

Nice work.  I experienced a similar tracksaw to the rescue moment earlier in the summer, though on a smaller scale, where I had mismeasured and made a drawer too big for the opening.  So I just laid the rail on top and cut it down to the appropriate size on all 4 sides.  Worked like a charm.

 

[Elmar50]

An atypical setting for a tracksaw, but it made quick work of a sheathing problem resulting from placing a new roof in an old structure.

 

[greg mann]

Beats snapping a chalk line and then hanging over the edge to see it as you try to stay accurate.

 

[roblg3]

I don't have a photo, but i cut 7- 10x10" columns across the front of house around 4 sides using the "fast clamp" to hold the rail onto the vertical sides of the columns.  The bottom 3 feet was removed from each hollow column and replaced with pvc i fluted to match existing.  Unfortunately, the original fluting was NOT consistent throughout and i had to add a trim piece where the flutes didn't meet up at a few points due to variances in the existing work.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I recently learned that the TS55 does a great job of cutting veneer. 
I needed four sheets cut to 19in by 56in.  The veneer comes in 10 ft long rolls.

The long rail made child's play out of the long dimension and a shorter rail was handy for the crosscuts.  I just traced the edges of the substrate onto the top sheet and cut all four sheets at once.  Edges were so straight and smooth that no addition work was needed.

Saved a few hours that way.

Use the metal cutting blade for the cleanest cut (thanks to Paul Schurch for that)!

 

[ear3]

Had to make some perfectly placed, diagonal stopped dadoes for a box table project.  Initially was going to rout the groove, but decided on the tracksaw, first of all because the material going in the dado was down to 43/64 after sanding, and so I didn't want too much of a gap if I used the 23/32 router bit, and secondly because of the control it would give me on placing the dado.  Also if I had gone with multiple passes on the router with a 1/4 or 1/2 bit, I would have had to stop well short of the edge, because the machine would be hanging off the side on the front and back of the cuts:

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A little chisel cleanup at the end:

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And voilà:

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There was a little tear out on the edge from the chisel, but that was kind of unavoidable given the material, and can be easily filled.  The important part is that I was able to get the diagonal support in perfect alignment with the side of the carcasse at the bottom:

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And here's the full piece being clamped and glued last night, with dadoes applied to both top and bottom:

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This is the sort of task that affirms my decision to have switched over to the TSC55 from the regular corded version.  It's not fun to worry about the cord and hose catching in the middle of a long cut in the center of a panel.  I was also fortunate to have watched the recent post by the French fellow on his geometric veneer topped table (can't seem to find the post right now), where he cuts backwards with the TS55 to get a cleaner cut on such thin material.  I hadn't realized one could do this, so I employed this method to get right up to the marking line at the front of the cut, and thus minimize the chiseling I would have to do in the plywood.

 

[JimD]

I recently made some shelves for my wife that are 16 inch deep.  She wanted pickled softwood so I went to Lowe's and got some shelving boards.  I needed to straighten the edges before gluing them up.  I used my tracksaw.  Worked fine.  I have a jointer but it has short tables and I am not great in using it.  I've used my table saw to get glue ready joints but I think the tracksaw does a better job. 

 

[sae]

An atypical setting for a tracksaw, but it made quick work of a sheathing problem resulting from placing a new roof in an old structure.

Ooh, you have one of those 90 anniversary rails.