Track Saw/Guide Rail Bevel Jig

[4nthony]

Came across this video today. I don't speak German, but it's pretty easy to follow along. Interesting jig idea for bevel cuts with the track saw.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I did something similar last year, when I had to cut the end of a curved piece. That was a one-off solution to a problem though, not a reusable jig.
Might be cool to make it adjustable. I had one for my router table to cut odd angles on laminated parts with a flush-trim bit. It worked really well, the once or twice a year that I needed it.  [unsure] and collected dust the rest of the time.
A dedicated one for 45 degree miters would be easier though.

 

[ChuckM]

The bevel edges produced were not sharp, but the jig owner seemed to be saying something about that. Was he offering a solution?

[attachimg=1]

 

[4nthony]

The bevel edges produced were not sharp, but the jig owner seemed to be saying something about that. Was he offering a solution?

I noticed that as well. It kinda looks like he's got the edge of the jig is on the edge of the board and the splinter guard is slightly overhanging, producing the blunt edge.

I would think you could get a sharper edge if you move the track in a fraction from the end of the board. Or rather, lined up the splinter guard with the true edge.

Maybe for this example, he wanted the blunt edge? Can any German speakers help with a language assist? [cool]

 

[Packard]

The image is too small for me to see, but I guess that the geometry of the saw does not allow you to sacrifice the anti-splinter strip.  So the nose of the cut will always be blunt by the amount splinter guard overhangs on an angle cut.

 

[squall_line]

The bevel edges produced were not sharp, but the jig owner seemed to be saying something about that. Was he offering a solution?

I noticed that as well. It kinda looks like he's got the edge of the jig is on the edge of the board and the splinter guard is slightly overhanging, producing the blunt edge.

I would think you could get a sharper edge if you move the track in a fraction from the end of the board. Or rather, lined up the splinter guard with the true edge.

Maybe for this example, he wanted the blunt edge? Can any German speakers help with a language assist? [cool]

I don't speak German, but I watched the video with the auto-caption and auto-translate turned on (which is even more fun in remote meetings at work, but I digress...).  He didn't say anything about the bluntness of the corner, unfortunately.

His caveats:

Steeper angles mean larger blades are needed for thicker material or even steeper angles.  The 60 degree "swiss edge" seemed to be about the limit of the TS-55 with that thickness of material.

A TS-75 would be needed to "monster tables" or for steeper angles; you could theoretically get a 91 degree cut with this jig, which would make no sense at all.

Don't worry about drilling into your guide rails; you'll just have to get over it (a rough approximation of what he said, but I think that captured his general tone and feeling about it).

The saw feels weird when doing this, but the jig is stable and as long as it's clamped well, you just get used to it. (again, a rough summary of the translated captions)

This was just a demonstration with a shorter rail for the purposes of showing the technique.  This can be done with almost any length rail but the 2800 rail would be somewhat foolish to try.

Not part of his caveats, just my thoughts:

The sharpness of the corner is going to be limited by geometry.  Since you're actually only cutting a 15-degree bevel with the track saw, but at 45 degrees, your blade is going to be offset at one point or another.  The steeper you cut, the more likely you are to eat into the jig itself, which is what would be required to get a sharp point.

In any case, I think that since his primary audience for this jig was table builders, a sharp 60-degree point is anathema to a pleasant user experience for the end product; you'd likely end up easing the corner anyway.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The cut board is blunt because the jig is overhanging the end of the board.
To get a sharp edge just move the fit inboard.

However, it is often better to offset the joint a little from the corner. If it’s a waterfall joint make the top (horizontal) board blunt and make the vertical board sharp, but then the vertical needs to be a little thinner so the inner surfaces meet.

 

[ChuckM]

It does make sense to have blunt edges for tables.

But it surely sounds to me that it's a lot more complicated if not harder to match a blunt edge with a sharp one seamlessly in a waterfall or miter joint than two simple miters. No?

 

[squall_line]

I guess it depends on the waterfall.

If it's a 90 degree waterfall, it would make sense to use two 45's to make the 90.

The stated purpose of the jig in this particular video was to cut beyond 46 degrees with the track saw, not necessarily to cut consistent 45's, so if a sharp corner is the primary concern, you would just use the track.

As far as the "beyond 45", it's also because the intended use, large tables, can't normally be stood up on end and cut on a table saw to get a > 45 degree undercut.

I would imagine if the intended use was for consistent 45's for waterfalls, the jig may have been built to ensure a sharp corner.