TS 75 at 45 degree angle
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Crazyraceguy
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Nope. The key to good cuts in this situation is clamping the rail and using both hands on the saw. Left hand holding the base to the track and right operating the saw. Comfortable smooth motions and complete follow-through will produce the best results.
Clamping is paramount with bevels. You can do most vertical cuts without it, the foam tape is good enough for that, not with the saw tilted.
Clamping is paramount with bevels. You can do most vertical cuts without it, the foam tape is good enough for that, not with the saw tilted.
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Hey Y'all,Crazyraceguy said:
Would it make sense to use an MFT/3 with the flip down rail for such an operation while securely clamping the board one is cutting?
Michael Kellough
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You can clamp a loose rail down on both ends. The MFT does not allow that.
The key to a good bevel cut is to have extra runway, at both ends, but especially at the front, so that you can get comfortable keeping the saw rock steady before it begins cutting the keeper and until the entire blade has exited the keeper.
I say keeper because you need extra stock of the exact same thickness to place before and after the keeper, and a rail long enough to cover all three pieces of stock, and an extra pair of rail clamps.
To get ideal placement of the four rail clamps drill 20mm holes in the support panel where you need them. Support the support panel with a straight caul so the rail is dead flat from end to end.
The key to a good bevel cut is to have extra runway, at both ends, but especially at the front, so that you can get comfortable keeping the saw rock steady before it begins cutting the keeper and until the entire blade has exited the keeper.
I say keeper because you need extra stock of the exact same thickness to place before and after the keeper, and a rail long enough to cover all three pieces of stock, and an extra pair of rail clamps.
To get ideal placement of the four rail clamps drill 20mm holes in the support panel where you need them. Support the support panel with a straight caul so the rail is dead flat from end to end.
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- Jul 8, 2007
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mino
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I will separate from the pack of good advice and go with CRG "nope" here.
TLDR:
Practice. Practice. Practice.
One should not shy from *planning* two cuts instead of one, first cutting say 1/2" from where needed to validate the result/technique.
This is a topic of technique and cannot be bypassed by any utensil. Short of the table-sized ones ...
---
Thing is, *no* accessory which prevents the saw from tipping could give the saw adequate stability during the cut.
The only precise surface on a rail is the reference rib and no (thin) rail can have a 2nd vertically-aligned reference surface strong-enough to handle the forces during a 45° bevel cut. A steady and well aplied pressure by the operator is a physics requirement here.
This is why I despise Makita-style "anti-tip" nips on the rails and such. These are useless during the cut and only create the false impression (in a novice) that one can rely on them for someting else than the saw not falling off. Plus it promotes the (bad) practice of "storing" the saw on the rail while lining things up (see bellow).
What I found as the "best pratice" is to not "store" the saw on the rail before the cut. Period. Line up everything first and only then come with the saw to make the cut in a single operation.
Any fiddling with the heavy saw on the rail is likely to move things in undesirable ways. Even when clamping, the heavy saw causes the adhesive strips to stick, and boy, they do stick. This forces a bend of rail when lining up which is then "fixed in" by the clamps. This is bad for 90° cuts, not to mention bevel ones. *)
*) yes, yes, when doing a plunge cut one needs the saw to set the stops. But then even a 90° plunge cut asks for a beforehand-clamped rail, etc.
TLDR:
Practice. Practice. Practice.
One should not shy from *planning* two cuts instead of one, first cutting say 1/2" from where needed to validate the result/technique.
This is a topic of technique and cannot be bypassed by any utensil. Short of the table-sized ones ...
---
Thing is, *no* accessory which prevents the saw from tipping could give the saw adequate stability during the cut.
The only precise surface on a rail is the reference rib and no (thin) rail can have a 2nd vertically-aligned reference surface strong-enough to handle the forces during a 45° bevel cut. A steady and well aplied pressure by the operator is a physics requirement here.
This is why I despise Makita-style "anti-tip" nips on the rails and such. These are useless during the cut and only create the false impression (in a novice) that one can rely on them for someting else than the saw not falling off. Plus it promotes the (bad) practice of "storing" the saw on the rail while lining things up (see bellow).
What I found as the "best pratice" is to not "store" the saw on the rail before the cut. Period. Line up everything first and only then come with the saw to make the cut in a single operation.
Any fiddling with the heavy saw on the rail is likely to move things in undesirable ways. Even when clamping, the heavy saw causes the adhesive strips to stick, and boy, they do stick. This forces a bend of rail when lining up which is then "fixed in" by the clamps. This is bad for 90° cuts, not to mention bevel ones. *)
*) yes, yes, when doing a plunge cut one needs the saw to set the stops. But then even a 90° plunge cut asks for a beforehand-clamped rail, etc.
bobtskutter
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- Jun 5, 2021
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- 365
I echo Mino's guidance (although I am just a novice).
Clamp the rail down.
Make sure the rail is supported before the cut and after the cut. This will stop the rail bending and keep the cut line close to the splinter guard.
Use the kick back stop to help hold the saw to the rail when you're setting the angle and when you start the cut.
Press the saw base plate to the rail with your left hand whilst you're moving the saw.
Practice makes perfect.
There are some pictures in this post which may help you.https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/a-train-set-table-for-my-son/msg697270/#msg697270
Regards
bob
Clamp the rail down.
Make sure the rail is supported before the cut and after the cut. This will stop the rail bending and keep the cut line close to the splinter guard.
Use the kick back stop to help hold the saw to the rail when you're setting the angle and when you start the cut.
Press the saw base plate to the rail with your left hand whilst you're moving the saw.
Practice makes perfect.
There are some pictures in this post which may help you.https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/a-train-set-table-for-my-son/msg697270/#msg697270
Regards
bob
