Wesley Treat | DIY Track Saw @WesleyTreat | Uploaded June 2016 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
I took an old circular saw and turned it into a nice track saw with a bit of aluminum and some plywood. I also made some upgrades: youtu.be/qmlwNEKGR8E.
PATREON EXCLUSIVES
If you'd like to help support my channel and get access to exclusive content, visit patreon.com/wesleytreat.
FOLLOW ME
▶ Instagram: instagram.com/wesley_treat
▶ Facebook: facebook.com/satelluxe
▶ Twitter: twitter.com/wesleytreat
▶ Amazon: amazon.com/shop/wesleytreat
▶ Etsy: satelluxe.etsy.com & satelluxestudio.etsy.com
TOOLS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
▶ Bosch Plunge and Fixed Base Router Kit: amzn.to/2gyZ1TE
▶ Rockler 3/4" Straight Router Bit: amzn.to/2gyRAfe
▶ Freud Diablo D0740 40-Tooth Finishing Saw Blade: amzn.to/2gyVwN4
OTHER NOTES
▶ The pink stuff underneath the plywood is insulation foam, available at any big box hardware store. It makes it a lot easier to cut sheet goods, eliminating the need to hang cutoffs over the end of the workbench.
WHY A TRACK SAW?
For the contrarians who insist a good ol' straight edge is better, here's why I prefer a track saw:
1. You can deviate from a straight edge. You cannot deviate from a track.
2. With a straight edge, you always have to include an offset in your measurement with every cut, to account for the distance from the straight edge to the blade. With a track, you lay it down exactly where you want to cut and go. Break down a dozen sheets into 50-odd pieces and that becomes a huge time- and trouble-saver.
3. My track extends beyond the material, which gives me an infeed and an outfeed. That means that (a) I always begin the cut dead-on, and (b) if I'm in a position where I have to lean out across the material to complete the cut, I can leave the saw resting on the track at the end of the cut. I don't have to take the weight of the saw with my arm fully extended once the blade clears the material.
If these aren't good enough reasons for you, I'm fine with that. Continue to use a straight edge if that works for you. But I'm happy with the advantages the track saw affords me.
I took an old circular saw and turned it into a nice track saw with a bit of aluminum and some plywood. I also made some upgrades: youtu.be/qmlwNEKGR8E.
PATREON EXCLUSIVES
If you'd like to help support my channel and get access to exclusive content, visit patreon.com/wesleytreat.
FOLLOW ME
▶ Instagram: instagram.com/wesley_treat
▶ Facebook: facebook.com/satelluxe
▶ Twitter: twitter.com/wesleytreat
▶ Amazon: amazon.com/shop/wesleytreat
▶ Etsy: satelluxe.etsy.com & satelluxestudio.etsy.com
TOOLS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
▶ Bosch Plunge and Fixed Base Router Kit: amzn.to/2gyZ1TE
▶ Rockler 3/4" Straight Router Bit: amzn.to/2gyRAfe
▶ Freud Diablo D0740 40-Tooth Finishing Saw Blade: amzn.to/2gyVwN4
OTHER NOTES
▶ The pink stuff underneath the plywood is insulation foam, available at any big box hardware store. It makes it a lot easier to cut sheet goods, eliminating the need to hang cutoffs over the end of the workbench.
WHY A TRACK SAW?
For the contrarians who insist a good ol' straight edge is better, here's why I prefer a track saw:
1. You can deviate from a straight edge. You cannot deviate from a track.
2. With a straight edge, you always have to include an offset in your measurement with every cut, to account for the distance from the straight edge to the blade. With a track, you lay it down exactly where you want to cut and go. Break down a dozen sheets into 50-odd pieces and that becomes a huge time- and trouble-saver.
3. My track extends beyond the material, which gives me an infeed and an outfeed. That means that (a) I always begin the cut dead-on, and (b) if I'm in a position where I have to lean out across the material to complete the cut, I can leave the saw resting on the track at the end of the cut. I don't have to take the weight of the saw with my arm fully extended once the blade clears the material.
If these aren't good enough reasons for you, I'm fine with that. Continue to use a straight edge if that works for you. But I'm happy with the advantages the track saw affords me.
