Thread: Track Saw Square

I use a track saw to cut down sheets but I always measure before clamping the track in place. Sure it takes maybe a minute longer but on sheets 2420 long there are no problems with accuracy.
Can you link to the video?

I have a TSO rail square and as far as I can tell it's accurate enough for its intended purpose. Certainly within tenths of a millimetre. If I was buying again I would just get the Festool rail square as it is made by TSO and cheaper. Not too often you can say that about a Festool product.

For $200 it's worth it. There is a trick to using rail squares. Simply butting the square up against an edge can result in non-square cuts. It's hard to explain but you have to press the square against a surface and then sorta lightly bounce the rail up and down on the surface while continuing to press the square up against the reference edge.

A cheaper solution is to just clamp your track to a large rafter square. It works a treat and is well worth the $20!

Cheers

I've got the Festool square - made by TSO as samo mentions - I can get cuts straight enough that you can't find the error using a tape measure or steel rule. I've put together sheet goods straight off the saw using the rail+square combo, it's great.

I have a Festool guide rail square. I butt the square up against the edge and then lower the other end of the rail down. Quick and easy. Or sometimes bounce it like samo does. I've also use a calibrated 6 inch square to set the rail in position. This works just as well. Both good for short cuts.

If it's a longer cut (and I need to be accurate) and I have a factory edge and corner to work off I do what Lappa does. I reference off the back edge of the rail. My saw cuts 185.4mm from the back of the rail. I also have marked my rail out on the splinterguard in 1 foot increments and use that to square an edge. 3 feet along the rail, 4 feet along the edge and 5 feet between. Both better for longer cuts.

Another source and there are others ....

Bench Dogs, Woodworker bench fittings and Fence Dogs – Benchdogs

Yep, Festool rail guide square and i find it's very accurate.

Cheers Peter

+1 on the Festool rail guide square. It's pricey for what it does but speeds things up and is accurate.

I also have the Festool square, use it with both Festool and Makita rails. Lately I have been clamping every cut that I can and find that my results are more consistent.

Maybe if the saw isn't aligned to the track properly it is pulling or pushing the track left or right as you make the cut away from your initial position?

As a side note, i recently got the bench dogs UK parallel guide system for the track saw rail and it's brilliant.
Trim a fresh edge on a new sheet, set the guides to my desired width (once you've calibrated them) and set up the track. Extremely quick and accurate rip cuts then I just use the Insta rail square to cross cut to my desired widths. Just assembled a large bank of cabinets all components cut with the above setup and everything went together very well. I didn't clamp the track in place for any of the cuts.

I have the benchdogs square and it is very good. Easy to place on the track and it is always square.