Thread: Why aren't all circular saws designed to be comaptible with a track for saw track?

YouTube has a gazzillion videos on making a “track” for your circular saw. To be honest they don’t look pretty and they weigh more as they are mdf or ply. So if it is only used part time make one and if it becomes a must have item you can then buy a real track saw.
as for functionality the timber tracks you make work just like the real thing. One saw to do both jobs.
cheers

Hi there. One big difference is that all saws designed for track sawing are plunge types with a riving knife. Using these freehand is awkward to say the least. And using a standard circular saw on a track would be pretty dicey with all that blade exposed in use.

Makita offers circular saws that are also compatible with their guide rails (like the HS004GZ). As is noted above, this set up would be fine for making through cuts but trying to replicate a plunge cut with a circular saw is a little more dicey.

Whilst the two saws look similar they are very different in how they operate. Apart from the different guard arrangement the pivot point for cutting bevels is different too so it won’t cut on a track at say 45 degrees
The track saw has a much sturdier and heavier construction that is not so desirable in a handheld power saw

There are a range of sizes in circular saws from smaller than track saws up to about a 50cm blade diameter to give a DOC of around 40cm for working on post and beam style structures. Track saws are generally used on sheet goods and material thickness under around 30mm. The tools are optimised for customer requirements and budgets.

What sort of track would you envisage for the post and beam sized circ saws? Also, is your circ saw a decent brand name one or a cheaper Chinese 'looks like a circ saw, will fool the nubies' type unit, and do you have enough experience using it to understand its foibles, and limitations, like the blade not being exactly parallel to the edge of the base, setting up for cutting a bevelled edge changing the blade alignment with the base etc.

Circular saws have been around for 70 years or more, track saws for maybe 15 years, so how do you suddenly make all of these early generation circ saws track compatible?
Honestly, both types plus mitre saws and SCMS exist for the reason than none of them is perfect for every job, peoples expectations, skills and budgets vary. You can buy viable track saw sets from around $300 that are quite capable of giving decent cuts and easy enough to use for occasional jobs. Of course, if you have the need and resources you can spend more and get systems that are more satisfying for constant use as well, just the same as you can other varieties of circular bladed tools in a broad range of prices.

I bought Dewalt DCS570N last year. This is my first circular saw. I also bought DeWalt JigSaw DCS331N. I also bought drill machine Dewalt DCD796P2. Then one drill machine was not being sufficient since I had to keep changing the insert. So I bought a DeWalt Drill Machine plus Impact Driver pack. I also bought a Bosch Woodworker Router POF 1400 ACE. I also bought DeWalt rotary sander DEWDWE6423.

I also bought some Kreg jigs like the ones to make pocket holes and a CrossCut Jig which is very average. I also bought combination squares of various sizes, a small and a large square (that triangle thing), T ruler, Japanese handsaw, different size and style of clamps among other bits.

I do not own a table saw or router table and it seems that I should buy these, but the shed is small and there is not enough space to keep them.

Allegedly, you can convert your DCS570 to track saw capable by replacing the base with a DCS572 base.
Blocked

why sell you one saw when you could buy 2?

Crikey we we using the old aluminium bodied Skill circular saws as track saws back in the late 1960's.

A nice straight batten but preferably a door jamb or similar made for an excellent guide rail, steady hand, consistent feed - wallah! It required some mental arithmetic for offsets etc but that was back in the days before calculators were even a thing, so one had to use their brain.

Some chippies got all fancy when aluminium planks appeared, then alum joinery sections were used, some even modified the CS base with brackets. Dad typically used a "story stick" - we simply measured the width of the cut, laid the story stick down to mark the offset / clamp straight edge in position. Oh yeah - remember which side of the line to set up and rip from. When ply flooring started to appear it became necessary to make accurate long rips so necessity became the mother of invention as they say.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Crikey we we using the old aluminium bodied Skill circular saws as track saws back in the late 1960's.

Even earlier than that.

I can remember when my late father bought a new fangled electric drill system or kit or whatever it was called in the early 1950's:

• Black & Decker, then a quality brand,
• ¼ inch keyed chuck,
• metal case; not a plastic systainer,
• All metal drill - aluminium?
• Sander pads fitted chuck of drill,
• Polishing pads fitted chuck of drill,
• Grinding stones fitted chuck of drill,
• Cradle held drill when used as grinder,
• 6 inch circular saw fitted chuck of drill.
• I have probably forgotten other bits that were in the kit.

Dad cut an awful lot of that new super sheet material Masonite with that revolutionary hand held circular saw.