Plunge saw choices

Get the Festool 55 saw if you are mainly cutting plywood and 4/4 stock. It= will cut up to 8/4 with the rail. But its not designed for that. If your= main use is ripping 8/4 or maybe even 12/4 solid hardwood, then the Festoo= l 75 is the saw. It is much heavier and bigger and harder to use than the = light nimble 55 saw.

will cut up to 8/4 with the rail. But its not designed for that. If your main use is ripping 8/4 or maybe even 12/4 solid hardwood, then the Festool 75 is the saw. It is much heavier and bigger and harder to use than the light nimble 55 saw.

What he said.

I personally opted for the TS75, mainly because I wanted the extra capacity, as my work often calls for me to be able to cover all bases, and it makes economic sense to do that with one tool if possible.

That said, and owning a cabinet saw, I would love to have the TS55 also, because the preponderance of my plunge saw use is indeed for sheetgood work, which the TS55 covers nicely and without strain, while being smaller, lighter and easier to heft for an entire day.

Bottom line, you will be tickled whichever one you decide upon.

IIRC, Leon asked me that same question when he went to buy one ... might want to get his take on the basis for him choosing the TS75.

I went through this almost 3 years go. Festool has been making the track saw for a very long time, while brands are doing the "me too" dance.

I pondered the 55 or the 75. Food for thought. The 55 comes with a 55" track. Justt long enough to make a close to 90 degree cut on a standard sheet of plywood, no way for a 60" wide piece of Baltic birch.

The 75 comes with a 75" track. These saws cut well enough to make finish cuts and I knew that I would be breaking down sheets of plywood with mine and I do. So eventually I was going to buy another add on track to cut

So where am I going with this? If you think you will ever need the capacity to rip a standard sheet of plywood I advise to go with the 75. It comes with the 75" track which I always use over the 55" track for cross cutting standard and 60" Baltic birch and you will only need to add the shorter 55" track. The shorter 55" track is significantly less expensive than the 75" track. I don't recall the exact prices but considering both the 55 and 75 saw and you buy the extra track to get the 130" capacity the savings of getting the 55 saw over the 75 saw is about $20. Check the prices to be sure. Also you will need the 2 bars to attach the tracks to each other.

I'm amazed at how cleanly plunge saws work for that. Outstanding.

I'm an FF (frugal duck) and went with the Makita SP6001K and adore it. It will cut as deep as a tubafore with ease, but maybe not quite at a full 45 degrees. I doubt I'll use it for that, anyway, though.

It comes in its own systainer (a Festool word) but is less expensive. With the money saved, you could purchase another length of guide, retaining bars, and another blade or three. I have two 55" guides for a total of 110". My li'l ShopVac with a cleanstream filter works well for dust control.

-- Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, Or who said it, Even if I have said it, Unless it agrees with your own reason And your own common sense. -- Buddha

With the caveat that there's number of accessory track sizes one can buy to fit most any frequently used lengths. And in addition to those accessories tracks, you can cut a longer track (carefully) to any length you want to fit specific purposes.

Karl and I found a tool that holds the tracks true while you tighten the set screws on the rods. Not a Festool item but quick, simple, foolproof, and expensive. ;-0. IIRC $100.

Don't look now, Bubba ... but you just described Festool to a "T". :>)

For many years, I used a standard circular saw with a straight edge (saw board) to cut down plywood sheets. I got straight cuts, but the edges of the cuts were terrible with lots of chipout. I tried different blades, tape, and other methods but always had the chipout. Occasionally I would even drift away from the straight edge messing up my cut.

I had a hard time believing a track saw would cut any differently, but I sprung for a Makita SP6000K track saw anyway. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the cuts. They're as clean as the cuts I get from my tablesaw. The track ensures they are dead accurate, and hooking up my shop vac virtually eliminates the sawdust that used to fly everywhere during a cut. It's also much quieter than my old saw with a nice soft start feature.

The track saw is a fantastic addition to my shop. I only wish I had taken the leap earlier.

I think Wood Whisperer did a video podcast comparing track saws a few years ago?

Anthony Watson Mountain Software

The discussion being on "tools that work well", I have a related question.

In doing pocket-joinery ala Kreg, what helps insures that "nothing slips" when finally attaching the 2 pieces of wood with a screw (or screws). I don't believe that the second piece of wood is normally drilled, right? Based upon my experience, screwing two pieces of wood together does not yield precise results without more technique (clamps, pre-drill, etc.). Is there something remarkable about their screws?

Bill

correct.

You reading my mail?? ;)

Less than fifteen minutes ago I walked out of the shop after making four seat frames for my bar stool project this morning, using pocket hole joinery:

I also use this when doing a bunch of face frames for a large cabinet job, it is inset in a piece of large plywood base:

When they are demonstrating the Kreg Pocket-hole Jigs, the clamps are never mentioned! ; )

Thank you for the lesson!

BTW, Your 4 chairs look lovely, so far!

Bill

Swingman, based on your recommendation I bought one of these. clamps.

I notice yours does not have the screw backed out at the end, mine required backing the screw all the way out otherwise it rises off the workpiece defeating the point of the clamp. I tried all different lengths of pocket depth.

Am I the only one having this problem? Also adjusting that screw required an unbelievable amount of torque to break the screw, it was so tight.

Interesting chamfer on your seats.

Wouldn't that be one or two simple straight edges, perhaps with a couple of loosely tightened bar clamps to hold it in place?

I bought one of these a few years ago which would serve that purpose.

adds an alternate dimension of clamping when using the Kreg jig.

I have never had that problem, so I don't know what to tell you. My initial guess would be the depth of cut (drill) and the depth stop not set correctly, but that is just a guess, with no basis in experience whatsoever.

I have always done that to my seat web frames made for upholstery, and the upholstery guys seem to love it ... I was under the impression it was something that everyone did. It does make for a more comfortable to sit in seat, and a better fitting upholstery job.

When I delivered the seat frames to the upholstery shop yesterday, the old guy called his workers to look at the frames, and the bar stool I brought along so he could see what I wanted ... you would have thought I was from outerspace the way they gathered around and ohhh'ed and ahhh'ed ... "You mean you really made this chair, really???".

We tend to forget just how rare handmade custom furniture/woodwork is these days. :)

Tangent... Those regular Kreg vice grip jig clamps are way too expensive. These deep throat locking pliers from Harbor Freight work great with Kreg pocket hole jigs. I put a large fender washer in my jig, where the clamp grips. They snap right into the recess and stay put.

oolproof, >> and expensive. > > Don't look now, Bubba ... but you just desc= ribed Festool to a "T". :>) > The discussion being on "tools that work well= ", I have a related question. In doing pocket-joinery ala Kreg, what helps = insures that "nothing slips" when finally attaching the 2 pieces of wood wi= th a screw (or screws). I don't believe that the second piece of wood is no= rmally drilled, right? Based upon my experience, screwing two pieces of woo= d together does not yield precise results without more technique (clamps, p= re-drill, etc.). Is there something remarkable about their screws? Bill

I use an F clamp, a deep bar clamp. Kreg maks a vice grips type thing and s= ome shops use those band saw table type hold downs and make a little channe= l in their work benc to accomodate.

I have half a dozen of those and use them for a lot of other clamping uses besides pocket holes.

I've always been partial to the "vise-grip" type mechanism for quick change clamping ... in my childhood I somehow knew a few folks who actually used vice grips when their gear shift broke on the steering columns of their trucks ... kinda thought they were standard issue there for a while. :)