I have been a finish carpenter for 50 years. And have use this exact template. It's good to see you share it here. A Delta builder's saw from the 70's with this template is the best track saw ever.
@lonwhitmer7771 You made my comment verbatim. I started in 1972 and ran miles of slatwall while shopfitting for a national shopping mall chain store, crosscutting the 4' butt joints with the same shop-made track as well. This one has two improvements over ours: first, we used 1/2" plywood for the guide rail, which caused depth of cut issues at times. Second, we hadn't been exposed to the German tracks with anti-slip strips on the bottom, so we used clamps every time. I still make this type for custom lengths or if I need to screw them to walls, etc. I will try the silicone anti-slip preparation some time. Seems like it should work.
I’ve used this guide for years and it’s great. It’s necessary to replace it with frequent use though. The edge next to the blade tends to wear away from the blade deflection. This renders it less accurate. Great video!!
I`m a complete amateur and made one of these out of thin ply sheet. I used various clamps, but find this "clamp free" design as far more preferable for the occasional job that I might do. Simple, yet ingenious is good. Thanks from England
Made a track saw guide a week ago after seeing one minute workbench. That was a simple build, but wow yours is even simpler! Thanks. Will build one of yours for my smaller circular saw :)
Thanks for the video. I need a few 8 foot straight cuts for a wood counter top and was not willing to purchase a track saw for this purpose. This is a great idea.
I loved your videos. At first I started with a wood sled that I made using that exact method. recently I bought the milescraft universal sled and it worked smoothly. Good way to start in this hobby is building your first circular sled.
Just found your channel & am very impressed. Like yourself I don't have enough regular need of a track saw to justify the cost. But your version is a game changer. Thank you for sharing. Great work
I work with silicon often and can confirm 1. This isn’t level which matter when using a circular saw and 2. It’s going to slip. Debris and weight all matter but this isn’t a solution designed to succeed 100% of the time. It’s one that’s hyper convenient and very effective but not nearly as effective as it relates to clamps. And this is power tools we’re talking with high rpm and big implications on safety. So long as the assumption is this is strictly for light weight use and you have fail safes , this would be useful. But you should operate as if it could slip and what that means for your cut and safety differs for everyone. But if you bind a blade bc of a slip and aren’t positioned to deal with a kick safely or have your hand in a poor spot bc you trust the silicon, that might not be worth the risk . Or even just a slightly off cut. There’s going to negligible movement habitually. Anyway, I like this for lightweight stuff we have a silicon guy in the fabrication shop for competition race things I work on. But it’s for quick and dirty stuff. If your finger or finish matters, we don’t trust these solutions is our rule. But if just quick jig making or superficial errors allowed, go for it! That’s just my own experience but long term I’ve seen the silicon fail and you seem like a super honest forthright guy so I’m pretty eager to hear how this goes after heavy use and I’m certain you’ll capture that if there’s something to report
Greetings from the UK. I waa going to buy an aluminium saw guide but baulked at the cost.....think I'm going to give this a try. MDF or hardboard is relatively cheap and could make several out of one 8x4 sheet if necessary. I might try anti-slip paint I used on my daughters sailing dinghy. It provides an anti-slip surface but dirt....and hopefully saw dust ...wont stick to it. We will see I guess. Thanks for the video👍
I just happened to fall onto your video doing a search for a completely different reason but, I am so glad I did! I my daughter looks to me when she wants to furnish her farm-style house. I have made her a dining room table/bench, entertainment center, headboard, end tables, and horse jumps among others. I am no carpenter!! I have only hand tools (I wish for a table saw, planer, bench drill, etc... but my wife said keep wishing. We also have no room but why get technical). I do most of my sheet cuts on the garage floor and I made your gig out of 1/2 ply I had lying around 6' long and a 3' long. All I can say is thank you so much!! I am now following you for more of your DIY.
I was thinking hard about how I could create an accurate track because it was a minefield setting my saw to cut exactly on the line, time consuming and often disappointing. I was searching for something unrelated when I saw this as though UA-cam had read my mind or my angels delivered the answer or some such magic. Thank you so much 👍🙏
I built one of these but instead of taping off the bottom and spreading out the silicone I cut the silicone with some acetone and mixed it up really well then used a brush and painted the mixture on the hard board. The silicone mixture soaked into the hardboard really well. I ended up painting on a second coat.
Very cool. Here is a thought. I was thinking maybe find someone who has some leftover strips of flooring like bamboo. What would be great about that stuff is often it already has a rubber backing. Sometimes I see that stuff on sites like Offer up for next to nothing for the leftover sheets. Something to think about. Great video.
I'll have to consider using hardboard for my next jig like that. The ply was nice and all but i think the hardboard may be more tolerant to climate. The silicone is pretty great to see in action... having to clamp the jig down has always been a pain.
The silicone is a neat idea. With my old saw I used 1/2" plywood but oh my, my new saw has 1/4" cleanance! That sucks. I will need somthing thin like yours.
That is definitely a challenge. If you can, place another of the same thickness under the track for support. Just be careful, there are no guarantees it is secure, and could be dangerous.
Thank you. I have thought about it for few days and i think the best solution is to install a t track on the bottom side of the jig and use t slot clamps instead.
How well does the silicon hold up over time with sawdust, etc. I did watch the cleaning segment, but I'm curious if over time the bigger chunks start to become a problem.
There are 3 in 1 silicone like contact adhesives that go off like rubber, and will likely be more hardy than standard silicone. Here in UK we have a couple “CT1” or “Sticks Like”, I’d bet they’d do a even better job than the silicon in this application?
Doesn't matter if you slip in the middle. As long a the stepped edge is straight, the jig is still usable. Used to make these on the CNC using an 80mm cutter. The firm I worked for, made stupid big doors that needed jigs up to 3.6m long. Used extra long MDF sheets.
Now that you can make perfectly straight cuts... Use that to make a narrower strip that can allow both sides of the track to guide your saw.. one for each side of the blade
I have an older l Ryobi and it only has a 5 1 /2 inch blade. This only leaves 1 1/2 inch depth of cut so it would not work with a track. This seems like a good alternative. Thanks
Why cut the second strip? Glue the first one on, then cut to size. That would work, wouldn't it, and save some stock? Love your videos and tips by the way.
My saw had a too large radius in the plate so it slipped over the support edge frequently when I used a MDF-support like that, perhaps check that your saw can take a low support before trying this sort of build.🙂 Also MDF deforms easy in a moist garage, hanging it on the wall, like you suggested will make it stay straight longer. Additionally, never use that device on an uneven table because that will result in a one cutting a curve, learned that the hard and sad way🙂
This is the traditional straight line cutting system since motorized blades were invented. These very pricey dedicated track saws are an extravagant waste of money. Their nickname is P T. Barnum saws. Next is double bladed hand chisels to double the amount of work finished or oil added to joint compound to spread easier.
In my 50+ years of cutting with a circular saw, I had never used a battery-operated saw. While at a friend's house I got the opportunity to use one and it was the weirdest experience. The blade was on the wrong side of the saw, and I had trouble getting the hang of it. If I were to purchase a battery-operated saw, I think I will go with a model with the blade on the "right" side. (No pun intended). I do imagine there is a reason for the blade on the left side - maybe for left-handed carpenters?
I also prefer a right blade, but left blades have their pros and cons. On the plus side you can see the cut line directly which helps accuracy when free handing on the down side it spews chippings all over the work surface and it has that narrow sole beside the blade which doesn’t give much to rest the saw upon. Left blades also tend to be the smaller 6 1/2” form factor (against the right blade’s typical 7 1/4” diameter) making them lighter for roofing work, but have a shallower depth of cut.
Silicone. Great idea but make sure you use "non-paintable" silicone. If you use "paintable" silicone , it will always be tacky and pick up sawdust and cause many headaches.
If you made the base of this God, all little worried that you could put another piece down the other side so that it was going to catch straight eliminating the risk of sore twist . You could also clamp it either end .
It’s going to slip at some point. You will get a build up of saw dust on the silicone or the silicone will eventually start to peel. A straightedge and a couple of clamps will work forever
I would feel better about the edge guiding the saw if it were thicker to elimate any chance that the saw rides up over that edge! Maybe this is just my insecurity but safer is better!
It is a cool little tracksaw template. I don't think silicone is a good solution. Almost all finishes react to silicone. If you stain or varnish your work you will have reactions all over the place. Honestly, you shouldn't even have silicone in your wood shop.
Funny that you use a long level for the straight edge to cut ...lol...while making a tool..you should have made one for yourself if it was a good thing.
Cool project, especially the silicone, but that's not a track saw guide, it's just a straight edge guide. A track saw locks the saw into a track so it can't veer sideways.
@@zimvader25 no. A track saw sits IN a track where it cannot move side to side, not just riding along a straight edge. Go to any store and ask for a track saw set and see if any try to sell you an edge guide. While you're there, ask for a lock saw and see what you get.
I have been a finish carpenter for 50 years. And have use this exact template. It's good to see you share it here. A Delta builder's saw from the 70's with this template is the best track saw ever.
@lonwhitmer7771 You made my comment verbatim. I started in 1972 and ran miles of slatwall while shopfitting for a national shopping mall chain store, crosscutting the 4' butt joints with the same shop-made track as well. This one has two improvements over ours: first, we used 1/2" plywood for the guide rail, which caused depth of cut issues at times. Second, we hadn't been exposed to the German tracks with anti-slip strips on the bottom, so we used clamps every time. I still make this type for custom lengths or if I need to screw them to walls, etc. I will try the silicone anti-slip preparation some time. Seems like it should work.
I’ve used this guide for years and it’s great. It’s necessary to replace it with frequent use though. The edge next to the blade tends to wear away from the blade deflection. This renders it less accurate.
Great video!!
Appreciate your resourcefulness, ingenuity, and honesty in sharing your Oops moments. Thanks for sharing.
It's good to see someone actually set their blade depth. 👍🏻👍🏼
I`m a complete amateur and made one of these out of thin ply sheet. I used various clamps, but find this "clamp free" design as far more preferable for the occasional job that I might do. Simple, yet ingenious is good. Thanks from England
Made a track saw guide a week ago after seeing one minute workbench. That was a simple build, but wow yours is even simpler! Thanks. Will build one of yours for my smaller circular saw :)
Seems to be a practical and inexpensive idea for amateurs, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the video. I need a few 8 foot straight cuts for a wood counter top and was not willing to purchase a track saw for this purpose. This is a great idea.
Absolutely, in my mind "A Must Have". I never would've thought this. Very helpful.
God Bless all & thanks for sharing 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you for a great video, and thank you for your vitness, i am a missionary in the Philippines teaching wood work to kids in a low income village.
This is awesome I already got the diy track I made years ago but I am gonna add the silicone! What a great idea!
I loved your videos. At first I started with a wood sled that I made using that exact method. recently I bought the milescraft universal sled and it worked smoothly. Good way to start in this hobby is building your first circular sled.
Just found your channel & am very impressed. Like yourself I don't have enough regular need of a track saw to justify the cost. But your version is a game changer. Thank you for sharing. Great work
Always a pleasure to discover new videos from your channel, simple or more complex. Thank you from Québec, Canada!!
I work with silicon often and can confirm 1. This isn’t level which matter when using a circular saw and 2. It’s going to slip. Debris and weight all matter but this isn’t a solution designed to succeed 100% of the time. It’s one that’s hyper convenient and very effective but not nearly as effective as it relates to clamps. And this is power tools we’re talking with high rpm and big implications on safety. So long as the assumption is this is strictly for light weight use and you have fail safes , this would be useful. But you should operate as if it could slip and what that means for your cut and safety differs for everyone. But if you bind a blade bc of a slip and aren’t positioned to deal with a kick safely or have your hand in a poor spot bc you trust the silicon, that might not be worth the risk . Or even just a slightly off cut. There’s going to negligible movement habitually. Anyway, I like this for lightweight stuff we have a silicon guy in the fabrication shop for competition race things I work on. But it’s for quick and dirty stuff. If your finger or finish matters, we don’t trust these solutions is our rule. But if just quick jig making or superficial errors allowed, go for it! That’s just my own experience but long term I’ve seen the silicon fail and you seem like a super honest forthright guy so I’m pretty eager to hear how this goes after heavy use and I’m certain you’ll capture that if there’s something to report
This a cool hack can't wait to have my Circular and make the rack...
Thanks.
This just came up in my recommends list. Glad I watched it. Nice idea and I am pretty sure I will be making one as well... Thumbs Up!
❤ Thank's for share, this is the best and easy to build saw guide I've ever seen, so really really appreciate it, thank you.
GREAT IDEA ! I'm going to try this one for sure .
Greetings from the UK. I waa going to buy an aluminium saw guide but baulked at the cost.....think I'm going to give this a try. MDF or hardboard is relatively cheap and could make several out of one 8x4 sheet if necessary. I might try anti-slip paint I used on my daughters sailing dinghy. It provides an anti-slip surface but dirt....and hopefully saw dust ...wont stick to it.
We will see I guess.
Thanks for the video👍
@chrisevans1731 curious if the anti-slip paint worked well, and if so could you please share the product?
Excellent video just what I need to know as a beginner
whoa that's such a good idea man 👍 I already thought the silicon idea was cool, but using the tape to make it look neat too is chef's kiss
I just happened to fall onto your video doing a search for a completely different reason but, I am so glad I did! I my daughter looks to me when she wants to furnish her farm-style house. I have made her a dining room table/bench, entertainment center, headboard, end tables, and horse jumps among others. I am no carpenter!! I have only hand tools (I wish for a table saw, planer, bench drill, etc... but my wife said keep wishing. We also have no room but why get technical). I do most of my sheet cuts on the garage floor and I made your gig out of 1/2 ply I had lying around 6' long and a 3' long. All I can say is thank you so much!! I am now following you for more of your DIY.
JOHN 3:16-17 ... Amen to That !! Thumbs Up and Stay Blessed... Good Video...
Keep it to yourself, please
Very helpful video, thank you. I also want to make that mount that you use for your brad nailer in the background, lol. Great stuff!
I was thinking hard about how I could create an accurate track because it was a minefield setting my saw to cut exactly on the line, time consuming and often disappointing. I was searching for something unrelated when I saw this as though UA-cam had read my mind or my angels delivered the answer or some such magic. Thank you so much 👍🙏
Это замечательно, кажется проще и дешевле уже и не придумать... Браво! 🌿
I built one of these but instead of taping off the bottom and spreading out the silicone I cut the silicone with some acetone and mixed it up really well then used a brush and painted the mixture on the hard board. The silicone mixture soaked into the hardboard really well. I ended up painting on a second coat.
really like the emergency kit on a quick access really close to the cutting zone: I literally have a tourniquet besides the table saw
Brilliant idea. Thanks.
cool stuff dude .. I was gonna say what happens when the silicone starts picking up some debris, but you covered that part too ... thank you.
Silicon as a non slip surface. I would never have thought of that. Thanks.
Making one tomorrow !!! great tip thanks !!1
Very helpful, great video 👍
Actually a really useful tip.
Great idea
Very cool. Here is a thought. I was thinking maybe find someone who has some leftover strips of flooring like bamboo. What would be great about that stuff is often it already has a rubber backing. Sometimes I see that stuff on sites like Offer up for next to nothing for the leftover sheets. Something to think about. Great video.
That's a great idea. I'll have to make one
Brilliant!! Thanks for sharing. 😊
Excellent, I love it.
Thank you for sharing this! I’ll be adding this to the list of projects for 2025 :)
I'll have to consider using hardboard for my next jig like that. The ply was nice and all but i think the hardboard may be more tolerant to climate. The silicone is pretty great to see in action... having to clamp the jig down has always been a pain.
A cracking little idea and well delivered project👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻💥💥💥🏴🏴🏴🏴🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Very good thanks kev
Thank you for sharing
The silicone is a neat idea. With my old saw I used 1/2" plywood but oh my, my new saw has 1/4" cleanance! That sucks. I will need somthing thin like yours.
I just made one based on your video but having difficulties fixing or clamping wood with width smaller than the jig.
That is definitely a challenge. If you can, place another of the same thickness under the track for support. Just be careful, there are no guarantees it is secure, and could be dangerous.
Thank you. I have thought about it for few days and i think the best solution is to install a t track on the bottom side of the jig and use t slot clamps instead.
How well does the silicon hold up over time with sawdust, etc. I did watch the cleaning segment, but I'm curious if over time the bigger chunks start to become a problem.
There are 3 in 1 silicone like contact adhesives that go off like rubber, and will likely be more hardy than standard silicone.
Here in UK we have a couple “CT1” or “Sticks Like”, I’d bet they’d do a even better job than the silicon in this application?
Thankyou Sir!
one negative about wooden tracks is the humidity in the workshop over the summer to winter. they can warp if not hung.
thanks so much.
Doesn't matter if you slip in the middle. As long a the stepped edge is straight, the jig is still usable. Used to make these on the CNC using an 80mm cutter. The firm I worked for, made stupid big doors that needed jigs up to 3.6m long. Used extra long MDF sheets.
Always good
Now that you can make perfectly straight cuts... Use that to make a narrower strip that can allow both sides of the track to guide your saw.. one for each side of the blade
Well done. Thank you
I have an older l Ryobi and it only has a 5 1 /2 inch blade. This only leaves 1 1/2 inch depth of cut so it would not work with a track. This seems like a good alternative. Thanks
Brilliant!
An excellent non-slip alternative is a tape product called Cat's Tongue.
Just searched for that tape! Awesome as I never heard of it. THNX!!!
Why cut the second strip? Glue the first one on, then cut to size. That would work, wouldn't it, and save some stock? Love your videos and tips by the way.
I didn't think about that, great suggestion.
Great.
How much dirty does the silicone get? I’m thinking it’s going to pick up a lot of saw dust
Silicon can be a dust magnet….. curious if it might lose its grip from accumulating dust??
Thanks!
just jim
My saw had a too large radius in the plate so it slipped over the support edge frequently when I used a MDF-support like that, perhaps check that your saw can take a low support before trying this sort of build.🙂
Also MDF deforms easy in a moist garage, hanging it on the wall, like you suggested will make it stay straight longer. Additionally, never use that device on an uneven table because that will result in a one cutting a curve, learned that the hard and sad way🙂
Brilliant
Would a diy track skill saw be OK for a kitchen worktop . Good video
One is for left-hand and the other one is for the right hand.
This is the traditional straight line cutting system since motorized blades were invented. These very pricey dedicated track saws are an extravagant waste of money. Their nickname is P T. Barnum saws. Next is double bladed hand chisels to double the amount of work finished or oil added to joint compound to spread easier.
That’s cool
Really nice design
What is an inch?
Great idea thanks. Jhn. 5:24
In my 50+ years of cutting with a circular saw, I had never used a battery-operated saw. While at a friend's house I got the opportunity to use one and it was the weirdest experience. The blade was on the wrong side of the saw, and I had trouble getting the hang of it. If I were to purchase a battery-operated saw, I think I will go with a model with the blade on the "right" side. (No pun intended). I do imagine there is a reason for the blade on the left side - maybe for left-handed carpenters?
I also prefer a right blade, but left blades have their pros and cons. On the plus side you can see the cut line directly which helps accuracy when free handing on the down side it spews chippings all over the work surface and it has that narrow sole beside the blade which doesn’t give much to rest the saw upon. Left blades also tend to be the smaller 6 1/2” form factor (against the right blade’s typical 7 1/4” diameter) making them lighter for roofing work, but have a shallower depth of cut.
Superb
Love your stuff, but what a wimp, using the smaller saw! Come on " Tim Taylor ......more power!!! LOL!
LOL!!
It’s 48 inches long?
Silicone. Great idea but make sure you use "non-paintable" silicone. If you use "paintable" silicone , it will always be tacky and pick up sawdust and cause many headaches.
If you made the base of this God, all little worried that you could put another piece down the other side so that it was going to catch straight eliminating the risk of sore twist . You could also clamp it either end .
It’s going to slip at some point. You will get a build up of saw dust on the silicone or the silicone will eventually start to peel. A straightedge and a couple of clamps will work forever
That is a good point, so good thing it is cheap to clean and add more silicone
I love seeing Christians on UA-cam. Good stuff, mate - subscribed. 👍🏽
I would feel better about the edge guiding the saw if it were thicker to elimate any chance that the saw rides up over that edge! Maybe this is just my insecurity but safer is better!
I like it, but would be sorely tempted to use 9mm plywood. Great work though.
Would spraying the bottom with 3M spray adhesive followed by that grippy shelf liner material work?
Maybe, but not sure
👍👍
Wood rulers are seldom straight.
Growing out the Beard I see 🧔♂️
Yes I am, thanks for catching it
👍new sub
Welcome to the channel!
It is a cool little tracksaw template. I don't think silicone is a good solution. Almost all finishes react to silicone. If you stain or varnish your work you will have reactions all over the place. Honestly, you shouldn't even have silicone in your wood shop.
Funny that you use a long level for the straight edge to cut ...lol...while making a tool..you should have made one for yourself if it was a good thing.
@@wizardmaster6639 how do you use something that you haven't made yet?
Cool project, especially the silicone, but that's not a track saw guide, it's just a straight edge guide. A track saw locks the saw into a track so it can't veer sideways.
@@jack5402 any saw that runs along a track is literally a track saw. Regardless of whether it locks or not. It's "track saw", not "lock saw".
@@zimvader25 no. A track saw sits IN a track where it cannot move side to side, not just riding along a straight edge. Go to any store and ask for a track saw set and see if any try to sell you an edge guide. While you're there, ask for a lock saw and see what you get.
Got guns?