Peter, hands down you have the best wood working channel as far as tips and tricks. These videos will live long after both you and me are gone. Thank you for the content. I’ve learned so much from you. Cheers from Chicago.
I just watched this video again and as usual learned something. The other big advantage that a track saw has over a table saw is the almost perfect dust extraction that the track saw has over a table saw. Unless you use an overhead and rather exotic dual mode shop based dust extraction system, then a table saw makes a real mess of the area. The track saw just cuts and you don't even think about it. Especially in a small shop such as yours or mine. I bought a table saw but have not even used it after 6 months of track saw/circular saw usage.
So simple yet effective. I use a track saw all the time but never held down like yours is as I would use a mitre saw that is all setup and ready to go. I have one I can take on site too but I really like the idea of cutting down the amount of kit that needs to be carried and this might be an answer for square cuts. Thanks for the effort Peter.
Thanks Peter very much for this simple and (for me!) essential tutorial on use of the MFT. I’d been scratching my head a bit about making these cuts and came up with all sorts of complicated unsatisfactory solutions. Yours works perfectly of course. I’d really appreciate more of the basics videos like these. You’ve got so many of these type of brilliant tips contained within some of your other longer build videos - they are a gold mine of tricks and techniques. I’ve often thought that taking those short sections of those videos and publishing them as beginners/introductions/basics separately may work well and could be popular? Not sure if TH-cam allows you to do that or if they’d smell ‘duplicate’ and prevent them being published. Thanks once again for all your hard work. Tim
Thanks Peter. I use parf super dogs and parf dog clips as I have an MFT style board (not a drop down rail like a proper MFT) combined with the Benchdogs benchdog fence and flag stop system. Works in much the same way.
Chris Allen , I have a new bench top in Baltic birch (18mm) made with the Parf system. I noticed that some of my TSO dogs hardly fit the new Bb top. Do you have s piece of BB that you can try to drill with The Parf bit and see if the fence bench dog fit? I have not found anybody who has Parf+Baltic birch+fence dogs combination who can confirm that works. I asked Peter Parfitt as well
Hi Peter. Instead of using a 6mm mdf to cut 12mm boards I use the bench saver dogs they fit in the mft holes and raise up the boards 6mm exactly the height you need to rest the splinter guard on.
Move the fence back behind the rail so it doesn’t hit when lowered and screw a bit of 6mm or 9mm ply perfectly parallel with the fence. Then that’s a sacrificial fence, it will also help with tear out if you use the same thickness material.
Nice one Peter. Well done in explaining. However, not all of us have an mft, but do have the mft style top. I believe it would have been beneficial to all (probably) if you were to have continued as you started with mft style top, the short Festool rail, extrusion, bench dogs & work piece. G
Clever solution, simple but effective. A question though... doesn't the rail/hinge allow for different thickness of stock? Like getting a thick book under the lid of a computer scanner, some lids rise up on grooved fittings.
Hi Peter! Very useful video as the majority of the videos you produce. Down to earth woodworking and practices that you use in real job projects. Thank you very much for the wonderful content! For this particular one, I was excited to watch you using the MFT-style top which you are starting the video with. But instead, you are using your MFT :-( I am thinking of either purchasing an MFT (expensive and not to the exact dimensions I would prefer) or making my own MFT-style bench or worktop (less expensive and to the exact dimensions that I need). For using it as a cutting/routing station, I have my concerns though... So, I wanted to ask you 1. Have you used the bench dogs to make a square cut in real job projects? Is it square? Is it square EVERY TIME? 2. Can this be repeatable? Meaning that if I set my fence dogs and fence in a fixed position every time and use the same dog holes for running the rail, would I get the exact same cut length, given I am not touching the flag stop? As an alternative to using bench dogs for the rail, I am thinking of purchasing just the MFT components the rail sits on from Festool (or making my own) and have 2 aluminium extrusions (back and front) to place them on. This would require a calibration for squareness at first but then (with stop screws) it is gonna be dependable every time. Pretty much how the MFT works. Again, thanks for the great content and I hope my questions are not too...involved :-)
Hi Harris & thanks! In answer to your questions, 1/ yes and 2/ yes! The squareness is entirely down to the accuracy of the holes drilled in the top - as long as they’ve been done carefully then you can use them to square the fence (not necessary if you use fencedogs) then square the rail. I personally find it easier to have the hinged rail, but I know some prefer the Benchdogs & loose rail system better. Whatever suits you, really 👍👍
Hi Peter. My Extruded rail, fence dogs, flag stops and Peter Parf ‘MFT kit’ arrived on Friday. MFT made yesterday afternoon, after finishing the installation of this weeks kitchen. Looking forward to using next week on site and hopefully using theses techniques that you demonstrate to replace my very heavy combination flip saw the ‘widow maker’ lol. I’ve also upgraded by older Festool track saw to the cordless version, which I’m loving. Thanks again for your fantastic videos 👍. David McGuinness, Enhanced-Kitchens.co.uk.
Thanks David! Wow, sounds like you’re all kitted you & ready to roll! I really fancy a cordless version, but I know I’ll never use it to the full. Let me know how you find yours though! 👍👍
Peter, love the track saw usage. I do all my case work sizing using my Makita unit. However, it seems to me that many of the cuts you present here would be safer made on your table saw, especially with the modern push blocks available today. Todd
Hi Todd, and thanks! This vid is largely for people who don’t have a table saw, but do have a Tracksaw There’s also a distinct cut-off point where the table saw makes sense for me, and that’s when you get to rips of 50mm or less; for anything above that I’d take a Tracksaw all day long. Intrigued though, by what you feel is unsafe about anything I’ve shown in this video - care to share?? 👍👍
Peter, the cuts seem safe enough with the care you take in making them. Maybe my concern has more to do with setup time to keep them safe. I’m of two minds about whether I could live without a table saw, so your video represents more ideas for consideration. Thanks your presentation, very well composed. Todd
I keep a long straight piece of 5mm aluminium and just put it up against the short fence. Slide it along to nearly the blade and it is amply deep enough to hold the stock against for square cuts. A 1m ruler will do at a pinch but they tend to walk away from the saw and get lost.
Thanks Peter, you confirmed my thoughts on how to cut narrow strips. I need to rip 1800mm long boards, creating 19mm wide strips, 1800mm long. Would you recommend the same method of using another board underneath the guide rail to act as the stop (whose edge would be 19mm from the edge of, and parallel to the splinter guard)?
Thanks Peter, I've already got the timber and the track-saw, so it would be a shame not to have a crack myself - can't miss a good learning opportunity!
Question Peter why not just turn it around so the longer side is to the left up against the fence /stops and trim off the small strip ,in the end i think it all boils down to theirs a tool for every job or you make a jig ,or a "Silver Sharpie Signed Super Square"( notice i said nothing of just using a table saw )...lol
Yes, you could do Syd, but sometimes it’s easier to rip a length to the right height, then do the narrow repeat cuts. And no, don’t mention the table saw... 😂😂👍👍
Well Gary ,i think when teaching anyone to use a table saw ,or any saw for that matter fingers come first ,and measuring twice and cutting once comes second ,being able to cut from either side of the blade on said table saw /miter saw ,track saw ,tile saw ,wet saw ,oscillating tool ,lines matter and hash marks on the side we need to cut matters too ,blade kerf is a 16 th or a pencil mark ,which will not and does not matter ,it may be tight when it goes into a spot ,but if it was given the proper time to acclimate to its micro climate it may matter more ,but cabinet making ,well most people i know self included ,cut everything in batches the only lines really needing to be watchful of are the scribing in lines and hell i cant see the lines im cutting now ,as for too the right well i always cut the waste to the left or imperial measurement ,or maybe because im am ambidextrous ,in the end its do it repeatedly the same way ,and well it should be strait and equal length if your smart enough to use a stop block for repeated cuts ,but all that being said ,what ever works for you is what works ,and well Peter is a smart guy and i sure helped 1000s ,even if he doesnt want to do the vacuum noise test in house with the wife o meter going cheers
Hi peter millard ive taken a look at the kreg bench clamp and i see there is an insert in the bottom where they screw a bolt in. is this insert matchable with a bench dog screw? if so this whould be an amazingly cheap and faster option then all other clamps ive seen. just put a matel plate with an hole underneath the clamp, screw a bench dog on and you have a benchdogclamp for half the money other companys sell them. you could even make the metal peace 3 mm to match the benchdog raisers so they are not in the way. maybe an idea to try out? love your channel learning so much and saving so much money, whilst keeping accurate. thank you!
This is pretty much how I do it except I clamp the 'stop' board in place with a clamp through one of the holes in the MFT top instead of using a flag stop.
Nice tip, Peter. On a slightly different subject I see you use mr mdf a lot. Is it significantly superior to standard mdf as I am having trouble sourcing some. Fine if I lived in the M25 ring, not so otherwise. Also how do you determine the quality of standard mdf? A local supplier says they sell ‘superior’ mdf.
Thanks! I usually get Medite MR MDF and it’s a much nicer board than regular MDF. You need to be a bit careful with the names - Medite Premier MDF is their regular board, don’t know about a ‘superior’ MDF but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a regular board as well. As for determining the quality of regular MDF, try and stick with known brands (Medite, Caber) if you can, but honestly you’ll never really know unless you buy it and cut it! P
I've watched all your tracksaw videos and really enjoyed them after having issues with space for my table saw and infeed/outfeed needs. I'm in the process of building my own MFT style bench. One tutorial I'd love to see but maybe too remedial for your viewers is how you measure and cut for consistency, not just with a rip guide. I recently made a cabinet and found my first side was 1/8th off my other side because I wasn't being consistent on cutting on the line or moving the rail over the line. I assume you measure then add for the curf. I'd love to see a video on how you cut consistent sizes just on the MFT and if you just line up the pencil line with the edge of the splinter guard. Again my be too remedial but I'm pretty new to cabinet making :)
If you’ve watched the Tracksaw workshop series then you’ll have seen me make some parallel guides, which are hands down the best way to get consistent cuts without some kind of fence & flagstop system. If they’re relatively narrow cuts, you can use a sliding square to set the cut line. Otherwise it’s mostly it’s just a question of lining up the splinterguard against a pencil mark. Might be worth a ‘basics’ video though, thanks for the thought! 👍👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Thanks Peter, I plan to make the parallel guides and the rail square, I've spent quite enough at bench dogs on a fence, quad dogs, and other things I couldn't resist so now back to making stuff. A basics video would be great if you feel your audience has noobs like me :)
Hi & thanks! Yes. Out of interest, why wouldn’t they be square? Provided the fence is square to the rail, then as long as everything is snugged up tight, how could they be anything but square?? 👍👍 edited for spelling.
So how do the flagstops work then ........ lolol only playing lolol good tutorial mate on narrow cutting. I currently use my table saw but the more I see your track saw in use the more iam tempted to change
Is there any reason why you couldn't have had the fence extended the 200-250mm beyond the chip guard side of the saw rail? If you had the fence fixed in place over lenght then made one cut with the saw then that would support your material. You could have used an old blade if you were worried about ruining a good blade. Or am I missing the bleeding obvious? Sorry if I have.
Hello Peter. I’m not sure if you are still monitoring comments on this particular video or not, but thanks for the tips. I have a somewhat related challenge and am looking for a solution for ripping narrow cuts on an MFT-style top (Parfitt) using the track saw. At this point I do not have a table saw. I want to be able to square up some home center lumber for building shop furniture, tables, etc. Our standard 2x home center lumber over here has rounded edges. I would like to cut a narrow strip off the edges to square them up, on pieces that are up to 60 inches (1500mm+) long. If I could rip a rounded edge off with a nice squared up cut, then I could flip the board around and use that “jointed” edge then to reference the other side for a similar cut - I think. Any ideas?
Hi there. Long thin rips aren't the easiest of cuts to make with a tracksaw on narrow stock, but I've done a few and what I usually do is to stack several lengths alongside each other to create a platform for the rail to rest on, then make one cut, flip it over, make the next, then move that piece to the back of the stack, and move on to the next one. Repeat until you've done all the cuts you need. Hope that makes sense! Peter
I might be missing something really obvious, but couldn't you just put a stop on the run out side (i.e. right hand side) at the required distance and just feed the workpiece up to that for repeated identical cuts? Two benchdogs, a clamp and a piece of 18mm mdf with a square end should do the job. Just a thought.
I also very often use the "run out side" to clamp a stop. Only difference is you need to take the blade thickness into consideration, and changing the setup is not as easy as moving the flag stop. Combined with thin stock I like Peters solution better, but for thicker stock no problem. You also risk "kick back" if the cut off gets pinned between the blade and the stop.
You can, but then the workpiece is the ‘waste side’ of the cut, which could be problematic depending on what you’re cutting. You’d also need to support the material at the top with some kind of sacrificial fence as the motion of the blade tends to push the workpiece out of line towards the end of the cut. Don’t ask me how I know that 🤔😯👍
Thanks, points taken on board. Relatively new to rail saw mft combo from mitresaw set up, so nice to get info on possible problems like kickback and workpiece grab.
That’s how I also do it Peter. I keep a large, dead square piece of MDF to one side in my stack for this purpose. For repeat cuts I clamp in place to avoid need to check if board has moved. I was a little puzzled though why you used a square, when you followed up with a board that was square - belts and braces perhaps. The need to also get the dogs from UK dogs unfortunately occurred to me in hindsight.
Can't believe you missed this amongst the 7 videos about bandsaws 😂 - there's a playlist waiting for you. For the impatient, this one is where the decision gets made th-cam.com/video/ok6dk2UufDo/w-d-xo.html
Hi John. Links are in the video description usually, though this one has changed recently, my apologies. It’s a Mirock square - etsy.me/3kztu6g made in the Ukraine but ships globally. 👍👍
I’d just extend the fence all the way to the right end of the table, and add two fence dogs on the right hand side. Then cut the fence. Add a scrap piece to allow the use of the flag stops and your there.
Sure, but then you may as well build a full extension while you’re at it; the point of this is that you get to use the regular MFT to make quick narrow cuts *without* mucking about with additional fences and extensions 👍👍
Why not simply clamp the Speed square to the table or the fence and use it as the stop? Adjust the height of the rail up/down to adjust for the stock thickness...
Sorry Peter, I was referring to the large triangular square you used against the fence to establish the location of your spacer. I've always called them speed squares in the construction world. Love the creativity of your shop solutions. Thanks!
@@10MinuteWorkshop any links to where I could purchase that Square you were using ,I live in a little coastal town were it's a struggle to buy all these wonderful items and tools ,still using flint up here in the north (😂😂😂) so I rely on the internet, tried searching on the old Google, seems to be an American product .....??? I'm a new viewer ,loving all your videos (that I've seen so far) ,tried a festool plunge saw after seeing it on one of your videos ,very impressed,and purchased Mft3 also impressed, I love your ideas based in a small workshop ,I can relate to it a lot because I use my garage , one big problem I have is when my wife finds out how much I have spent on my festools I'll be living in my garage !!!😂😂😂
![Tablesaw or Tracksaw for Narrow Rips [video 477]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wYy2VUhBxYI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Tablesaw or Tracksaw for Narrow Rips [video 477]](/img/tr.png)
![Tricky Tracksaw Cuts [video 460]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ybSSZ5R31aI/mqdefault.jpg)
Peter, hands down you have the best wood working channel as far as tips and tricks. These videos will live long after both you and me are gone. Thank you for the content. I’ve learned so much from you. Cheers from Chicago.
Wow, thanks! Best wishes from London! 👍
As someone who is new to the MFT this tips are very helpful Thanks
Thanks! Happy to hear it! 👍👍
Thanks for this Peter. Sometimes things that seem so obvious as this can escape even the smartest of people. Great how to.
Thanks! I can usually work out the obvious things - given enough time... 👍👍😆😆
I just watched this video again and as usual learned something. The other big advantage that a track saw has over a table saw is the almost perfect dust extraction that the track saw has over a table saw. Unless you use an overhead and rather exotic dual mode shop based dust extraction system, then a table saw makes a real mess of the area. The track saw just cuts and you don't even think about it. Especially in a small shop such as yours or mine. I bought a table saw but have not even used it after 6 months of track saw/circular saw usage.
Thanks! I’d take a Tracksaw all day long, over a table saw - though they certainly have their uses 👍👍
So simple yet effective. I use a track saw all the time but never held down like yours is as I would use a mitre saw that is all setup and ready to go. I have one I can take on site too but I really like the idea of cutting down the amount of kit that needs to be carried and this might be an answer for square cuts.
Thanks for the effort Peter.
Cheers Jason 👍
Thanks Peter very much for this simple and (for me!) essential tutorial on use of the MFT. I’d been scratching my head a bit about making these cuts and came up with all sorts of complicated unsatisfactory solutions. Yours works perfectly of course. I’d really appreciate more of the basics videos like these. You’ve got so many of these type of brilliant tips contained within some of your other longer build videos - they are a gold mine of tricks and techniques. I’ve often thought that taking those short sections of those videos and publishing them as beginners/introductions/basics separately may work well and could be popular? Not sure if TH-cam allows you to do that or if they’d smell ‘duplicate’ and prevent them being published. Thanks once again for all your hard work. Tim
Thanks Tim! Not sure either, but a great idea! 👍👍
InstaBlaster...
Thanks Peter. I use parf super dogs and parf dog clips as I have an MFT style board (not a drop down rail like a proper MFT) combined with the Benchdogs benchdog fence and flag stop system. Works in much the same way.
Yep, good system 👍👍
Chris Allen , I have a new bench top in Baltic birch (18mm) made with the Parf system. I noticed that some of my TSO dogs hardly fit the new Bb top. Do you have s piece of BB that you can try to drill with The Parf bit and see if the fence bench dog fit? I have not found anybody who has Parf+Baltic birch+fence dogs combination who can confirm that works. I asked Peter Parfitt as well
Exactly the reason for subscribing to your channel. Simple, easy to follow instructions. Thanks Peter :-)
My pleasure! Thanks for watching! 👍👍
Hi Peter. Instead of using a 6mm mdf to cut 12mm boards I use the bench saver dogs they fit in the mft holes and raise up the boards 6mm exactly the height you need to rest the splinter guard on.
Nice! Depends on what I’m cutting, but I generally prefer to keep the board flat on the bench surface if I can 👍👍
True Peter but you can also make your own out of wood to make up any difference of 15 9 6 3 mm boards thickness and swap them out as needed
Move the fence back behind the rail so it doesn’t hit when lowered and screw a bit of 6mm or 9mm ply perfectly parallel with the fence. Then that’s a sacrificial fence, it will also help with tear out if you use the same thickness material.
Nice one Peter. Well done in explaining. However, not all of us have an mft, but do have the mft style top. I believe it would have been beneficial to all (probably) if you were to have continued as you started with mft style top, the short Festool rail, extrusion, bench dogs & work piece. G
Thanks Gary. Fair point, but the principal’s exactly the same, whichever top is used 👍👍
I finally got an MFT/3 table. So this is very helpful. Now I want to see if you show how to make mitered cuts.
There is always a solution, but you don't necessarily always find it...
Good tips, mate👍
Cheers Bill 👍👍
Clever solution, simple but effective. A question though... doesn't the rail/hinge allow for different thickness of stock? Like getting a thick book under the lid of a computer scanner, some lids rise up on grooved fittings.
Yes. See my MFT videos #182 & #183 for more info 👍👍
This gives me food for thought.
Cheers Scott! 👍👍
Hi Peter!
Very useful video as the majority of the videos you produce.
Down to earth woodworking and practices that you use in real job projects.
Thank you very much for the wonderful content!
For this particular one, I was excited to watch you using the MFT-style top which you are starting the video with.
But instead, you are using your MFT :-(
I am thinking of either purchasing an MFT (expensive and not to the exact dimensions I would prefer) or making my own MFT-style bench or worktop (less expensive and to the exact dimensions that I need).
For using it as a cutting/routing station, I have my concerns though...
So, I wanted to ask you
1. Have you used the bench dogs to make a square cut in real job projects? Is it square? Is it square EVERY TIME?
2. Can this be repeatable? Meaning that if I set my fence dogs and fence in a fixed position every time and use the same dog holes for running the rail, would I get the exact same cut length, given I am not touching the flag stop?
As an alternative to using bench dogs for the rail, I am thinking of purchasing just the MFT components the rail sits on from Festool (or making my own) and have 2 aluminium extrusions (back and front) to place them on. This would require a calibration for squareness at first but then (with stop screws) it is gonna be dependable every time.
Pretty much how the MFT works.
Again, thanks for the great content and I hope my questions are not too...involved :-)
Hi Harris & thanks! In answer to your questions, 1/ yes and 2/ yes! The squareness is entirely down to the accuracy of the holes drilled in the top - as long as they’ve been done carefully then you can use them to square the fence (not necessary if you use fencedogs) then square the rail. I personally find it easier to have the hinged rail, but I know some prefer the Benchdogs & loose rail system better. Whatever suits you, really 👍👍
Hi Peter. My Extruded rail, fence dogs, flag stops and Peter Parf ‘MFT kit’ arrived on Friday. MFT made yesterday afternoon, after finishing the installation of this weeks kitchen. Looking forward to using next week on site and hopefully using theses techniques that you demonstrate to replace my very heavy combination flip saw the ‘widow maker’ lol. I’ve also upgraded by older Festool track saw to the cordless version, which I’m loving. Thanks again for your fantastic videos 👍. David McGuinness, Enhanced-Kitchens.co.uk.
Thanks David! Wow, sounds like you’re all kitted you & ready to roll! I really fancy a cordless version, but I know I’ll never use it to the full. Let me know how you find yours though! 👍👍
Another good informative video Peter!👍
Thanks Leigh 👍
I usually do the reverse and would clamp the longer side and have the off cut at 80 mm.
Yep, that works. I found for thinner stock though, that you also need a sacrificial fence to stop the waste side moving from the blade momentum 👍👍
Great method, simple too.
Yep - simple works for me 👍👍😆😆
That was very interesting. Just out of interest how do you prevent the piece being cut from moving about while sawing?
Thanks! Light downward pressure on the guide rail is usually enough👍👍
Peter, love the track saw usage. I do all my case work sizing using my Makita unit. However, it seems to me that many of the cuts you present here would be safer made on your table saw, especially with the modern push blocks available today.
Todd
Hi Todd, and thanks! This vid is largely for people who don’t have a table saw, but do have a Tracksaw There’s also a distinct cut-off point where the table saw makes sense for me, and that’s when you get to rips of 50mm or less; for anything above that I’d take a Tracksaw all day long. Intrigued though, by what you feel is unsafe about anything I’ve shown in this video - care to share?? 👍👍
Peter, the cuts seem safe enough with the care you take in making them. Maybe my concern has more to do with setup time to keep them safe. I’m of two minds about whether I could live without a table saw, so your video represents more ideas for consideration. Thanks your presentation, very well composed.
Todd
I keep a long straight piece of 5mm aluminium and just put it up against the short fence. Slide it along to nearly the blade and it is amply deep enough to hold the stock against for square cuts. A 1m ruler will do at a pinch but they tend to walk away from the saw and get lost.
I don’t have an MFT style top (yet) although I do have a track saw; but that’s the kind of cuts I typically do on my table saw.
Cool. Narrow cuts are one of the things that keeps people tied to a table saw. This is a way of doing them without a table saw. 👍👍
Thanks Peter, you confirmed my thoughts on how to cut narrow strips. I need to rip 1800mm long boards, creating 19mm wide strips, 1800mm long. Would you recommend the same method of using another board underneath the guide rail to act as the stop (whose edge would be 19mm from the edge of, and parallel to the splinter guard)?
Yep, sounds good, depending on how many you have to do. If it’s more than a handful I’d get my yard to do it, personally 👍👍
Thanks Peter, I've already got the timber and the track-saw, so it would be a shame not to have a crack myself - can't miss a good learning opportunity!
I need simple stuff like this Peter. I'm hard-of-thinking . I don't have an MFT top, but can adapt your method - with a bit of thought. (?)
Thanks Ian! 👍👍
Thank you Peter, very clearly explained.
Thanks! 👍
Question Peter why not just turn it around so the longer side is to the left up against the fence /stops and trim off the small strip ,in the end i think it all boils down to theirs a tool for every job or you make a jig ,or a "Silver Sharpie Signed Super Square"( notice i said nothing of just using a table saw )...lol
You would then have to compensate for the blade kerf. Usually with most cutting, the waste is nearly always on the right
Yes, you could do Syd, but sometimes it’s easier to rip a length to the right height, then do the narrow repeat cuts. And no, don’t mention the table saw... 😂😂👍👍
Well Gary ,i think when teaching anyone to use a table saw ,or any saw for that matter fingers come first ,and measuring twice and cutting once comes second ,being able to cut from either side of the blade on said table saw /miter saw ,track saw ,tile saw ,wet saw ,oscillating tool ,lines matter and hash marks on the side we need to cut matters too ,blade kerf is a 16 th or a pencil mark ,which will not and does not matter ,it may be tight when it goes into a spot ,but if it was given the proper time to acclimate to its micro climate it may matter more ,but cabinet making ,well most people i know self included ,cut everything in batches the only lines really needing to be watchful of are the scribing in lines and hell i cant see the lines im cutting now ,as for too the right well i always cut the waste to the left or imperial measurement ,or maybe because im am ambidextrous ,in the end its do it repeatedly the same way ,and well it should be strait and equal length if your smart enough to use a stop block for repeated cuts ,but all that being said ,what ever works for you is what works ,and well Peter is a smart guy and i sure helped 1000s ,even if he doesnt want to do the vacuum noise test in house with the wife o meter going cheers
Hi peter millard ive taken a look at the kreg bench clamp and i see there is an insert in the bottom where they screw a bolt in. is this insert matchable with a bench dog screw? if so this whould be an amazingly cheap and faster option then all other clamps ive seen. just put a matel plate with an hole underneath the clamp, screw a bench dog on and you have a benchdogclamp for half the money other companys sell them. you could even make the metal peace 3 mm to match the benchdog raisers so they are not in the way. maybe an idea to try out?
love your channel learning so much and saving so much money, whilst keeping accurate. thank you!
Thanks! Can’t say I’ve ever paid much attention to those Krefeld clamps tbh - I’ll take a look! 👍👍
This is pretty much how I do it except I clamp the 'stop' board in place with a clamp through one of the holes in the MFT top instead of using a flag stop.
Yep, that works too, especially if you have a lot to do and need to crash them through 👍👍
Thanks peter
Cheers Andrew 👍👍
Why not put a piece of fence on the right as well? That would ensure square cuts. I think. Or would it get in the way of other cuts?
Nice tip, Peter. On a slightly different subject I see you use mr mdf a lot. Is it significantly superior to standard mdf as I am having trouble sourcing some. Fine if I lived in the M25 ring, not so otherwise. Also how do you determine the quality of standard mdf? A local supplier says they sell ‘superior’ mdf.
Thanks! I usually get Medite MR MDF and it’s a much nicer board than regular MDF. You need to be a bit careful with the names - Medite Premier MDF is their regular board, don’t know about a ‘superior’ MDF but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a regular board as well. As for determining the quality of regular MDF, try and stick with known brands (Medite, Caber) if you can, but honestly you’ll never really know unless you buy it and cut it! P
Rocket sci started with woodworking... read Wernherr von Braun's life - the part before he worked for the nzis
I've watched all your tracksaw videos and really enjoyed them after having issues with space for my table saw and infeed/outfeed needs. I'm in the process of building my own MFT style bench. One tutorial I'd love to see but maybe too remedial for your viewers is how you measure and cut for consistency, not just with a rip guide. I recently made a cabinet and found my first side was 1/8th off my other side because I wasn't being consistent on cutting on the line or moving the rail over the line. I assume you measure then add for the curf. I'd love to see a video on how you cut consistent sizes just on the MFT and if you just line up the pencil line with the edge of the splinter guard. Again my be too remedial but I'm pretty new to cabinet making :)
If you’ve watched the Tracksaw workshop series then you’ll have seen me make some parallel guides, which are hands down the best way to get consistent cuts without some kind of fence & flagstop system. If they’re relatively narrow cuts, you can use a sliding square to set the cut line. Otherwise it’s mostly it’s just a question of lining up the splinterguard against a pencil mark. Might be worth a ‘basics’ video though, thanks for the thought! 👍👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Thanks Peter, I plan to make the parallel guides and the rail square, I've spent quite enough at bench dogs on a fence, quad dogs, and other things I couldn't resist so now back to making stuff. A basics video would be great if you feel your audience has noobs like me :)
Hi Peter, can you prove by measuring that those cuts are square? Thanks. And greetings from the Netherlands.
Hi & thanks! Yes. Out of interest, why wouldn’t they be square? Provided the fence is square to the rail, then as long as everything is snugged up tight, how could they be anything but square?? 👍👍
edited for spelling.
@@10MinuteWorkshop Ah, I see. The fence and so has to be square. Then everything is square. Makes sense. Thank you.
Why? Because sh@t happens.
So how do the flagstops work then ........ lolol only playing lolol good tutorial mate on narrow cutting. I currently use my table saw but the more I see your track saw in use the more iam tempted to change
For very narrow rips a table saw is still easier tbh, but that’s about all I use mine for 👍👍
I would make an over sized square from mdf on the mft and use that so the stop can run up to it . Then you could use it multiple Times .
Is there any reason why you couldn't have had the fence extended the 200-250mm beyond the chip guard side of the saw rail?
If you had the fence fixed in place over lenght then made one cut with the saw then that would support your material. You could have used an old blade if you were worried about ruining a good blade.
Or am I missing the bleeding obvious?
Sorry if I have.
Because you’d cut through the fence? Yes, you can have 2 fences, but it’s a lot of effort to go to for an occasional narrow cut. 👍
Hello Peter. I’m not sure if you are still monitoring comments on this particular video or not, but thanks for the tips. I have a somewhat related challenge and am looking for a solution for ripping narrow cuts on an MFT-style top (Parfitt) using the track saw. At this point I do not have a table saw. I want to be able to square up some home center lumber for building shop furniture, tables, etc. Our standard 2x home center lumber over here has rounded edges. I would like to cut a narrow strip off the edges to square them up, on pieces that are up to 60 inches (1500mm+) long. If I could rip a rounded edge off with a nice squared up cut, then I could flip the board around and use that “jointed” edge then to reference the other side for a similar cut - I think. Any ideas?
Hi there. Long thin rips aren't the easiest of cuts to make with a tracksaw on narrow stock, but I've done a few and what I usually do is to stack several lengths alongside each other to create a platform for the rail to rest on, then make one cut, flip it over, make the next, then move that piece to the back of the stack, and move on to the next one. Repeat until you've done all the cuts you need. Hope that makes sense! Peter
how square are Mirocks squares peter? would you reccomend them?
It’s the squarest thing I own. Buy one. Now. Thoroughly recommended 👍👍
They are awesome.
I might be missing something really obvious, but couldn't you just put a stop on the run out side (i.e. right hand side) at the required distance and just feed the workpiece up to that for repeated identical cuts? Two benchdogs, a clamp and a piece of 18mm mdf with a square end should do the job. Just a thought.
I also very often use the "run out side" to clamp a stop. Only difference is you need to take the blade thickness into consideration, and changing the setup is not as easy as moving the flag stop. Combined with thin stock I like Peters solution better, but for thicker stock no problem. You also risk "kick back" if the cut off gets pinned between the blade and the stop.
You can, but then the workpiece is the ‘waste side’ of the cut, which could be problematic depending on what you’re cutting. You’d also need to support the material at the top with some kind of sacrificial fence as the motion of the blade tends to push the workpiece out of line towards the end of the cut. Don’t ask me how I know that 🤔😯👍
Thanks, points taken on board. Relatively new to rail saw mft combo from mitresaw set up, so nice to get info on possible problems like kickback and workpiece grab.
I dig it.
That’s how I also do it Peter. I keep a large, dead square piece of MDF to one side in my stack for this purpose. For repeat cuts I clamp in place to avoid need to check if board has moved. I was a little puzzled though why you used a square, when you followed up with a board that was square - belts and braces perhaps.
The need to also get the dogs from UK dogs unfortunately occurred to me in hindsight.
Yep, just t & braces. 👍👍
Lovely video. Looks like fun. BTW, what happened to your Aldi band saw. I see you have a Titan band saw. :)
Can't believe you missed this amongst the 7 videos about bandsaws 😂 - there's a playlist waiting for you. For the impatient, this one is where the decision gets made th-cam.com/video/ok6dk2UufDo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Peter, who makes the square in the video that you used
Hi John. Links are in the video description usually, though this one has changed recently, my apologies. It’s a Mirock square - etsy.me/3kztu6g made in the Ukraine but ships globally. 👍👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop thank you Peter
I’d just extend the fence all the way to the right end of the table, and add two fence dogs on the right hand side. Then cut the fence. Add a scrap piece to allow the use of the flag stops and your there.
Probably said already in the comments would a fence on the other side help
Sure, but then you may as well build a full extension while you’re at it; the point of this is that you get to use the regular MFT to make quick narrow cuts *without* mucking about with additional fences and extensions 👍👍
DUH! THNAK YOU!!!
👍👍
Why not simply clamp the Speed square to the table or the fence and use it as the stop? Adjust the height of the rail up/down to adjust for the stock thickness...
Don’t own a speed square - never had the need...
Sorry Peter, I was referring to the large triangular square you used against the fence to establish the location of your spacer. I've always called them speed squares in the construction world. Love the creativity of your shop solutions. Thanks!
Ah,OK, I see what you mean! No the Mirok square’s not really ‘clampable’ 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop any links to where I could purchase that Square you were using ,I live in a little coastal town were it's a struggle to buy all these wonderful items and tools ,still using flint up here in the north (😂😂😂) so I rely on the internet, tried searching on the old Google, seems to be an American product .....???
I'm a new viewer ,loving all your videos (that I've seen so far) ,tried a festool plunge saw after seeing it on one of your videos ,very impressed,and purchased Mft3 also impressed, I love your ideas based in a small workshop ,I can relate to it a lot because I use my garage , one big problem I have is when my wife finds out how much I have spent on my festools I'll be living in my garage !!!😂😂😂
Hi Kevin. It’s Mirok Square, available through Vlad’s Etsy store. Great piece of kit 👍👍 Mirok Square - bit.ly/mirok_sq
Simples!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yep - always best for me 😆👍👍
How many times has the fence swung back down and hit you on the head??
At least Twice a day it would happen to me. 😂😂