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Post by ohan on Dec 17, 2015 16:37:28 GMT -5
Red sed: You've got some very interesting ideas here, Ohan, but wouldn't drilling and fastening the guide rails into place be the most stable way to guide a [whichever] saw?
Well, I was assuming you didn't really want to mess up your rails. And that using the clamping slot for clamping would be just as strong as screwing. What about making a beefy straight edge on a tablesaw and just tacking that up there? You'd be making your own Mafell rail, just in wood. I mean, it's basically the same thing as those homemade straightedge panel guides for circular saws - it's just that you're using it vertically. Put it up to the line, screw it in place, and there you go. If you made it beefy enough, it would probably be more stable than trying to hold the saw on the Mafell rails. And it'd be pretty much disposable when you're done. .
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Post by Red on Dec 17, 2015 21:06:23 GMT -5
That's a great photo, Ohan. Did you take it?
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Post by ohan on Dec 18, 2015 0:04:03 GMT -5
Nah, I just googled it. Hasn't everyone built at least one of those things?
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Post by holmz on Dec 18, 2015 1:59:03 GMT -5
....Do exactly as you suggested., and fix the rail to the wood. Personally I would use the MT55, but if you have only the p1cc, then use that. The only difficulty I see if that I am not sure how it exactly rides in the rail. I recalling it looking easy in the videos though. So last weekend, I paused for about 12 seconds considering it and stroking the beard. Then I just let go of the beard, and pulled out the edge follower which has rail rider slots on it. I had the P1cc about 2" south of the rail so the whole saw was on the wood and just moved the rail over till the p1cc was at the cut line. It was two 2x4s that were glued together because there were no 4x4s.... Would you please clarify what an "edge follower" is for me, Mister Holmz? Is it an accessory for the P1cc?
By the way, it would seem that you're casting a vote for the MT55, correct?
Yeah I am casting a vote. Just because I was a moron on Sunday does not mean that you are. That was what the "BS" was referring to. At the very beginning you can see the device on the lower hand side (LHS) of the screen. OK maybe I was not as much of a moron as I thought. So I did work out that it cuts on the LHS (if the splinter strip is on the right... Which was south with me on the wast side of the wood). The problem was that the Mitre unit was set to 0 degrees and the bar that rests against the wood was going left... So I would have cut through it. I clamped it to the wood to make a straight cut but I did not want to jig saw through it, so I needed to be n the right Go to 3:13 to 4:45. I did the red side up off the rail (~3:48). The other half of I am 'not a moron' was that I 'pre-visioned' 1 the missus cracking the $hits if I retired to the A/C of the study to watch a video whilst she was in the back yard. Wisely I decided to just noodle it out as to what to do. 1 "previsioned it" is a quote from Carla-Jean's Mom in the taxi headed to get the bus to El Paso.
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Post by Red on Dec 18, 2015 8:25:41 GMT -5
Nicely made video...definitely runs the P1cc-Guide Rail gauntlet...good to know that the jigsaw can be stabilized somewhat during cuts. I'll definitely give 'er a trial run...In fact, I've decided to make it "...a special project of mine."
Clerk: How those Larries holdin' up?
Llewelyn: Good. I need everything else.
Clerk: Okay.
Llewelyn: You get a lot of people come in here with no clothes on?
Clerk: Nossir, it's unusual.
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Post by holmz on Dec 18, 2015 8:31:15 GMT -5
have a go. Drill a hole in the rail and bolt-er-on
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Post by Red on Dec 18, 2015 9:07:49 GMT -5
Nah, I just googled it. Hasn't everyone built at least one of those things? I hardly ever take a photo -- leave that up to the wife...but I'm always interested in nice photos.
To answer your question, though...I'm such a PITA perfectionist that I once had a special 16-foot aluminum straight edge trucked in from PA to get some cuts right. So, no, I've never built anything like that.
Thanks very much for your thoughts
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Post by Knight Woodworks on Dec 18, 2015 11:37:31 GMT -5
Red,
Option 1: What Woodwright said. Rip some sheet goods into strips, screw them onto the forms and make the cut. It's probably the most efficient method, wouldn't cost much. The biggest downside is having to calculate, measure and mark where to attach the strips.
Option 2: Make a saw guide similar to the one ohan shows. The advantage to this is not having to measure down to locate the strips. Disadvantages include the time to make a guide and the time needed to move the guide after each cut.
Option 3: Buy one of the smaller KSS saws, drill your rails and have at it. You'll get pinpoint accuracy, use rails you already own and get to buy a new tool. The downside; slower then Option 1 and you have to pay for the new tool.
No reason the jigsaw wouldn't work. I no experience using it with rails, but somehow think that balancing it on the rail (only half of the saw is supported) while holding the saw horizontal and pushing it forward is likely to be problematic.
Good Luck.
John
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Post by ohan on Dec 18, 2015 12:01:22 GMT -5
The problems with those home-made guides are a) making them (and keeping them) actually straight, b) it's difficult to hold them securely on the work, and c) sometimes the saw can drift away from the fence during the cut. It's because of these problems many people turn to track saws in the first place, IMO.
Now if YOU make one for your project, I'm sure you'd use decent tools and great care to make sure it was straight. And if you screw through it into the OSB, it's not going to go anywhere until you unscrew it. Given that you're vertical, the saw's weight will keep it tight to the fence. And when you're done, it goes into the scrap pile, so you don't have to worry about maintaining its accuracy over time.
Just give it a try! You could probably make a 4' section of guide out of scrap in 5 minutes and see if it works for you or not.
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Post by GhostFist on Dec 18, 2015 12:30:53 GMT -5
Lads, I've used the p1cc to trim 6x6 posts off a clamped speed square. Easy to measure the offset with your folding rule (you should have a folding rule). If you're dead set on using the Mafell rails, that little plastic ski that came with your jigsaw is there to keep it level on the rail. Works beautiful.
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Post by mick on Dec 18, 2015 16:07:08 GMT -5
I can't see why you would not just screw the mafell track to it and cut it that's what they are for. If it was just this one job I would use whatever saw I had but I think the 400 would be spot on for it light and plenty of power for that job. I wouldn't use a jig saw why would you ?
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Post by holmz on Dec 18, 2015 17:21:25 GMT -5
Drilling into the rail...
Luwellen: "I going to do somethin dummer n hell, but I am doing anyhow"
I would do it too.
If he doesn't have a tracksaw, then the jigsaw moves from 2nd or 3rd place to the top. Even a power "hand" plane could work, but some of the options and non-optimal. That is why I said I would be using the MT55... Because I have it. The p1cc goes like a jackrabbit and seems like it is worth using if that is al he has. It is an hour job that becomes a 2 hour job.
It is another few days putting up rails and taking them down, and massaging a forearm cramp. I wonder if you can use a laser and have the P1mounted on a sheet of see through acrylic. Then just free hand it along the laser line. the combination of the laser near the blade and the font sight of the acrylic being further out should have the jig saw heading down the right path. It is still prone to a stiff forearm.
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Post by GhostFist on Dec 18, 2015 18:13:57 GMT -5
I think a lot of suggestions are more complicated than they need to be. How long does it take to rip some scrap straight and snap a couple of chalk lines? this is osb for concrete forms. Jigsaw makes quick easy and light work of it. P1cc cuts it square and clean with the right blade. Hell the cheapest battery circ saw will do this. Unless I've misread and your cutting the form framing as well.
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Post by toomanytoys on Dec 18, 2015 21:20:46 GMT -5
Red stated in this thread a few posts up that he is a perfectionist. Based on his history of posts I would say he takes great pride in his tasks, and this wall has become as he also put it, a special project. And he already dismissed the results of the follow the chalk line cutting. I can relate as not only does my wife get exasperated at the amount of time I set up a project, but I have a long length of 8020 aluminum in my garage as a straight edge sitting next to a package of magnesium screeds just used as straight edges, too.
When I saw the photo of the foundation wall I said, Whoa! This is going to be a challenge even with the good alignment characteristics of the Mafell rails, with a lot of resetting of the rails to continue the cuts. Well, unless all of us with rails won't mind loaning ours to him to set the worlds record of longest track saw continuous rail cut. Of course you need to get over the issue of drilling the rails. I would also make sure that the holes drilled in the rail are tight to the screws and they were precisely bored the same distance from the cutting edge. This way as the rail(s) are moved forward, the last screw would be reset in what was the first hole, registering the rail more precisely move to move.
Considering the length, for myself I'd be drawing my thoughts away from the P1cc and going towards a circular saw. If the cut is not so deep, maybe the 300, which I've never had in my hands, would be less weight to handle. And maybe if he still has that 16' Pennsylvania straight edge it could be used as the bridging under a couple of movements of the Mafell rails to improve the straightness.
This is definitely a project far outside of anything I've done.
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Post by holmz on Dec 18, 2015 21:45:13 GMT -5
Based upon ^that^ one could make a jig with a couple of veiwing windows to put in the crew holes for the guide rail. - then the would always be the fixed distance from the line, and the screws would be spaced to suit the guide rail's holes. Or borrow someone's long FT rail . With 2 rails someone could be leap frogging the rails while you saw.
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