Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Dewalt). This thread is read-only.
Just a quick question. I wonder if the quick clamps from Festool (FS-Rapid Clamp) will fit the DeWALT guiderails?
I have the DeWALT clamps, but I can’t use them when I’m cutting with my beamsaw, because most angled cuts will result in the chain hitting the steel bar from the clamp. So I figured the Festool quick clamps are the next best thing to use in this situation instead of regular clamps placed on the edge of the rail.
(might need to remove the Festool sticker and paint that trigger yellow though) 😉
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Not sure, I have dewalt saw bot no Festool quick clamps. I don’t think we have the beam saw over on this side of the pond.
It’s not the Festool beam saw (sword saw) I’m referring to, but my own attempt to it, with a DeWALT DWE576 and the Prazi Beam Cutter attachment…
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Me.yellow that’s cool!!
I want one of those. Just can’t find an excuse to buy yet.
chadlanthier wrote:
I want one of those. Just can’t find an excuse to buy yet.
Do you need one!!! 😀
Have you gotten to use this yet? I’m curious if there is deflection in the blade on the track.Mr. Yellow wrote:
It’s not the Festool beam saw (sword saw) I’m referring to, but my own attempt to it, with a DeWALT DWE576 and the Prazi Beam Cutter attachment…
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We used it last week when putting roofing panels up. We had to cut them in the right length and also with various miters. The panels were 90mm thick, so for this the beam cutter is perfect.
Not sure if you guys used these panels over there. They are similar to sandwich panels, but only the inside the finished.
Can’t tell about deflection, because my brother spend the whole day cutting panels. Didn’t hear about any problems. Myself I haven’t experienced any deflection. This MIGHT occur when you put too much force on it, but if you let the saw do it’s work I don’t think there will deflection. Even if it should happen it couldn’t be much, which isn’t a problem as this is not a precision tool. Well, I like it to be, but it’s still a chainsaw although with the benefits of a circular saw 🙂
Only real (small) problem is clamping the track when doing angled cuts.
See also this video, where the guy is using it to cut a radius on a beam. Even with the riving knife on there seems little to no deflection.
I have maybe found a solution for you..
http://www.contractortalk.com/f40/homemade-tracksaw-clamps-141283/
Thanks KWC. It seems this is a homemade version of the DeWALT tracksaw clamps. I have those, but they are no solution to my problem.
The length of the sword/chain interfere with the clamp with you set the saw at an angle. It touches the steel bar from the clamp.
I hope to find the time this week to visit one of our dealers that also carries Festool. Hopefully they have the rapid clamp in stock so I can test if it would work.
I thought it was because they were not long enough ..
Aah no, that’s not the problem. They are too long actually 😉
But the Festool might be the solution as is clamps differently.
Hey kwc I just figured out by “do u need on” I’m just a little slow. I have to read things a few time.
I will express myself more clearly next time
Just put some asterisks around “need”. Lol
Is it normal to have to adjust the saw each time you swap it from the 59″ track to the 102″ track and vice versa? The adjustment for one track is too snug for the other. Kind of irritating.
@ KWC, here’s a picture I took today of the clamping problem with the beam saw. I think the Festool clamp will solve that.
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I get the point
I realize this is a crude drawing but ya get the picture…..if the span of cut is short why not put a board over the track guide side ways and put a screw or two in it to keep it there and don’t use a clamp at all…….
So you’re using the track more as a fence to guide a circular saw straight?
With such short cuts, have you considered a Kreg saw guide or something? Or a block with large C clamps for additional clearance?
Read the reviews for the DEWALT track clamps…. A few users say they work with festool tracks and festool clamps work with DEWALT tracks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/reviews/B001J31PJM/ref=?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
That would work, but I prefer clamps over screws in this situation.
Two regular quick clamps on the left side of the track (upside down) works as well. Which is what we did last time, but the Festool looks like a winner. Also because you only have to tighten/untighten from one side. Which is much easier when cutting roofing panels.
Anyway, I’ll be at my dealer soon to pick up my new box level so I’ll see if it would work.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/festool-dewalt-guide-rail-clamps/
Confirmation the Festool clamps work in a DEWALT track.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/festool-dewalt-guide-rail-clamps/
Thanks Ricky! I missed your last two posts before I made my last comment.
I do use the track as a fence. After all, the saw can be used with a track so that works best. I didn’t know the Kregg saw guide. Not sure they sell that over here, but it’s something that wouldn’t always work whereas the track will.
I don’t have large C clamps. I’m gonna try the Festool. Nice to know it fits.
Surely I could return it if it doesn’t work. Just hope yellow can play nice with green when they are together in the same box 😉
Keeping in minded arm Yellow, they sell different sizes of the screw clamps that’ll go right into the tracks for you rail. I know they sell the clamp you pictured at my local Woodcraft, which might cost a little more fro you to buy if you have to come to Newington NH, United State of America, from Europe but hey….they’re worth it 😉
That’s just the thing with Festool. It always “costs a little more” 😛
I got the rapid clamp. Was at my dealer today and they actually had one in stock. It does not fit. The DeWALT clamps may fit the Festool tracks, but this Festool clamp will not fit the DeWALT tracks. I brought it home anyway as it seemed to be quite an easy fix.
However, another problem is that the clamp in it’s normal position will also interfere with the sword/chain. Not designed thoroughly as the handle swivels towards the chain/blade side and sticks out underneath the track. So it will still interfere with the sword/chain.
I read somewhere that the handle also swivels to the other side for use with their own beamsaw. Doesn’t seem to be true as it will only swivel one way. Guess I’ll return it and looks for another solution.
Damn. That sucks. Sorry to hear that. I was hoping it would work.
How about the Bora clamp fence?
BORA 50-in Clamp Edge
That link wouldn’t work.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003E67ZI2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1416337951&sr=8-1π=AC_SX200_QL40
Hey, that seems like a solution! I’ll look into it. Thanks!! 🙂
The Festool track do fit on the Dewalt saw, so why don’t you buy a short one and use that with the clamps
Mr. Yellow wrote:
Hey, that seems like a solution! I’ll look into it. Thanks!! 🙂
No problem!
Only issue I see is the angle to which it will clamp to your stock. 22.5 degrees is as far as it will go. So if you need to miter more than that, we’ll have to come up with another option or modification. But with large stock like you’re cutting, you can turn it to accept the 45 degree bevel you get from the saw.
@ KWC.
Good point, but then the rapid clamp still wouldn’t work. It would fit the rail, but it swivels to the wrong side. They should have designed it so that it swivels away from the blade, not towards it.
Did some searching and I found that Protool had this clamp (GRP-Rapid) and it was specifically for use wit their beam saw.
AND that clamp swivelled to the other side. Festool must have changed it.
I found a shop that has the Protool, so I think I’ll get this and get a short YouTool track (same as Festool only cheaper)
Crap. Now I see Festool has 2 models. FS-Rapid/L and FS-Rapid/R. I just happen to have the wrong one lol
Got the Protool rapid clamp in today as well. This is the right one. Will try to get it fitted later this week. Needs a bit of work.
So finally all set and done. I bought myself another DeWALT track, 150cm for use with only this saw.
Then I used my tablesaw to widen the gap in the slot where the clamps are mounted. The Protool/Festool clamps, as posted earlier, do not fit out of the box. Upon examinating the clamps it was easier to just widen the gap on the rail than to try and modify the clamps.
It only needed 2mm of cutting (1mm each side) so it would slide in nicely.
Then I also chopped up one side of the track for angled cuts. The saw itselfs has 2 slots in the base to ride on the track; one for square cuts and one for angles. When you use it for angles the saw sits well over the edge of the track and the rubber strip has no use as the chain will not even touch it. So to ‘fix’ this I took about 10mm off of one side so I can cut square and angled using the same slot of the saw. Just need to flip the track.
Clamps work fine. So now it’s ready to rock 🙂
Wow! That’s a lot of work. Lol. Did you cringe when you started cutting into that track? I know I would have. I also would have measured and remeasured a dozen times.
Did it this afternoon. Not really much to it. Took more time getting the tools out and setup than the actual work.
Yeah, I did measure twice before cutting into the track. I did cut off the antisplinterstrip so the side of the track would sit flush with the fence of my saw. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get a straight cut. I needed to replace the strips anyway because of my modifications.
(luckily found a much cheaper alternative on eBay. DeWALT, Festool and others are charging ridiculous amounts for a piece of rubber. DeWALT only sells it in one length of 300cm and it costs around €45 here. Go figure, if I need to replace my long track I need 2 of them and I’m running €90 just to get a clean cut on 1 track. Crazy!)
comp56 wrote:
I realize this is a crude drawing but ya get the picture…..if the span of cut is short why not put a board over the track guide side ways and put a screw or two in it to keep it there and don’t use a clamp at all…….
Can you add a stick figure next to that drawing…….haha nice
Mr yellow where did you get the cheaper alternative splinter strips from do you have a link?
Got them from eBay from a guy in Germany. Cheap shipping too. Really saves you a lot over the original ones.
Another alternative is http://www.youtool.de, but I don’t have any experience with them.
They do however sell the friction and glide strips as well. Something the guy from eBay doesn’t.
Going to order splinter strips and friction strips, got a lot of rails 😉
Has anyone else got custom rails other than Rossi7xx
Then this will save you some hard earned money 🙂
I’ve seen a promo from DeWALT where they offered a custom rail with the circular saw DWE576, but I don’t need the saw (already own one) and although it’s nice to have a custom rail, I’d be too concerned about scratching it.
That said, I am photoshopping a pair of stickers as I type this, to stick on my rails so the next time someone uses my tracksaw they’d be damn sure to use the right side for the appropiate cut. Getting tired of replacing the splinterstrip after someone else tears it up.
This is pretty straightforward I hope…
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This is what happened last time my brother asked if he could borrow my tracksaw.
Got it back the next day looking like this…
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I was well pissed as I had just replaced the strips the day before. Currently waiting for the new ones to come in.
Another thing I’m wondering about as I haven’t seen anyone pointing this out, is if it’s normal behaviour of the DWS520 when you do beveled cuts it won’t touch the splinter strip (cut off square)? It’s this way on my saw. The blade sits 2-3mm from the edge of the strip.
Festool doesn’t have this, so does Mafell and I think any other brand. Or is my saw faulty?
Anyway, since the tracks have 2 sides it’s not really a problem, but would’ve been nice to use the sides for 2 different kerf sizes and not worry about square or beveled cuts.
I do know the DWS520 has had 2 revisions (I own a type 1) but I don’t exactly know what those updates were. I believe one is the blade locking system for changing out blades.
How in hell did he do that..
Had he been my apprentice, he had an agreement with a broom and a floor .. a company car, a bucket of soapy water and a toothbrush! If he return my saw like that!
I don’t know. I haven’t been able to ask him yet. He came by the jobsite to bring it back and laughted and said he tore the strip.
I assumed it was a joke because up front I said he needed to take care as I had just replaced the strip. He was not joking…
Oh well, on the positive side, he missed the aluminum by a hair. Twice! 🙂
I had one lad jump my saw off the track and across it!
I have version 1 & 2 and they both cut away from the stip on the bevel.
Look forward to seeing your stickers for the rails, dewalt should have the patterns available for download
Oi, across it? It baffles me how people sometimes use tools. Crazy.
Cheers. Yeah, I figured they wouldn’t change that with a revision. Hopefully when (and if) a new model comes out.
Then they could bring back the cordless model for the XR range.
Stickers are done. Now I only have to find a place that can print them cheap.
The design is in my second to last post. Nothing fancy since they can only be about 26mm high (between the glide strips)