DIY Sheet Goods Cutting System that is better than a Track Saw System? 

You have done an excellent job of explaining and walking people thru it from start to finish. I am a professional carpenter and business owner of forty plus years and this is the exact same sheet goods guide I both use and supplied to all of my crews until I retired three years ago. I watch other woodworkers videos because we just never know where a person can learn something new.

Great saw especially ru-vid.comUgkxxnKxcY0vm4xjW8xkPbjaHuKt10gr-wG_ considering how drastically cheaper it is than every other track saw on the market. Only things I would mention is replace the blade immediately, the 24 tooth blade supplied leaves a lot to be desired.

This is a good idea and a good video. I am going to make a similar saw guide. I have three suggestions. First, the blade guard can be made effective if you cut a wider slot in the back half of the sole plate. This will allow the guard to drop down. It is only the front half of the sole plate that acts as a zero clearance plate. Second, cover your cut line with masking tape. That will reduce chipping significantly. Third, make a first scoring cut with the blade clearance set to only 1/16 th. of an inch and then go back and make the full depth cut. This mimics the industrial table saws that have a small scoring blade ahead of the main blade. I've found with the really thin veneers these days these steps will virtually eliminate tear out.

Very well done young man. I really like the way you talk to the audience instead of down to them. I saved the video to make this so I can cut sheet goods. Being old and disabled, anything that helps is a plus!

I eliminate tear out by cutting into a board underneath the cut piece. Works great for cabinetry work where quality is a must.

I like it. With this jig you could score the grain with a knife, move the jig to the score, and cut chip free. A couple of on-the-job workarounds: Make a shallow 1/8" deep chip free pass across veneer. Drop saw all the way down for second pass to cut bottom chip free as well. If only one side of the sheet will show in the finished project, cut it upside-down.

Nice video and jig. More teeth per inch is what eliminates tear out. I use a 60 tooth carbide blade for my 7-1/4" Dewalt circular saw, and even in oak, I have NO TEAR OUT. You can score just through the top by setting your blade to only cut 1/8 inch deep after the track is set and clamped. Then set full depth and make a second pass. Tear out happens where the tooth is cutting up on the wood, and can chip, but does not happen when cutting down. Commercial table saws, have 2 blades that are a matched set. One turns backward to the other and scores the sheet, and the second turns the regular way and cuts through. The one I used had a 5-1/2" blade, reversed to a 14" blade. There is a left to right adjustment on the 5-1/2" blade, to make sure the score is perfectly aligned to the 14" blade. This is really necessary for Mica board. But I found that the 60 tooth blade eliminates that step for wood products on 7-1/4" saws. Additionally, gluing a piece of laminate, (1/32") to that bottom of that plate you made for the saw shoe, will make it slide easier, and it will be much stronger. I am retired and trying to pass on some tips. I hope it doesn't come off any other way than trying to help.

First track guide video I've seen that didn't require a table saw to start with. Thanks for that.

Simple on the surface, but a lot of thought underneath explained very clearly. Thanks!

Great video and information for anyone on a shop budget You can always add painters tape to the line you are cutting to avoid chip-out.

Probably the best explanation and guide I’ve seen. Thanks!

Hi mate, I thought you did a great style of presenting this- well done. With respect, may I make a suggestion. For those that don't think it possible for them to hold the saw in alignment against the one guide rail, you can simply add another guide rail to retain the other side of the saw plate in place between the two guide rails. This has the added benefit that the guide is now 4 sided (ie. stronger, two main saw rails screwed to two side guides) and the saw runs in between the two main guide rails. No more saw twisting or struggling to keep the saw in alignment against just one rail. Still only need to clamp just one rail. Make guide rails long enough to fit a little wider than standard size sheets. This way you can make the saw rails of smaller dimensions from hardwood instead of ply if you want too.

I made a track-guide similar to this years ago. It works great, no it works perfectly, I did pick-up a new trick from your video. I need to double up the edge guide. So I don’t have to worry about cutting through the existing edge guide.

Good video, good narration and no annoying music, well done.

I like that you added the square so that setting up a cut is quick and easy. Although it's not a full blown track saw design as long as you use the saw properly it will cut just as good.

The chip out from the cut can be reduced significantly by placing a masking tape or painters tape before drawing the line for the cut...i learnt it from one of the you tube videos and tried...it worked very well.

Beautifully explained, thank you for posting such a clear, concise and informative video!

Nice and simple, effective and very useful, many thanks.

I liked your video a lot. Please slow down in explanations . You did a great job with a limited time frame. thanks again for helping me do this task.

Very good simple and easy to use

I have in the past made a mini version for docking framing timber on the saw horses . Worked really well . You have super sized my idea.

Perfect system you have here, cheap, easy, fast. If you want to avoid chip just run a length of masking tape along the cut area.

Hey brother you can actually just use a drywall square lol. I used that for both perfecr straight and square cuts for many years until i frankensteined it onto one of my track saw tracks to give me quick 90 track saw cuts

Good job on the cutting system. Cutting sheet goods can be a problem and a safety issue. I used a similar idea but used an aluminum drywall square. I bolted/screwed a small (6X6in) piece of quarter inch plywood to the left leg of of the T of a drywall square. This small square creates a clamping surface and keeps the square from flopping over when getting ready to cut. Lastly I had to create the alignment reference edge for the saw setback where my circular saw was going to cut. I clamped the square to an old piece of plywood and ran the shoe of the circular saw along the long leg of the tee cutting off the right leg of the T square creating the saw setback or reference edge. This cut edge became the alignment point to which the drywall square would be placed on the mark of future sheet goods to be cut. I use spring clamps to attach both ends of the square to the sheet goods. For tear out prevention I just place painters tape on the cut line prior to making the cut. works great!

Very well explain. Well spoken young man . I’ll make my saw guide just as shown.

Thanks mate, a very nice and easy to follow step by step guide to make a track saw for those that can't afford expensive manufacturer guides, thanks for sharing this neat advice!

Excellent video Sir , thank you very much 🇺🇸🇬🇧

Great video. Going to go build mine now.

Good job young man

Really great teaching. Thank you.

Great video, a simple and easy to make jig. At 1:45 of the video, would you explain the reason why you left an offset of 1/16" (1.5mm)?

I have always used a similar jig or saw sled. I over-cut the width by 1/4"+/- to ensure that it is easier to handle once it is placed on the table saw for a more accurate cut.

Some really useful information in here. Much thanks to you.

I have been having a hard time (over the years) cutting an exact straight board especially if it's about 6 feet or longer. It never comes out exact. The longer the piece the more I dread it. I guess if you are building a frame for a house an 1/8 off won't matter because it's all concealed. But dam I am going to build this and see if I get more accuracy. Thanks.

Really great system

very good idea and very good video that's for posting from Garry in the UK

Very well done - thorough instructions. I’d probably through-bolt the joint some way to keep it adjustable so you can re-square it should you drop it etc.

That's a cool guide. I started using a steel demon blade recently because it was the only new blade I had, and it did cross cuts beautifully! If you look at the teeth, I think it's a tripple chip. I'm making one of these guides, I hate doing plywood cut off with my little table saw.

Great idea! Thank you for the video. I think I will make a few of various lengths for different size needs. ;)

A trick I learned from a few old timers: rip a piece of ply (factory edge) 100mm or so, for your guide. Rip another at 200mm for your base plate. Glue and screw together. Run your saw along the guide to cut your base plate to the same size as your saw's base plate. EZ

hi, sorry i don´t speak very well english, i hope you understand my doubt, first you made one cut in the edge guide, one tooth depth. the part i don´t understad is when i cut the entire depth of a sheet of plywood, that cut in the guide is going to change the depth? i mean the same depth of the plywood sheet. thanks a lot

thanks it's best idea I have seen

Great stuff👍❤

Nice job. Did you make a longe jig for rip cuts on the long side of plywood, or do you still use your Festool?

Great video... is the zero tolerance plate needed so it rides against the guide vs the saw base plate?

Thanks for posting. I like your method of squaring your jig.

Great idea, thanks for sharing. I would be tempted to glue the joint between the edge guide and the fence to improve stability and help keep it square. Is there any reason why I shouldn't do this? Thanks again for a well presented video sharing your idea.

The 1st cut you make it one tooth deep. So when you actually use the system do you make sure the short piece of your guide is way thicker than the maximum depth cut of your saw? Otherwise if you cut thick board with it wont you cut off the short piece? Or do you do some sort of plunge cut at the start?

Why was it necessary to add a second sole plate?

Thanks for sharing I have the same saw and have been thinking about making one of these.

Great info , track saws are way too expensive for my needs. Excellent alternative

you can take it a step further to remove splintering by creating a two tiered guide - so you run your saw up on top of the guide which has its own fence, that way the saw blade can run right next to the guide, reducing splintering.

Great info, thanks!

Thank you, adding this track to my play box.

Great work!

Awesome video!

This is exactly what I needed. Thanks!!

I have been using a similar gig. is like a 4. 90° is about 50 in long and I used every time to cut without using my benchbsaw

Hey! I used to work where the panel saw @ 0:14 is built!

alot of people use similar method to this. Its cheap and only as accurate as you are to keep the saw against the fence. Track saws lock into a track.

Clearly explained, awesome

By having the good side of plywood down n bad side up, the tear out will be less noticeable

Great video Thanks for sharing.

a track saw prevents the saw from moving laterally in either direction. your jig prevents it from moving laterally in only one direction. so your jig is, at best, about half as good as a track saw. I mean come on. what do you think might happen to your cut when you do that texas two-step around the corner at 5:22??

U, really genius

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks 🙏

Tq sharing

great video,great information

great job on the explanation

The only thing i would do different is I would make the track 9' long and route out two groves at the opposite end where I would add another guide that could be adjusted from 8' down to 4' so I could use the same guide to cut different lengths of plywood and have it be it's own clamp.

For both the track saw and your guide, placing masking tape over the cut line will eliminate 95% of the chip out

Brilliant 👍🏻 Thanks for sharing!

with sheets that have high quality wood skin a tip to avoid tear out is to do a a pass with very shallow depth of cut, the thickness of the veneer or even less to pre score it, then repeat the cut at full depth, with the blade only protruding half teeth from the inferior face of the sheet. it is even better to do the first cut backwards, thing that for a full depth cut would have been extremely dangerous, but can be safely done if cutting very slow and with that very shallow depth of cut. it works better then the 0 clearance plate, i never saw a 0 clearance plate work for real, both shop made ones made of wood/plywood and ones made of some plastics. the cut backwards works as the counter rotating blade that scores the sheet surface on high quality professional table saws and if coupled with a dedicated and sharp blade designed for plywood give the same result that you can get on those professional machines that can cost more then 10K $ with a relatively cheap hand held circular saw and with the all purpose blade of the saw can any way greatly reduce the tear out. disclaimer: as i am talking of a cut that is done in the same direction that the torque of the motor want to push the saw who decides to do it has to do it at his own risk, if properly done is absolutely save as long as the saw is firmly controlled with 2 hands, the cut is made slowly and keeping the saw well against the jig and the depth of cut is really shallow, you have only to score the surface. but still IT IS NOT SOMETHING I SUGGEST TO AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, better to have at least some hours of normal use of the saw before attempting that cut, the circular saws, hand held or table saws, are among the most dangerous woodworking machines and beginners should be well aware of the possible risks and of how to minimize them.

How does this not just cut straight the guide piece of plywood?

There are easier or more simple jigs to do this but I like your idea for more precise cuts. Nice video

Keep in mind that the saw’s blade guard is ineffective with the zero clearance plate in place.

It's a really useful idea

Thumbs up has been added :)

Fortunately my circular saw (Bosch GKS 18V-Li) supports tracks, so I just bought a couple of those instead (FSN 70 and FSN 140, 70cm and 140cm respectively). :)

Outstanding video. Simple project to save a ton of time 👮☕️🍩🇺🇸

Nice video, I'm going to be making a panel rack, it will include your zero clearance base now that I've seen it.

Clever, thanks !!

If you want a cleaner cut replace the all purpose blade with a plywood blade. The small teeth on a plywood blade make less tearout than other blades.

What's the point of the wood part screwed to the saw

Is this jump street 101?

Buy a quality clamping straight edge less than,$100 for a good one.

Why is a sole plate essential?

do you really need a sole plate? or diy zero clearance plate?

Not sure what the zero clearance plate is all about. isn't the base of your saw already zero clearance from the wood you're cutting?

And what do you do if you don’t have a fully equipped workshop? An uncut sheet of plywood is not scrap.

Nice!!!

Awesome

Let’s face it these cuts are normally made to make the piece you want more manageable. You can then cleanup the cut in a table saw. I’ve yet to see someone let this cut be the finished edge they want. Me I just clamp a 2x4 across the board rip it and then make final trim

Get a blade made for cross cutting and you'll have no tear out.

So you have to cut sheet goods to make a jig to cut sheet goods? Hmmmmmm interesting.

just as easy to make yourself a track saw guide for your circular saw. just add a track and mounting plate. plenty of videos on how. this large t-square won't produce nearly as easy or straight cuts as a track saw would. and you don't need, or even want the 90 degree square part. This is no more useful than a board would be, since a track saw doesn't depend on the squareness of the stock you're working on. This is definitely not better than a track saw. It's totally different.

You sound like Lindsey Graham South Carolina?

Estupendo muy útil gracias

Too many sole plates aren't perfect parallel with the blade. You should have instead built that into your zero clearance plate and guide.