On Thu, 31 May 2018 18:23:08 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 5/31/2018 5:22 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Thu, 31 May 2018 10:34:11 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 5/29/2018 7:36 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2018 16:42:18 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 5/27/2018 9:14 AM, Xgenei Lithson wrote:
replying to J T, Xgenei Lithson wrote:
I'm going to put my solutions here because otherwise it's a long, long
thread.
So if you're lucky enough to have a magnesium bottom plate with the deep
waffle x-pattern - you won't have a problem with that being flat. It will
break - but not bend.* Even thick aluminum will deform - so I'm trying
to deal
with my MILWALKEE TILT-LOK Right-hander that I forgot to check for
flat-true
before I laid down $50 for it from a craftsman. Sigh - my one before was
the
basic HF unit and it was downright DANGEROUS.* This one, after much manual
pushing, is about 1/32 out of flat - just along the thin rail on the
outside
of the blade - right where you would expect.* So for that, I'm going to
risk
bending the front or back tab - whichever looks tweaked from a drop,
OUT, to
essentially STRETCH that thin piece.* I expect this to work but I'll
also do
about the same thing - bend those nice thick tabs holding the plate on -
if I
need to bring the edge parallel with the blade.* If I can't get flat within
1/64th - I will cut and "adhese" (maybe with sheet or spray - doesn't
matter)
a new plate that I will have to machine to fit. I will fill any curves or
dents into petrified eternity.
Point is, fellow wannabe craftsmen and women - accepting this much lack of
precision in any tool is just suicidal to all the rest of your efforts.
Would
you tolerate a ruler / tape measure being 1/8" off? Anything that you
can see
with your eye - assuming a good eye - is unacceptable.* And if it's your
tool
- that error is going to imprint itself in every single cut. So NO!!* and
HELL-NO!!


Look at any brand track saw. Their bases are designed to be and stay flat.

I'm sure some of the hacks on this list would figure out a way to
damage even them.

My Dad always said if you take care of your tools they will take care
of you. Abuse them and they WILL kick your ass!!

I'm sure you are right but most free hand circular saws are not built
for accuracy so much as track saws are.


A properly set up quality hand circular saw will cut perfectly square
if run along a straight edge. The cut will be at right angles to the
surface. That's the only "fault" that can be caused by a bent shoe
edge.

My old milweakee and my old Rockwell - both over 30 years old, will
do that - as will my 55+ year old skill worm drive.

A "track saw" is just a circular saw mounted to a "gantry"


Well in theory, but most track saws are better built with more
adjustments for accuracy than the old reliable non track saws.
Basically the Festool track saw will rival the cuts on most any cabinet
saw with a top notch blade. There are adjustments on the track saw
bases to correct tracking if necessary. Think, is the blade running
parallel to the guide so that tooth marks are not visible? Regular
circular saws do not offer that as they were never designed to be guided
by a track, although they can be.

Now with that said, the track saws are easy to adjust to make great
cuts. You mention a properly set up quality circular saw will cut well
too. No doubt but I do not recall adjustments on those saws to insure
that the blade is running parallel to the edge of the base/shoe.


A "quality" saw has the base/shoe registered to the saw with
precision located countersunk screws - it is straight from the
factory. With cast parts, unless it is badly beaten on, it will STAY
square.

An adjustable saw is more likely to be out of square than a good
non-adjustable one because some hack is liable to be screwing around
with the adjustment when it is not required.