Makita Guide Rail Adaptor

[curium]

Hi All

I have a Makita HS7611J circular saw.

I'm considering getting a guide rail adaptor to enable me to use this saw with a track. I plan on using this setup to replace my floorboards with tongue-and-groove chipboard or plywood and cutting PIR boards to place in between the floor joists.

Can anyone comment on how well this circular saw works when connected to a track with an adaptor?

I don't expect it to be as great as a dedicated plunge saw but if it'll do the job reasonably well then it'll save me hiring a plunge saw for the job.

Thanks

 

[Swwils]

Its works okay - but why not just use a straight bit of wood or MDF as a basic fence if your use is going to be so limited?

 

[ETAF]

whats the max length of cut
I was looking into a plunge saw , but not used enough. I also looked into the Kreg Adapters & Dewalt track saw.
In the end I just carried on using a guide - infact its a silverline 1200 clamp guide
https://www.silverlinetools.com/en-GB/Product/ProductDetail?ModelName=675056
I got cheap from toolstation , the clamping part I removed, as was pretty useless.

I made up some cutting guides template- so i know the distance from the blade to the end of the plate - I actually setup and cut a bit of MDF so its exact.

Then I use that guide and template with a couple of clamps and worked great for last couple of years.

Last job was a large window seat / toybox where I needed to cut down the length of a 8x4 sheet
in the end , i just used an offcut MDF 9mm sheet i happen to have.

takes a bit longer - But the template saves a lot of time , making sure I align to cut into the waste side - otherwise need to allow for blade kerf.

its quite easy with 2 templates each end and a clamp

I have now cut a lot of MDF , treated fencing, marine plywood & redwood using that technique. Not as quick as a plunge saw - but at £450-£700 for a new saw, as i saw could not justify for the usage

PIR boards

I have used this in a porch and ceiling, Not sure i would cut with any type of power tool saw , Jig or circular.
I just used a hand panel saw and again the same guide, cut very quickly and easily.

 

[blup]

Clamp and screw two narrow lengths of mdf together at a precise right angle, one as the guide (long enough for the piece you are cutting, the other (underneath) wide enough for the cutting line, cut through this piece and you can line up the cut allowing for the kerf of the saw blade and waste right. Make it wide enough to clamp to the workpiece without fouling the saw motor.

The Makita guide rail will be as good.

Blup

 

[curium]

Thanks all. Sounds like not many people are using the official adaptors to connect their circular saw to a track. A homemade jig seems the way to go.

 

[opps]

The adaptor is £90, approximately £21 less than the cost of the saw, and that doesn't include the cost of the guide rails.

https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/ma...ail-adaptor-for-hs7601j-hs7611j-circular-saws

I am not sure if you plan to cut the boards or the PIR, or both.

For the boards, assuming that they are a maximum of 8ft, you might want to buy an off cut of 10ft long timber to act as a guide. Ideally, you want the guide to be longer than the stock that you are cutting to allow the saw to run in and out of the cut at either end. IIRC by convention, guide rails are typically 2.8m long (2x1.4m etc) when working with 8ft (2440mm) sheets.

I have only ever cut PIR with a handsaw. The dust from that stuff is nasty. it really "hits" the back of my throat, and I say that as someone that used to smoke whilst spraying 2 pack paints. I would not want to cut it with my Festool plunge saw connected to a dust extractor. The dust from a hand saw will fall to the floor, a circular saw, even connected to a dust extractor will throw the (finer) dust around.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Thanks all. Sounds like not many people are using the official adaptors to connect their circular saw to a track. A homemade jig seems the way to go.

The guide rails are generally used with plunge saws, although I am about to start using guide rails with a dry cut saw and adaptor to neatly cut a lot of cement board down (shadow gapped wall coverings)

I cut PIR with a "breadknife" - actually an insulation knife. Almost no dust