Anyone ever seen a fine adjuster on a hand heldcircular saw?

[Graham Orm]

I've been cutting 8 x 4 sheets today, over the top of one of the sheets on top of trestles. This meant setting the depth to cut the work but to just skim the base sheet. The depth stop on my Bosch works fine but the weight of the saw makes setting the depth jerky and tricky, never closer than plus or minus 5mm at best. If it was critical that the depth was exact, it would be impossible.

To the point: A fine adjuster would cure the problem and is so obviously overlooked on all general circular saws to my knowledge.

Does anyone know of one with a fine depth adjuster?

 

[carlb40]

Festool saws have this and i am seriously tempted by

http://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-fest ... d3a41f52c4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6GIMlrK7lw

About 5 or 6 min into the vid for depth tests

 

[Graham Orm]

Festool saws have this and i am seriously tempted by

http://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-fest ... d3a41f52c4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6GIMlrK7lw

About 5 or 6 min into the vid for depth tests

Good video, he was cutting his bench when he did the worktop cut though, you see dust come off the blade before he gets to the worktop. I fit kitchens and use my saw regularly but can't justify the cost of that. Too easily nicked. Bosch and Makita do one similar, I know Festool are the dog's but they are all just too pricey. I use my own guide cut from ply and 2x1 that stands me at about £5. I might have a go at making my own fine adjuster.

Interesting that he said if you take out the extended guarantee simply by registering your saw was covered for theft!!! Yeah right! :roll:

 

[Eric The Viking]

The Makita 6000 adjuster is good too - there's a 'magnification' of the depth because of the pivot arrangement - 1mm is about 3mm on the scale, BUT you have to be very careful to cut on a well supported FLAT surface, even with the rail.

I was slicing-up 6mm ply sheets lengthways in our hallway before Christmas, which has a subsided solid floor under the carpet, and so is concave. I couldn't win: even though the rail conformed to the dip sufficiently (or so I thought), the depth of cut wasn't consistent.

Even though I thought I was being very careful, I cut a visible but short 'groove' in the carpet pile (doesn't matter - the carpet's overdue for replacement). I've done the trick of not hurting the surface underneath in the past, but that time I couldn't get a setting that would work, even on a stack of eight plywood sheets on that floor. Scuffing the plywood underneath didn't matter either in that case (all destined for the attic "floor"), but I wouldn't rely on being able to set the depth for that purpose ever again in future.

Trenching on the bench - possibly. But given the Festool and Makita rail systems are almost identical, and the Makita one is arguably a gnat's more rigid because of the profile, the not-cutting-the-thing-underneath idea is relegated to 'party trick' status here.

E.

 

[Steve Maskery]

When you say that it varies +/- 5mm, I take it you mean that the plate is so stiff that it is hard to get it better positioned. You don't mean there is that much play in operation, do you?

If that is the case, then:
Raise the blade clear of the base plate
Put a scrap of workpiece under each end and slip a 2mm shim under the back edge of the base plate, resting on the sheet
Push the blade down until it touches the sheet below.

The blade should now be sticking out 1mm more than the thickness of the workpiece. Oh, you'll have to take the thickness of the saw guide into account, too. Easy enough to knock up a setting gauge for the job.

What do you reckon?

 

[Steve Maskery]

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks Steve for your trouble. I usually place the saw on the edge of a piece as if it's just been cut, then let the blade down to touch the surface beneath.
The 'stiff & awkward' part is just the way the whole thing works. (There's no movement when its set and locked). The saw is too heavy to balance and slide the adjustment and hold the blade guard back to try and set a measured depth of cut with any accuracy. I can get it how I want it but it takes ages, and when on site time is money. The only way is how you have described it or as I have been doing with the blade down the edge of the work-piece.
I've had a close look at it today and reckon an adjuster would be easy enough to make. I'll post pics on here if I do it successfully. I've had it some years now, maybe it really is time to bite the bullet and mend it with a new one!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Having had a track (plunge) saw for a couple of years now, I'd never go back to a freehand one, even using a home made guide. It's chalk and cheese.

There's a range to choose from - Festool and Mafell at one extreme... er, 'others' are a lot cheaper.

I like my Makita, as relatively good value for money, and the cut and setup times are excellent.

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Of all power tools, the only one I really detest using is the 7 1/4" saw. I'm certain that they are designed by people who never have to use them. I've had three, and the latest is only slightly safer than the other two. ( I use chain saws quite happily)

 

[Graham Orm]

Of all power tools, the only one I really detest using is the 7 1/4" saw. I'm certain that they are designed by people who never have to use them. I've had three, and the latest is only slightly safer than the other two. ( I use chain saws quite happily)

I've had my current one donkeys, it just won't wear out!

 

[steve248]

Interesting that he said if you take out the extended guarantee simply by registering your saw was covered for theft!!! Yeah right! :roll:

That is absolutely correct...

All you have to do is get a Police report number and Festool will pay out for a new tool.

 

[Graham Orm]

Interesting that he said if you take out the extended guarantee simply by registering your saw was covered for theft!!! Yeah right! :roll:

That is absolutely correct...

All you have to do is get a Police report number and Festool will pay out for a new tool.

Great promise, but there will be plenty of small print. Do you know anyone who's made a successful claim? I bet there aren't many. Does it stand for all their range?

 

[mickthetree]

There is normally an excess of £100 per tool, but a darn site cheaper than having to fork out for a new one!

 

[Graham Orm]

There is normally an excess of £100 per tool, but a darn site cheaper than having to fork out for a new one!

What about circumstances? Surely they would not cover it on site. Most tool insurance only covers them if they are in a locked van which is inside a vault.

 

[marcros]

it seems too good to be true, but http://www.festool.co.uk/Service/festoo ... theft.aspx

 

[Graham Orm]

it seems too good to be true, but http://www.festool.co.uk/Service/festoo ... theft.aspx

Looks good. Now I just have to save up to buy one! :roll:

 

[carlb40]

it seems too good to be true, but http://www.festool.co.uk/Service/festoo ... theft.aspx

Looks good. Now I just have to save up to buy one! :roll:

This is the cheapest i have found for a single track kit. If you want/ need the kit with 2 tracks etc, then most places charge the same at the moment. Think it's roughly £474.

 

[Graham Orm]

it seems too good to be true, but http://www.festool.co.uk/Service/festoo ... theft.aspx

Looks good. Now I just have to save up to buy one! :roll:

This is the cheapest i have found for a single track kit. If you want/ need the kit with 2 tracks etc, then most places charge the same at the moment. Think it's roughly £474.

On the wish list but will have to stay there for a while.

 

[Graham Orm]

Sussed why my saw is harder to adjust than most. It's a dinosaur. I had a look at all the hand held circular saws on the B&Q shelf, every single one has the depth adjustment working on a pivot. Mine simply slides up and down. So not only are you juggling the weight of the saw when trying to set the depth accurately, but you're also fighting the spring on the blade guard. Note to self;- CATCH UP!!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Spring on blade guard: catch it up with a hook made of of galvanised wire (used to do this all the time when setting depth).

Weight of saw: make up a series of thickness plates to sit under the sole plate. Use in combinations, like a set of weights for scales, to give you the depth you need - plastic shims from the sheds would do.

I use those plastic shims a lot as fine adjusters for the fence on my router table, for example when I'm trying to get accurate rebates, etc. Set up the fence to cut a known amount with the packers in place, behind the fence, then remove them to get to depth. It works a treat, and the pile of removed shims serves as a reminder of how deep I've cut. And since the router is central, I get a 2:1 increase in precision, if I pivot the fence at one end of it.

E.