Beth plugs the circular saw
into the Festool vacuum. She then places it in the "automatic" mode. The vacuum
will turn on every time the circular saw is on. For working with these particle board
panels, this is a great feature. Almost all the dust is picked up by the vacuum.
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This is the
other part of the system. The vacuum hose fits securely in the saw's dust port. The design
of the saw is such that most sawdust does go to the vacuum port. Beth is ready to make the
first cut.
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Beth simply plunges the saw
and goes. The guide rail keeps the saw aligned. The arrow points at a clever bracket
that is part of the guide rail system. It keeps the hose and power cord in the right place
and out of the way of the saw — just one of the many Festool engineering delights.
And, it works.
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With the guide rail so
firmly clamped in position, it is possible for Beth to stop at any point and repositions
herself and then continue without any startup problems.
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With the cut finished, Beth
simply removes the saw from the guide rail and places it on the work surface. The saw is
totally unplunged so the blade is not going to come in contact with the panel or anyone.
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Beth inspects her first cut.
The lower side is naturally chip free, but with the Festool, the upper side is perfect
too. This is because the saw blade we are using is a cabinet quality blade and sharp
and the guide rail has a chip guard — a flexible rubber strip that has been trimmed
by the blade and acts like a zero clearance plate for the blade. A sharp edge on both
sides — it doesn't get better than that.
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Beth checks the panel
layout sheet to see where her next cut will be.
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Beth carefully marks where
the next rip cut will be.
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Beth has aligned the long Festool guide rail at her marks. She clamps both ends.
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With everything set, she can
start the cut.
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Crosscuts are easy to setup
as well. Beth uses the shorter guide rail but the rest is the same.
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