New Tool Review - "Festool Circular Saw - add the Table."

I have now placed the Festool Saw on the guide and with the unit not plugged in, I have unlocked the plunge and lowered the blade until it just comes in contact with the table top. The wood I will be cutting is 3/4" stock and is under the guide but not yet in the saw's path.    The blade is "zeroed" at this point — but just for this thickness of board.
	My right hand keeps light pressure on the saw to keep it plunged to the "zero" point. My left index finger pushes in on the plunge stop and moves it up to touch the saw body. When I release my finger, the lock is set. The saw is now adjusted to plunge to the "zero" point. Per the instructions, I want to set the plunge stop so that the saw will cut a 5mm deep kerf in the table top.
There is a scale engraved in the black plastic plunge piece. With the saw on its side, I can hold the "zero" plunge position with my right hand and push and move the plunge stop five "tics" of the millimeter scale. When I release the lock, I should have a plunge depth that will give me a clean cut of the 3/4" stock and a 5mm deep kerf. It may sound complex but the whole process is very simple — not unlike setting the plunge depth of many routers.
	I made a small, test   plunge cut and am now measuring the depth of the kerf in the table top. It is exactly 5mm deep.    The plunge depth will have to be reset for different thicknesses of stock. However, from this point on, the method can be much simpler. The steps you would take are:   first, adjust the guide to the depth of the stock and then, plunge the saw to the bottom of the 5mm deep kerf. Lock the plunge depth stop there and you are set to go.    It goes without saying, that deeper kerf cuts can be dangerous in that you may be deep enough to cut into the aluminum extrusions at the front or back — a "no-no." [My bride and proofreader says: "something you did?"   " No I haven't yet," I replied.]
With this picture I want to illustrate two things. First, the guide is hinged at the back and simply resting on the tab at the front. This makes changing and adjusting workpieces very simple — lift and move.    The other things that it illustrates is that I slid the guide too much to the rear. It should only be 2 inches or so at the rear.
	This is why. You want to have enough room at the start so that the saw can be comfortably set on the guide and plunged before coming in contact with the workpiece.    By the way, I am making the very first cut on this table. It is as easy a task and renders as smooth a cut as you could possibly have. Better than with my chop saw.
I adjusted the miter gauge and fence and made a 45o cut.
	That first miter cut was so simple, I quickly made a second and placed them together and checked for square — couldn't be closer.
Here is a view of the rest of the system. The Festool "Stack" couldn't be any more handy. The saw, router and guide Systainers are all stacked and locked on the Festool vacuum.    Notice the poor chop saw looking on but feeling very dejected. [Note: the black "cloud" is my attempt to cover up the mess on the chop saw extension   table. It sure does become a collection place for "stuff" when the saw is not being used.]
	It is not just the chop saw that sits unused, but the table saw, the router table, the jointer — fact is, I haven't found yet the bounds of this system, but I like what I have seen so far.    This is my plan: in the next couple of weeks, I will start a real woodworking project and use only the "Festool Stack." And, so that I don't make a quick cut or two on one of my old standbys, when you aren't looking, I will pack the System into my wagon and find a place to work where I and the Festool System are on our own.    The project will probably be a full set of Barrister Bookcases — for a special friend that you have not seen for months. So come on back...