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Makita SP6000 track rubber lip - can I totally trim it off?

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YanKleber

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey all!

I recently purchased a Makita SP6000 with a pair of tracks.

It's no news that when cutting a piece out of the panel with the SP6000 you have to place the track a bit beyond to compensate the material lost by the blade cut. The problem is that I don't feel too much secure to use the small rubber lip that surpass the track as reference. I'd like to know if there would have any bad side effect if I trim it completely (flush) to the edge of the aluminum.

Thanks!
 
#3 ·
That's your splinter guard. You can remove it, but expect doing so to result in less clean cuts. I fail to see how removing it could increase your accuracy lining up for a cut. Actually, it'll be just the opposite.

If you're lining up a cut and having to account for the blade kerf, you're doing it wrong. Line it up so the waste is on the off-cut side. Doing it that way will allow you to use the splinter guard to do the alignment, since the edge of it was originally cut by the saw and shows exactly where the edge of the cut will be.

If your splinter guard is chewed up and unable to be aligned in that fashion, it's time to replace it. You can buy replacement splinter guard, peel the old one off, clean the residual adhesive with naphtha and stick the new on on.

Don't try to line up a cut with the new guard in place without first trimming it with the saw.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
RichT said:
That's your splinter guard. You can remove it, but expect doing so to result in less clean cuts. I fail to see how removing it could increase your accuracy lining up for a cut. Actually, it'll be just the opposite.
Click to expand...
Oh, I got it, yes you have a point!

RichT said:
If you're lining up a cut and having to account for the blade kerf, you're doing it wrong.
Click to expand...
Excuse my ignorance, but what would be then the right way of doing it then??? Unless I got a defective machine my SP6000 cuts AFTER the track, meaning that if I measure 30cm and align the track exactly on 30cm after the cut my piece will have something around 29.7cm because the width of the blade. What am I losing here?

RichT said:
Line it up so the waste is on the off-cut side. Doing it that way will allow you to use the splinter guard to do the alignment, since the edge of it was originally cut by the saw and shows exactly where the edge of the cut will be.
Click to expand...
Well, currently my splinter guard is brand new so it's not a big deal doing it, but I am thinking ahead when it gets teared out...

RichT said:
If your splinter guard is chewed up and unable to be aligned in that fashion, it's time to replace it. You can buy replacement splinter guard, peel the old one off, clean the residual adhesive with naphtha and stick the new on on.
Click to expand...
I see!

RichT said:
Don't try to line up a cut with the new guard in place without first trimming it with the saw.
Click to expand...
No worries, I already trimmed it.

Thanks for all the inputs!
 
#8 ·
You should set your track on the piece of would that you are going to keep. If you have a new rubber strip and you have trimmed it properly using your calibrated saw/track on a piece of scrap wood, the rubber strip is now aligned exactly to your saw blade and where it will cut.
 
#9 ·
waho6o9 said:
Make your mark and add the with of your blade and cut it.
My splinter guard fell off so I don't cut as fast that works for me.
YMMV
Best
Click to expand...
This is not good advice to offer someone who has purchased a new tool and is trying to set it up and use it properly. It should be set-up and used as intended in order to maximize the benefits.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
northwoodsman said:
You should set your track on the piece of would that you are going to keep. If you have a new rubber strip and you have trimmed it properly using your calibrated saw/track on a piece of scrap wood, the rubber strip is now aligned exactly to your saw blade and where it will cut.
Click to expand...
yeah, I got it. The point is the blade width. But I got the point. Thanks! :)
 
#13 ·
YanKleber said:
Excuse my ignorance, but what would be then the right way of doing it then??? Unless I got a defective machine my SP6000 cuts AFTER the track, meaning that if I measure 30cm and align the track exactly on 30cm after the cut my piece will have something around 29.7cm because the width of the blade. What am I losing here?
Click to expand...
The right way to do it is to lay the track on the keeper side of the cut. Then the edge of the cut will be right on the line, and the loss due to the kerf will be on the off-cut piece where it doesn't matter.

There is no need to account for the blade kerf making cuts like that. I'm not sure what a photo of cabinets is supposed to prove, but that's not how to do it.

If you want to see track saws used in real applications, check out the Festool Build Series videos (the link is to video #1 of his mobile MFT cart). I know you have a Makita, but the concepts are the same and all of the track saw accessories like parallel guides, etc., that fit Festool are compatible with your Makita track..
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
RichT said:
The right way to do it is to lay the track on the keeper side of the cut. Then the edge of the cut will be right on the line, and the loss due to the kerf will be on the off-cut piece where it doesn't matter.

There is no need to account for the blade kerf making cuts like that. I'm not sure what a photo of cabinets is supposed to prove, but that's not how to do it.

If you want to see track saws used in real applications, check out the Festool Build Series videos (the link is to video #1 of his mobile MFT cart). I know you have a Makita, but the concepts are the same and all of the track saw accessories like parallel guides, etc., that fit Festool are compatible with your Makita track..
Click to expand...
Sure! :)
 
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YanKleber
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