TrueTrac saw guide review

[reubenjames]

So, it's been a good five years since the TrueTrac came around, or at least since Shopsmith started plugging it. I've been needing to break down more sheet goods recently, and as fun as taking up the time to set up the SS for cutting 4' x 8' sheets is, and then playing the game of actually trying to cut it, I decided to invest in a saw guide. I had a homemade guide I made years ago, but safety and accuracy were both a concern, especially with longer cuts. One of my brothers had purchased and raved about the EZ system, not so much for the brand itself, but more for the concept in general. To that end, I found a decent deal on ToolNut--105" TrueTrac system for $249 with free shipping.

Tonight, since my 12 year old son was in the garage helping me, I decided to skip the slightly boring project of SS alignment, and moved on to the slightly less boring project of installing the TrueTrac base on my circ. He was a trooper and helped me out a lot, and I think we got it working pretty well. Despite the fact that I flipped the track on my very first cut and so my cut line was about an inch off of where I laid the track. And I forgot to adjust my cut depth to include the depth of the track. Ooops! Third time's a charm, though, and I showed that maple plywood. A new 40 tooth Freud Diablo didn't hurt, either.

Anyway, so far so good! I realize the track can be used for left-handed saws, as well, which is why I was allowed to flip the track and still have it ride, but I did feel there could have been a better solution to that, like selling a left-handed base plate, so that the track could be keyed such that a base plate would only fit one way, to prevent that kind of error. Guess you have to be smarter than the tool, though.

All in all, though, pleased with the cuts I made tonight, once I finally got the hang of it! The grip was secure without clamps, there was no discernible flex in the track, the plate ran smoothly on the track, and I didn't have any tear out (though, again, new Diablo was probably most responsible for that). Was glad to be able to support a small shop producing a quality tool made in the USA.