Home/Operations/🪚 Carpentry/Near Miss with Festool Track Saw on Cabinet Install - Almost Lost a Finger
Near Miss with Festool Track Saw on Cabinet Install - Almost Lost a Finger
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FrameItFrank
·1mo·25 replies·26 participants
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FrameItFrank⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
60
man, i was ripping some plywood for a frameless cabinet job yesterday and the festool track saw kicked back hard, nearly took my thumb clean off. been in the carolinas doing custom kitchens for 10 years now, and this is the closest call yet - blood everywhere but no stitches needed. the anti-kickback guard saved me, but damn, i was sweating bullets. always double-check your clamps, folks. should've taken an extra minute to secure that piece better. hate that i let it slip like that. anyone else had a scare with track saws?
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TarpTitan3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
1
glad you walked away with just a scratch - i switched to the festool ts 75 after a similar scare and it's been rock solid on my cabinet jobs ever since, no more kickbacks eating my lunch.
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TrimTim2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
0
damn man, had a track saw scare myself last year that left my hand shakin for days, glad you walked away with just a scare.
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CircuitBreakerBob⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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clamp your track down with a quick-grip every time before firing up the festool, saved my digits on a couple sketchy cabinet jobs already.
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LatexLegend⭐ Expert1mo
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whew, been there with a track saw kickback, thumb still aches thinkin about it... glad you kept all your fingers, man.
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RollerRogue9⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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glad the guard did its job on that one. i always run a sacrificial strip on the track to keep the blade from grabbing, saved me from a similar kickback last month.
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DoorOpener99⚒️ Journeyman1mo
5
whew, been there with a track saw kickback last year, had my heart in my throat and still flinch every time i fire one up.
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AntAnnihilator3⭐ Expert1mo
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damn these track saws are a close call waiting to happen, last month i nearly sliced my thumb off on a simple cabinet rip and it pissed me off enough to double-check every setup now.
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KeyMasterKate⚒️ Journeyman1mo
2
been there with a track saw kickback, had my heart in my throat too. sucks when you know better but rush the clamps anyway.
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PipeDreamer15⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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glad you walked away with all your fingers intact, man. my festool ts 55cc has saved my ass on more cabinet jobs than i can count, zero kickbacks since i started double-clamping every piece. back in 2012 on a rush kitchen remodel, i skipped the second clamp and nearly fed my thumb to the blade, but learned quick. now i run that setup like clockwork, and it's helped me nail installs that keep customers raving for years. the splinter-free edges make the whole job look pro without the hassle. been using festool tracks extended with a 118-inch rail for full countertops, and it hasn't let me down once. proud to say it's bumped my repeat business up 30% just from cleaner work.
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PrunePioneer🔧 Apprentice1mo
7
dude, i saw a guy lose two fingers to a track saw kickback last year cuz he skipped clamping the board tight - dont be that idiot, always double check your setup.
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MopManiac⚒️ Journeyman1mo
7
glad you kept that thumb, man. what track setup were you using when it kicked back like that?
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LiftMaster3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
4
those damn track saws are straight-up treacherous when they kick, should've sued festool years ago for not making em foolproof.
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VentMaster992⚒️ Journeyman1mo
2
damn, had a similar kickback with my festool last month on a job site and it scared the hell outta me, nearly quit the trade right there. shoulda clamped it better like you said, but who has time when the customer's breathing down your neck?
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WattTheHeck18⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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fuckin customers always rushin us into these near misses, one day they're gonna pay for a real injury when we can't work.
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LeakHunterJoe⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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customers pushing for speed aint worth losin a finger over, just walk off the job if they cant chill or theyll be the ones payin big when it happens.
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DustBunnySlayer2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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glad that anti-kickback guard was doin its job, or you'd be thumb-less and eatin burgers one-handed. my track saw once tried to launch a scrap at my face, felt like it was auditionin for a horror flick lol.
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TarpTitan2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
2
those damn track saws are a curse when you're rushing a cabinet job, should've sued festool by now for how they let kickback sneak through without a riving knife anymore.
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VinylVirtuoso⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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those damn track saws are a lawsuit waiting to happen without that anti-kickback, festool should be ashamed they don't make it foolproof for us idiots rushing jobs.
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BoxHauler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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glad you walked away with all your fingers, i've been running festool tracks for frameless cabinets my whole career and they've never let me down once i got the clamping routine dialed in.
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SodSoldier⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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frustrated as hell, i've been there with a miter saw on trim work - sliced right through my glove last month, 8 stitches and a week off. hate when you think you're pros but shit happens. stick to the basics, clamp everything down tight.
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V6529🔧 Apprentice1mo
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lmao yeah but at least you didn't end up with a 'festool finger' like that guy i know - now he calls it his 'signature notch' for every joint. keeps the humor going on the site.
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RustyNails3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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glad you dodged that one, always clamp the track down tight and run the saw at full depth from the start to keep your fingers clear. i've switched to using a featherboard setup on mine and havent had a close call since.
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FrameForge2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah, adding a splinter shield over the blade on my festool ts 55 has saved my hands more times than i can count, just buy the cheap one from woodpeckers.
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PaintSplatter2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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controversial take: festool's overrated for the price, get a cheaper dewalt and save the cash for better safety gear. i've run both on deck builds and never had a kickback issue with the dewalt.
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FloorFixer⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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festool's just another overpriced gimmick pushed by those damn hobbyist influencers who wouldnt last a day on a real jobsite. ive seen crews blow thousands on that crap only to have it collect dust while the dewalts keep humming through the grind. screw the hype, save your cash for gear that actually gets the work done without breaking the bank.
