track saw

 

I've thought about that and also setting secure fencing to run the saw.

The money cut....

 

You mean like this? Just left the site

 

Similar, yes.
I'd like to cut the diagonals all together after they are laid...at least that my thinking now.
I want to achieve an even gapping for the boards.
Just seems better than making a hundred miter saw cuts....

 

Run em wild, cut em all at once w/skill saw. than lay your borders in, save hours, of work, more time to ride, or play, or build more decks

 

Run em wild cut em all at once w/skill saw. than lay your borders in save hours, of work

Yeah.
How do you set up for this?
Angle metal fence or track or what?

 

We start our boards at the front, with the angles. That way it's a full board out front, if you start in the middle you end up with a ripped board in the front and back likely. Save yourself 600+ for a track saw and steady eddy it, all those cuts you see were done by hand. Don't own a track saw....have been thinking about it though can't lie about that

Definitely run long then cut for spine. Will save you many many hours as others have said

 

...... Save yourself 600+ for a track saw and steady eddy it, all those cuts you see were done by hand. Don't own a track saw....have been thinking about it though can't lie about that

That 600 turns into a grand with the tracks...
I'm looking at using 2x2 angle iron as a fence.
Your work looks nice.
I'll have a lot of people looking over my shoulder on this job and need to nail it right.

 

Like this

 

Can i ask why you run your blocking on the flat? It would be a potential rot area in my climate.

 

I'm sure you know, but make sure you frame 12" OC with the Composites.

 

Yeppers.

And blockings for the opposing sides/borders.

 

That track saw is one of the best purchases I have ever made. SO many uses and every one of them is better than not using it and much much faster.

 

x2 Dan, couldn't agree with you more. :thumbsup:

 

The track saw is faster, better cut line and easier. It's a no brainer. What's not to like?

 

I would lay out the border first. Or at least enough of it to make sure at least one of the corners I start with the long point of a full board. Probably the outside edge at the seam board on both sections. Then I'd chalk lines if needed or make note of where to run past and lay all the diagonal decking running wild.

I would then use a track saw since I own one and cut the ends off. I'm sure free handing is fine, but a tracksaw gives a better cut. When there is absolutely zero variation in your cut line, that seam board would drop in with a perfect gap all the way down.

 

That's my thinking, but to scribe/mark the borders and then lay the diagonal decking, fitting the border boards in after.
There will be Trex skirting over the p/t framing, and I will have a tad of f-up room with the planned overhang.

The requirement is exact layout and measure...as I see it.
Thanks.

 

I cut in all the borders and seam boards first, mark where they go, remove them run all my decking wild except where I can't get my track saw, then cut everything at once. Then replace all the borders. Cutting one 45 at a time isn't only very slow it has a tendency to get the "saw tooth" effect. since I'm cutting in the borders first, and if there isn't a post in the miter I can run a saw Blade through the miter. "Marrying them". Not having decking in the way makes this possible. Where the challenge will be with composite and the tc-g clips is getting the "nose" and "heel" to line up with each other on each side of the seam board.

 

.....since I'm cutting in the borders first, and if there isn't a post in the miter I can run a saw Blade through the miter. "Marrying them". Not having decking in the way makes this possible. Where the challenge will be with composite and the tc-g clips is getting the "nose" and "heel" to line up with each other on each side of the seam board.

I've done this with 5/4 wood before and it takes some stress out of having to 'nail' that perfect miter cut. You're just losing the kerf.

We're only flat blocking the corners by the posts. The rest of the opposing borders are short/ladder blocked.
We have the OK to face screw the border boards, thankfully.
All double border boards need a jigsaw because of the posts.

I wished the post shirts were wider...

 

That's one reason for the decent size gaps between the flats. But mainly because it gives us a large area for the diagonal boards to land on. We could have sistered joist or something along those lines but just went with this

 

We account for one joist 1" from the diagonal edge, during layout. That way regardless of the angle length you still have 1.5" to fasten to. Then we just ladder block with little joists between them.

 

I do it like Mike. I did find out some flat blocking in the corners saves some problems when you end up with a baby sized triangle.

 

your supposed to deck and then rail

 

These posts are in concrete and run up thru deck.

 

I use cortex on borders. They are damn near invisible if you take the time to line the grain up.

 

We wound up truing a board on a table saw and using it as a fence with a solid circ saw and everything went well. The border boards laid right in where we wanted them.
Lots of stress and prep...and she looks magazine-beautiful.
If we were doing many more of these diagonal inlays, I would spring for the $1300-1500 track saw system.
Anyway, I do appreciate the help.
She has a fork in her now....

 

I use the track saw for more than just border and breaker boards. I run all my decking wild off the frame and drop the track and cut it. I used to freehand it and I was plenty good at it but the tracksaw makes it brainless. I can drop the track and stop midway to answer the phone/sneeze/pick my nose/etc and the cut doesn't get messed up.

Track saws are requirements for a high end deck building company. If you're blowing out track decks then don't worry about it.

 

Really? Not even one pic?

 

Track deck?

 

Much like track homes, around here most track homes come with an 8x10 deck that lasts for 5-10 years, there's no craftsmanship at all, it's all about speed.

 

Volume builders - 300+ townhouses going up a year here, see them all day everyday