Cutting down a 16" track

[snowgambit]

Have a 16" 159 that I need to trim to 15 wide. I am seeing 3 options on how to do it.

1) Tracks USA cut it down to width: Costs money.....

2) Circular saw with jig for correct width: Looks easy enough....

3) Table saw: Cant find any videos to see how people are doing it.

Anyone have a video on how you cut down your 16 wide using a table saw? Or a decent written guide on how it is done? Circular saw looks fairly easy but if a table saw is even easier I would like to do that. Thanks all

 

[Murph]

I've done it with a circular saw and no guide-- just took my time.

It sucks, but it is totally doable.

I have a table saw but was working by myself and a track is pretty unwieldy. I thought a bandsaw would work good doing the top and bottom simultaneously-- but I didn't have one at the house.

I was cutting down a 15" to 14" for the wife's old Phazer.

 

[kanedog]

Jig saw worked for me. Layed tracked on floor and cut away.

 

[LoudHandle]

I did one with a port-a-band (Milwaukee Deep throat Bandsaw). I have heard of using a Saw-z-all as well.

If your doing it alone, I think hanging the track from the ceiling (spare driveshaft comes to mind) so about 1/3 is resting flat on a table, and running a Skilsaw along the drive nubs on both sides and rotate to the next third and repeat. May need to space the fence on the Skil saw in or out to get your width correct, depending on the internal drive lug dimensions of your 16" track. I would set the blade depth, to cut thru the belting and about half the lug depth and then finish the cut afterwards with a razor knife.

As to blade choice to keep from pulling cords, I'm thinking an abrasive blade maybe best but I have not tried one on a track. I've used abrasive blades to cut hydraulic hoses to length as well as tires and such for boat fenders and works very well but messy and stinky. Regardless, do it outdoors if possible / practical, otherwise you will be sweeping up / finding black fragments / dust forever.

 

[snowgambit]

Thanks all. Skill saw it is for me. Appreciate the help

 

[niner]

I've cut 5 tracks now on the table saw. I turn the track inside out, lay a 4x4 in between the top and bottom,set the guide at 15 1/2", one guy feeds the track into the saw and another guy sprays the saw blade with cutting oil. The cutting oil keeps the blade cool so you it doesn't wobble. Cut till you need to rotate the track. Shut it off rotate it back and keep going. Turn it around and set your guide to 15" and repeat. Cooling the blade is the trick to a perfect cut. The tracks I cut looked like factory.

 

[westhawk39]

I cut my stock track on my 15 RMK down from 2.4 to 1.5" lugs with the skill saw. Ran the base against the track, most saws have 1.5" of base past the blade so it worked perfect. Did it with the track on the sled still, and cut each lug off at the rear wheels and turned the track slightly for each cut


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[Devilmanak]

I've cut 5 tracks now on the table saw. I turn the track inside out, lay a 4x4 in between the top and bottom,set the guide at 15 1/2", one guy feeds the track into the saw and another guy sprays the saw blade with cutting oil. The cutting oil keeps the blade cool so you it doesn't wobble. Cut till you need to rotate the track. Shut it off rotate it back and keep going. Turn it around and set your guide to 15" and repeat. Cooling the blade is the trick to a perfect cut. The tracks I cut looked like factory.

THAT is awesome, wouldn't have thought of that. I always figured that I would lay the track around/though/under my table saw and feed it around until it was done, then swap and repeat.
Tables saws are great tools. I built a beautiful enclosed trailer from a boat trailer frame, cut all the aluminum panels on the table saw.

 

[POLZIN]

Definitly a table saw