HKC55
The HKC 55 carpentry saw is Festool's general use circular saw. It is a close relative of the company's hallmark track saw, but is optimized for ambidextrous, one-handed operations. This makes it is especially usefull for cross-cutting and rip cutting both wood and ply.
Recently, I have been working towards a distilled approach to the process of milling, or cutting, of wood and wood products. The original Festool track saw was born out of a post-war need to quickly, accurately, and affordably process sheetgoods without the overhead of large shops and equipment. In that sense, it was designed to replace the table saw and miter saw and, with practice, has proven itself capable of such.
However, the ability to quickly rip-cut and cross-cut smaller or narrower workpieces was always a unique challenge for track saw users. There are methods for using the track saw for these functions, including MFT-style table tops with fences, dog holes, aluminum extrusions, homemade jigs, etc. I have explored and used many of these options, and they work exceptionally well, but I find the additional equipment cumbersome: both physically and mentally. Ultimately, I want less equipment and fewer tools, leading to more workflow.
And so, I have acquired the HKC55 as an experiment in a single-saw workflow for wood and ply. The saw was developed in tandem with a special rail (available in three lengths) that has features enabling the user to cross-cut quickly at a variety of angles Not only can it handle small part milling (with or without the edge guide), but it can also be used on a rail in *almost the same way the traditional track saw can. All of this capability in a very small package.
I will update this post in future installments demonstrating the saw's unique abilities.
Track-based straight line rip-cutting
Track-based cross-cutting
Edge-guide based milling and small part rip cutting
