Bad cut quality on TS 75 outa the blue.

[Iceclimber]

I was making a 8ft rip in some 3/4 hard maple today and i got the crappiest cut i could have ever imagined with a Festool.

I use a cut table that os 2x4 notched together topped with MDF. I
Et my blade run into the mdf about 1/8-1/4 inch at most. To date i have had zero problems.

As i was cutting i did notice what felt like the saw hitting a nail or something as it would get mildly hung up but nothing major. I remember thinking WTF i know there is no nails in this table as it was brand new MDF a week ago.

I wish i tool pictures but it was bad. Like so bad it took 5 minutes with the RO90 in aggressive mode with some 120 on it to clean it up...

What do people think?

Edited for language - Shane

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I would suggest inspecting the blade, including making sure it installed the right way. I only say that because it's been done before, blade on backwards. You can also check the toe in, should be able to slide a business card in the back side of the blade at full plunge.

What blade are you using?

 

[oldie]

Is the MDF good quality?  If unlucky, some MDF can have 'bits' in it - including metal.
Richard

 

[Iceclimber]

Thanks shane.

The blade is the blade that comes standard on the saw. The saw is maybe 2-3 months old max. I do use the saw quite a bit but nothing crazy like all day.

I have never taken the blade off the saw.

The MDF may be shit as it is the crap that is used for shipping and packaging commercial shipments.

A friend gives it to me that owns a exhibit house. I guess some of his stock comes backed atop and or with it around it. I checked the stuff and it didn't have a single nail, screw or staple in it.

Might have to go buy that fine tooth blade from Rockler at 30% off. Hope they still have it!

 

I would suggest inspecting the blade, including making sure it installed the right way. I only say that because it's been done before, blade on backwards. You can also check the toe in, should be able to slide a business card in the back side of the blade at full plunge.

What blade are you using?

 

[tjbnwi]

Clean the blade.

Tom

 

[wow]

Is the MDF good quality?  If unlucky, some MDF can have 'bits' in it - including metal.
Richard

^^^This.

I've seen MDF that had pieces of the manufacturing machinery embedded in it. Check your blade for cracked/chipped/missing teeth before you use it again.

If you find metal in the MDF - and it's not yours - I'd certainly ask my supplier to ask their vendor to pay for repairing or replacing the blade. Most vendors scan their sheets for metal contamination, but maybe theirs doesn't do that ... or perhaps their inspection equipment failed at the same time as the contamination occurred? Like they say, 'stuff happens'.

If you find metal in the MDF and it IS yours...well, you gained valuable experience without much risk or expense!

And experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

[big grin]

 

[bkharman]

If you have never taken it off the saw, I bet it has a ton of crap on it and needs a good cleaning like Tom said.

Do you cut a lot of MDF?  If so, that has a ton of glue in it which will gum up the blade in just a few cuts. 

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Iceclimber]

Clean?

With what like lacquer thinner or something?

 

[Iceclimber]

36 tooth blade

Pictures bellow. Its looks good to me but what do i know. It does have a sticky residue on it. Well not sticky but tacky.

Oh and its Home Depot Mdf. I guess i should switch to chip board or plywood as my sacrificial cut surface..

 

[tjbnwi]

Blade cleaner (I use CMT). Get a few bottles, keep it on the shelf.

If you use Simple Green it must be the purple Simple Green, green Simple Green affects the tip braze.

I soak mine in a mud bucket lid, return the product to the bottle when done cleaning.

Kapex blade in a lid.

Tom

 

[wow]

36 tooth blade

Pictures bellow. Its looks good to me but what do i know. It does have a sticky residue on it. Well not sticky but tacky.

Oh and its Home Depot Mdf. I guess i should switch to chip board or plywood as my sacrificial cut surface..

The second picture has a fair amount of build-up on it that needs to be cleaned off for best results.

Some people like to use Easy-Off oven cleaner. I've never used it myself so I can't recommend it - just heard that it works pretty well.

 

[tjbnwi]

36 tooth blade

Pictures bellow. Its looks good to me but what do i know. It does have a sticky residue on it. Well not sticky but tacky.

Oh and its Home Depot Mdf. I guess i should switch to chip board or plywood as my sacrificial cut surface..

The friction reactivates the glue, some gets deposited on the blade. Same will happen with pre-finished.

Use 4x8x 2" EPS to cut on.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

36 tooth blade

Pictures bellow. Its looks good to me but what do i know. It does have a sticky residue on it. Well not sticky but tacky.

Oh and its Home Depot Mdf. I guess i should switch to chip board or plywood as my sacrificial cut surface..

The second picture has a fair amount of build-up on it that needs to be cleaned off for best results.

Some people like to use Easy-Off oven cleaner. I've never used it myself so I can't recommend it - just heard that it works pretty well.

Fume free works but gets expensive because you can't collect and reuse the product.

I've had times when I needed to clean the blades a couple times a day.

Tom

 

[Iceclimber]

Funny my cut table is two 2x4x8's with three 2x44's notched together.

Guess i should just be cutting directly on those only problem is its not all that stable when moving full sheets on and off of it. If you put one sacrificial sheet down it is much more stable. I guess maybe a 4x8 sheets atop the 2x4 base with yet more 2x4's atop that.

Seems like overthinking things a bit. On the other hand bad cuts are a bummer almost as much as replacing or sharpening expensive blades. Maybe more so on a expensive piece of lumber it took a week or two to source...

 

[tjbnwi]

Funny my cut table is two 2x4x8's with three 2x44's notched together.

Guess i should just be cutting directly on those only problem is its not all that stable when moving full sheets on and off of it. If you put one sacrificial sheet down it is much more stable. I guess maybe a 4x8 sheets atop the 2x4 base with yet more 2x4's atop that.

Seems like overthinking things a bit. On the other hand bad cuts are a bummer almost as much as replacing or sharpening expensive blades. Maybe more so on a expensive piece of lumber it took a week or two to source...

Good, clean, sharp blades are very inexpensive comparatively. I have 15 TS-55 blades I need in rotation for sharpening. Tonight I'm ordering a few TS-75 blades. I owned 2 Kapex blades 2 years before I owned a Kapex.

Tom

 

[Iceclimber]

Ha,

Funny stuff. I just want to cuss its so hard!

I shoulda purchased all the Kapex and TS 75 blades Rockler had at 30% off.

Live and learn. Silly me thought just having a blade for junk cuts then one for fine curs would be good enough. I should had realized once one went down if i only had one i would be in trouble.

 

[semenza]

Thanks shane.

The blade is the blade that comes standard on the saw. The saw is maybe 2-3 months old max. I do use the saw quite a bit but nothing crazy like all day.

I have never taken the blade off the saw.

The MDF may be stuff as it is the crap that is used for shipping and packaging commercial shipments.

A friend gives it to me that owns a exhibit house. I guess some of his stock comes backed atop and or with it around it. I checked the stuff and it didn't have a single nail, screw or staple in it.

Might have to go buy that fine tooth blade from Rockler at 30% off. Hope they still have it!

 

I would suggest inspecting the blade, including making sure it installed the right way. I only say that because it's been done before, blade on backwards. You can also check the toe in, should be able to slide a business card in the back side of the blade at full plunge.

What blade are you using?

The Fine blade would be good to have but it won't be good for ripping hard maple. It isn't designed for that.

Seth

 

[rvieceli]

Clean the blade.

Keep the MDF as a base. Just throw a sheet of 3/4 or one inch extruded foam insulation on top of it to cut into slightly. You'll have the benefit of the bottom of the cut covered for better dust collection and won't get the blade gummed up from the MDF glue.

Use some double stick carpet tape to keep it from moving around on you.

 

[waho6o9]

Once I put a Panther blade on my saw it was like
an epiphany. What a difference![attachimg=1]

 

[Brent Taylor]

Clean the blade.

Keep the MDF as a base. Just throw a sheet of 3/4 or one inch extruded foam insulation on top of it to cut into slightly. You'll have the benefit of the bottom of the cut covered for better dust collection and won't get the blade gummed up from the MDF glue.

Use some double stick carpet tape to keep it from moving around on you.

I like the double stick tape idea and I am going to use it in the shop. Thanks for putting it out there. I uses clamps now and will in the field, only because of the need to be flexible. Thanks again. B