best saw blade for cutting plastic with TS-55

[TSO_Products]

TSO is looking for an experience based recommendation for a on-ferrous (negative rake) saw blade for use in a TS-55 to cut plastic sheet HDPE.

Not sure if FESTOOL USA offers such a blade in North America at the moment.
Other brands and sources?

thanks for your help
Hans

 

[Michael Kellough]

Does the regular fine tooth blade not cut HDPE well enough. It’s soft enough that I wouldn’t think negative hook would be useful (generates more heat).

 

[Cheese]

FWIW...Festool recommends using their older aluminum cutting blade 496307 for plastics. It's a fantastic blade for cutting 5/16" aluminum and I would think it works well for HDPE if you turn the speed down.

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If you can't find that blade, Tenryu makes an equivalent aluminum blade PSA16056D2 though I've never actually tried it.

The specs are similar to the Festool blade but not exactly the same.
http://www.tenryu.com/ps.html

CMT also makes 2 blades for the TS 55 that will cut aluminium, brass, copper alloys, plastic, composite material, melamine and laminated panels. The 296.160.56H blade is closer in overall geometry to the Festool blade than the Tenryu blade is.

CMT 296.160.40H
CMT 296.160.56H

 

[CarlsonCarpentry]

I have used this Dewalt vinyl blade before to cut down window flanges on Milgard vinyl windows. It cut well (loud & messy) and did what I was expecting no chips or breaks and a clean enough edge.
Not sure what the exact material you are cutting is but that is my plastic cutting experience. I used it with a Makita 36v tracksaw.
https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW9153-2-Inch-Paneling-Cutting/dp/B00008WFT2

 

[Koamolly]

^ That won’t fit the Festool.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I have Festool's special laminate blade for my CS70, have succesfully used it on a number of plastics like acrylic and trespa and more. Uses the same teeth setting as the special blade cheese mentions.

With cutting plastic, remember to use a lower RPM to avoid melting of the material.

 

[Svar]

Correct, Festool USA does not offer non-ferrous (negative rake) saw blades any more.
I use Oshlun brand with great success.
However, for HDPE you don't need negative rake. Any cross cut (+5 deg.) blade will do great if not better. HDPE will not chip or melt because of very low friction.

 

[TSO_Products]

thank you all for the feedback.
Turns out the particular issues involves a TS-75 (I was mistaken about TS-55)
So I need to find a part number / brand to fit.I'll start looking with Tenryu.

Interesting comment about not requiring negative rake angle.

Hans

 

[Michael Kellough]

As long as you’re double checking is the stock really HDPE? That’s the easiest of all plastics to cut. Most any good blade will cut well at appropriate speed/feed rate.

Acrylic is much more demanding but a good triple-chip blade works well.

 

[rst]

I fab plastics regularly as a business making replacement parts for a super markets refrigeration and deli equipment.  I buy AGE/Amana German made aluminum/plastics blades.  I have these blades on all saws.

 

[TSO_Products]

I fab plastics regularly as a business making replacement parts for a super markets refrigeration and deli equipment.  I buy AGE/Amana German made aluminum/plastics blades.  I have these blades on all saws.

- [member=25351]rst[/member] - thanks for bringing up the AMANA aluminum blade. I was tipped off to that by a Minnesota aluminum boat dock builder. Served me really well on my 12 inch Miter Saw.

I appreciate all the helpful comments in the best FOG tradition.!

Hans

 

[stefano]

I have Festool's special laminate blade for my CS70, have succesfully used it on a number of plastics like acrylic and trespa and more. Uses the same teeth setting as the special blade cheese mentions.

With cutting plastic, remember to use a lower RPM to avoid melting of the material.

Hi Alex which is the blade do you recomend? and at which RPM do you suggest to work with? and as last question at whisch RPM do you usually cut wood and plywood? does it exist a table where to refer for RPM?

Thanks a lot for your help

 

[Packard]

Melting the plastic is the issue I ran into.  But in our tool room they cut plastic regularly with a band saw.  Apparently less of a problem there.  I guess the long band gives it time to cool down. 

I managed by using a fast feed rate.  It was a long  time ago, abut I remember struggling with it.

On the other hand, when I had my frame shop I had a vendor that fabricated display cases from acrylic.  He mitered the edges and glued them.  But you could never see a seam at all.  I studied one case’s seams and they all seemed homogenous—of one piece, even though I knew it was fabricated.

So good, clean cuts are possible, though I suspect he was using a milling machine for the cuts.  I never found out though.

 

[rst]

I’ve been fabbing plastic for the last 44 years, an aluminum cutting blade’s geometry is identical to a dedicated plastic blade.  With a plunge saw, just drop the speed to 3 or 4 to prevent melting.  I’ve never had a problem cutting with my table saw speed.  It will curl, much like aluminum below the throat plate.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The one I use comes from Leitz. It is a TCG that is intended for metal and plastics. I use it, with equally good results on harder plastics like Corian, softer like PVC, Acrylics, and aluminum.
I think the main thing is to avoid the sharp points of ATB blades, which are there to cleanly cut "fibers" in wood.