Best TS55 blade for melamine?

[rdesigns]

I have a project ahead that will require cutting a lot of 2-sided melamine, high-density particle board core, 3/4- and 1-inch thick. The cuts must be virtually chip-free, both sides.

My TS55 came with the fine-toothed blade, which I fear may dull fairly quickly.

Does anyone have experience using Festool's triple chip blade for this? Or a recommendation for some other blade, even from some other maker?

 

[AlexThePalex]

I don't know any US brands but the special Festool blade works great, a nice clean cut and takes a lot longer to dull than the standard blade.

 

[ccarrolladams]

I don't know any US brands but the special Festool blade works great, a nice clean cut and takes a lot longer to dull than the standard blade.

I agree with Alex, the Festool solid Surface and Laminate blade for the TS55 is cat 496 309 which has 48 TC-shape teeth, compared to the 48 ATB teeth of the TS55 Fine Tooth blade cat  495 377. The ABT teeth are appropriate for cutting quality plywood. However, when laminates are involved, my experience has been the TC teeth are more effective.

I also have found that the TC teeth are more efficient when cutting MDF, MDF-Light and MDO than are the ABT teeth. On those man-made materials the TC teeth last longer between sharpening and made almost as nice cut quality. With MDF-like materials the cut quality will only be so good anyway.

To get the best quality when sawing laminates, I prefer to use 18mm plywood as the sacrificial surface, because I want the work flat with the sacrificial surface. I also carefully set the plastic presser-foot on the outside of the TS55 blade. Combined with the 469 309 blade set to leave a 2-3mm cut into the sacrificial surface I get the best cut quality and still have decent blade life.

 

[tbellemare]

the Festool solid Surface and Laminate blade for the TS55 is cat 469 309

496309, the 6 & 9 were transposed.

Tom

 

[rdesigns]

To get the best quality when sawing laminates, I prefer to use 18mm plywood as the sacrificial surface, because I want the work flat with the sacrificial surface. I also carefully set the plastic presser-foot on the outside of the TS55 blade. Combined with the 469 309 blade set to leave a 2-3mm cut into the sacrificial surface I get the best cut quality and still have decent blade life.
[/quote]

Thanks to you, Alex and Tom for the replies.

I have a cutting table with an open grid of 2 x 4's, and I have never used a sacrificial surface such as you mention.  With melamine cutting projects previous to this, I used a DeWalt 7-1/4" circular saw fitted with a Forrest Hi-ATB blade specially for clean cutting in plywood and laminates. It dulls fairly fast, but even when it begins chipping the top side, I have never had chipping on the bottom, even with no sacrificial surface.

So, my next question: is the sacrificial surface really needed?

 

[AlexThePalex]

So, my next question: is the sacrificial surface really needed?

It is not really needed. I don't have the TS55, I have the CS70 portable tablesaw so when I use it for cutting melamine boards with the special blade there's no sacrificial surface either and I get clean chip-free cuts on both sides. I put the same blade (190 mm, 30mm hole) in my DeWalt DW65 circular saw and I get the same results.

Most people who have a TS55 use a sacrifical board because you have to cut on something and they don't want to ruin their workbench. But if cutting works for you on your open table there's no reason to add a sacrificial surface.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Thanks to you, Alex and Tom for the replies.

I have a cutting table with an open grid of 2 x 4's, and I have never used a sacrificial surface such as you mention.  With melamine cutting projects previous to this, I used a DeWalt 7-1/4" circular saw fitted with a Forrest Hi-ATB blade specially for clean cutting in plywood and laminates. It dulls fairly fast, but even when it begins chipping the top side, I have never had chipping on the bottom, even with no sacrificial surface.

So, my next question: is the sacrificial surface really needed?

Obviously each of us has different experiences, or Your Mileage May Vary.

My experience is that ATB is not an appropriate tooth shape to saw any laminate or even MDF-like materials. Apparently you had good luck with those Forrest blades.

To be blunt, had my experience ever suggested avoiding using a sacrificial surface worked well for me, then I would not have suggested using a sacrificial surface.

The fact is that in my shop over 90% of the Melamine we cut can be processed on our pressure beam saw. Those 4 pressure beams fit as snug to the blade as does the splinter guard on a Festool guide rail, so the beams functionally replace the sacrificial surface. Also the beam saw has a scoring unit, which is a bigger help with single-sided Melamine. In the real world of pressure beam sawing of Melamine it is necessary to carefully set the speed of rotation and travel through the work with an ideal blade exposure. We also need to consider blade wear, which with Melamine is a bigger issue than with even the most expensive plywood.

I do not intend to argue, because these are issues easily resolved by making some tests.

 

[rdesigns]

Thanks for the info--and rest easy--I do not take your reply as an argument at all. The only other way I have cut melamine is using a TC blade in my table saw, which is very limited in its ability to allow me to single-handedly process full sheets.

I am actually looking forward to this first job using my TS55, and I will buy Festool's TC blade. And, as you say, a little experimentation with a sacrificial surface underneath may teach me a new trick. I believe it is also helpful in dust control.