bowed guide rail?

[jander1960]

So today my new TS 55 arrived.  I actually met the delivery man at the front door! As he set the guide rail box on its end, I heard the distinct sound of aluminum on concrete.  Sure enough, through rough handling, the guide rail had worked its way out of the end of the box. 

On close inspection, there are burrs on both ends due to the guide hitting something harder than itself.  Alone, they don't seem that big of a deal as I can probably file them off to my satisfaction.  But, the rail is definitely bowed... in the up/down direction as it would lie on the material to be cut.  I measured the bow agaist a straight string line and it is about 3/16" at its highest point.  It does not appear to be a continuous bow (as in pre-stressed trusses), but a rather distinct area where the bend appears to be focused.  (I tried to take a pic showing this, but the camera's lack of depth of field was working against me.)

I don't think it is bowed side-to-side, which would affect the "straightness" of the cut, but I probably wouldn't be able to tell that until I make some cuts.  In use, the weight of the saw would probably flatten out the up/down bow.  But, is this something to be concerned about?  Is the guide designed to be this way, or should it sit flat on the material without any other downward force?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
jim

 

[Corwin]

Call your dealer for a replacement rail.

 

[tbellemare]

Call your dealer for a replacement rail.

I second that opinion. It should be straight.

Tom

 

[jander1960]

Call your dealer for a replacement rail.

I second that opinion. It should be straight.

Tom

Thanks fellers... that's kinda what I thought.  And I shouldn't have to file burrs off a $95 piece of aluminum! 

 

[Wonderwino]

Sounds like a damaged freight claim.    [crying]

 

[jander1960]

Sounds like a damaged freight claim.    [crying]

I took a closer look at the cardboard shipping box for the guide rail and noticed that it had a black band marking on the box where the strap was that held the box closed.  I didn't notice earlier that there are also black band marks at each end of the box, but there weren't any straps there when it arrived.  Explains why the rail was able to slide out of the box. 

I now feel better about the initial quality of the packaging (I was beginning to wonder how a company with such a reputation would ship a box with loose ends!), although it appears more could be done to keep the straps from coming off or to keep sloppy handlers from using them for handles.  Clearly, some persons along the way used the end strapping as a handle and it came off. Which is why the box ends are a bit squished (both of them).

Freight claim indeed, but I'm leaving that up to my supplier to settle.  They are sending me a new guide rail.