Carvex circle jig bending my blades.

[swayneswayne]

Every time I try to cut a circle I end up bending my blades because the saw seems to go off track somehow I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I have made sure the pin is on the same side as the saw and I have drawn some circles with the jig to make sure it is in line and it is. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Locks14]

I think to be honest from all the digging I've done blade support is a weakness of the carvex from the 400 model and the reworking of the 420 only partially solved the problem.

I really wanted to like and buy the 420 but your problem and other similar issues with the blade staying true put me off.

 

[Stone Message]

I have cut dozens of circles with the PSC 420 and have never had a single issue with blade bending. I have done it in plywood, MDF and oak.

Peter

 

[Timtool]

I found that the jig works on panel material that isn't too thick, the times i tried it on solid wood above 40mm thick it would bend or burn the blades. It's also advertised in the manual as meant for thin material only, which makes sense.

 

[swayneswayne]

I am trying to cut 19mm mdf so it should not be that hard when not cutting a circle it goes though like butter. I am going to see if I can play with some of the settings I have about 10 blades to spare so I guess it wont hurt.

 

[Wuffles]

I have cut dozens of circles with the PSC 420 and have never had a single issue with blade bending. I have done it in plywood, MDF and oak.

Peter

With all due respect, how does that help the OP? Bit showy really Peter.

I however had many problems trying to cut circles with the 420, I had blades bend and sent the machine off for repair then sold it with full disclosure to the buyer before anyone jumps on me. In fact, I went as far as to say I don't think it's very good, but the purchaser laughed it off with a comment about how he only buys Festool.

[member=58553]swayneswayne[/member] you might want to check that your base is absolutely square against the blade, remove it and put it back again and see. That's if you've ever had success with it before now. If it's never worked then it might be broken like mine was.

 

[Stone Message]

I have cut dozens of circles with the PSC 420 and have never had a single issue with blade bending. I have done it in plywood, MDF and oak.

Peter

With all due respect, how does that help the OP? Bit showy really Peter.

I stated a simple fact. Read into it what you like but please do not accuse me of being anything that I am not.

Peter

 

[Shane Holland]

Using the right blade can help. Festool recommended the FSG blades for circle cuts. These blades have a blade tooth configuration that helps clear the path of the cut. [member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member], is that the blade you're using?

Also, there have been cases where the circle cutter was being used improperly. There are two holes for the pivot point. You should be using the one closest to the saw.

Remember that Festool has a great support team that you can also reach out to for help.

Shane

 

[Stone Message]

Using the right blade can help. Festool recommended the FSG blades for circle cuts. These blades have a blade tooth configuration that helps clear the path of the cut. [member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member], is that the blade you're using?

Also, there have been cases where the circle cutter was being used improperly. There are two holes for the pivot point. You should be using the one closest to the saw.

Remember that Festool has a great support team that you can also reach out to for help.

Shane

Hi Shane

Yes, those are the right blades. Also, the circle cutter can be set up wrongly and you are right to point out the two pivot holes.

I tried to make this clear in the video that I made.

Peter

 

[Wuffles]

I have cut dozens of circles with the PSC 420 and have never had a single issue with blade bending. I have done it in plywood, MDF and oak.

Peter

With all due respect, how does that help the OP? Bit showy really Peter.

I stated a simple fact. Read into it what you like but please do not accuse me of being anything that I am not.

Peter

Apologies if I've accused you of anything, wasn't my intention. You've read something into my response that isn't there, but there's really no need to be like that is there.

Your post did nothing to help the OP and simply seemed like a defence of the product. IMHO of course.

I have made sure the pin is on the same side as the saw and I have drawn some circles with the jig to make sure it is in line and it is.

I can only assume from this that the problem isn't the hole being the wrong one.

My money is on the shoe not being correctly aligned or a fault. When it happened to me I was told it was probably the tension being wrong on the blade guides, I don't think it was but you might also want to check that.

 

[Shane Holland]

[member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member] made me remember that there's a video showing the circle cutter's set up and use from Festool. Maybe Peter will also share his video.

Start @ 5:15

PS - there is also a section of the video that shows how to set the carbide blade guides, which as mentioned could also be an issue.

 

[Locks14]

I won't post the video because it will only be removed and the legitimacy of its objectivity questioned. But if you google "Carvex vs Mafell" a video of a blade bending comes up, search the forum and google and you'll find numerous references to blades wandering, flexing, bending etc, and now this latest thread.

All I can think of is the old saying. There's no smoke without fire.

 

[Stone Message]

Oh dear...

I did not intend to be negative in any way when I said that I have had no problems. What was behind the comment is that I have frequently had issues with tools and processes and ended up concluding that it was not me but the tool at fault. Then I have either re-read a manual, had a friendly bit of advice or whatever and discovered that I had forgotten to do this or that.

The trammel for the jigsaw is a case in point. When I first set it up to make the video (see later) I misread the instructions (which is a nice way of saying that I had skipped the important bit because I thought I knew better). The first couple of goes were not very clever. Then the penny dropped and I got it right.

Now I did not want to turn around and suggest that the OP had made a mistake and there is no evidence that he has. But I wanted him to know that it can work and it did for me (once I followed the instructions). I have cut circles in MDF and ply up to 19 mm thick, loads of soft wood up to about 25 mm and oak at 19 mm. Not only have I had no problems but I am still using my 4 original blades.

Here is the video where the trammel is used - take a look from about 7 minutes and 50 seconds in:



Now, someone has raised the issue of the Festool/Maffel "tests" which were complete rubbish and very few people were taken in by it at the time. Oh, and dirt sticks but only to the hands of those throwing it - I think a bit of detective work will show that the person that posted that "test" did not post again. At that time I could see that the "tests" were rubbish and so I took the PSC420, with a long blade, and found the hardest piece of wood in my workshop (hard maple) which was in the region of 110 or 120 mm thick. I cut through it very easily with the 15 volt PSC 420 and only had to recharge the battery as can be seen in this video:



Peter

 

[windmill man]

Circle cutting with a jigsaw is a sub optimal method of producing a neat true aperture or disc , even with a circle cutting attachment . Probably the best way would be with a trammel and router.
I am not surprised that Mr Parfitt had no problem with the festool jigsaw and cutting guide .
I however have never been able to get a decent circle by using the attachment , no matter what blade or set up used, mind you I have only been a cabinetmaker/joiner for 38 years. So l bow to his superior technique and profound knowledge

 

[windmill man]

In those immortal words Lock

" You might think that but I can't possibly comment "

[smile]

 

[peter halle]

The OP is asking for ideas and help here.  Those "reviews" mentioned previously did not involve circle cutting and are not relevant.

Please let's try to help a fellow Festool user and leave personal stuff out of the thread.

Thanks,

Peter Halle-Moderator

 

[Holmz]

I won't post the video because it will only be removed and the legitimacy of its objectivity questioned. But if you google "Carvex vs Mafell" a video of a blade bending comes up, search the forum and google and you'll find numerous references to blades wandering, flexing, bending etc, and now this latest thread.

All I can think of is the old saying. There's no smoke without fire.

This helps the OP how?

There are only 2 issues with that:
1) the OP has a carvex
2) my p1cc has no circle attachment.

Festool solution: My Festool tape measure which has the brilliant circle feature to mark the material.

 

[Locks14]

I won't post the video because it will only be removed and the legitimacy of its objectivity questioned. But if you google "Carvex vs Mafell" a video of a blade bending comes up, search the forum and google and you'll find numerous references to blades wandering, flexing, bending etc, and now this latest thread.

All I can think of is the old saying. There's no smoke without fire.

This helps the OP how?

There are only 2 issues with that:
1) the OP has a carvex
2) my p1cc has no circle attachment.

Festool solution: My Festool tape measure which has the brilliant circle feature to mark the material.

It helps the OP in so much as I am providing a little background on other feedback relating to the Carvex and how this type of problem with the blade may not be an isolated problem. As a result the OP might be able to take this information and contemplate ruling out his own user error and maybe decide to try a different method of cutting circles, such as using a router, as a previous poster suggested.

 

[Brent Taylor]

The method that I have the best luck with is to use a narrow kerf blade like the S 75 or the HS bimetal blades.. Set the orbits to 0 and slow both the saw speed and the rate of cut. For scrool work on the end of timbers that a different story, then you have to use what ever blade is long enough to cut through the wood and follow the same method as stated above. Hope it's some help.   

 

[Wuffles]

The OP is asking for ideas and help here.  Those "reviews" mentioned previously did not involve circle cutting and are not relevant.

Please let's try to help a fellow Festool user and leave personal stuff out of the thread.

Thanks,

Peter Halle-Moderator

Yes, I tried. Who was that barbed comment aimed at exactly?