Could someone please do a TS55 test cut and post the pic for me?

[Spike]

Hey guys and Gals,
I would be extremely appreciative if anyone here could do this test cut for me:

With your TS55 and the 48 tooth ATB blade rip a piece of 3/4" poplar, oak, or maple and post a picture of the cut quality showing the face of the cut.

I would like to compare it to what I am experiencing.

Thanks VERY much.

 

[Daviddubya]

Not sure what you are looking for, but here are two photos of a piece of ripped poplar.  I used a TS55 and the 48 tooth Fine Tooth blade, recently sharpened.  Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Steve Jones]

If your not getting a pretty perfect edge (looks like it's been through a jointer) then you have a problem. I cut mostly plywood and do no other surface prep for joints or finishing (of course no plywood edges are exposed on the final product). But then I don't usually do aything but fine sanding before staining on the frames of 5-piece doors either (solid wood of whatever species is used).

TS 55 does most of my cutting (boards are ripped on the tablesaw because it's easier to make 2" strips that way, every other cut is on the TS (which needs sharpening every two to three months, BTW).

Don't have a picture handy right now, but hopefully this comment should help with your question.

 

[ccmviking]

I'd have to go way out on a limb and say it's the toe adjustment.  Seems to be the main problem with cut issues and first place to start.  I had the issue myself.  Read Rick's manual to see how to adjust.

Chris...

 

[Spike]

I will post a pic when I get back.

But...I have something causing blade wobble. I have 2 of the Z=48 ATB blades and my rip of poplar looks nothing like Davids. I tried oak, maple and cherry, all the same out come.

I was in the woodworking tooling business for years so I took both blades to our service center and checked them for proper tension and run out. Both are within industry standards and by themselves shouldn't be leaving an edge with such bad cross hatching.

The saw marks I am getting indicate flange problems to an extent. They are pronounced cross hatch marks or basically for those who may not know what a cross hatch is, it is an X pattern in the face of the cut. This also tells me the saw does not need a toe adjustment. It is tracking parallel to the work piece but wobbling.

Question is what's causing the wobble?

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Spike,

I was getting similar (prounced cross-hatching) results with my TS 55 and 48 tooth blade until I reset the toe.  When I contacted Festool, they admitted that some saws were erroneously set with toe-out rather than toe-in due to some errors in training their employees.  I rate this the most likely cause.

I have also experienced some blade wobble due to debris on the mounting flange or not getting the blade fully seated when mounting it.  On my saw and blade, the radial clearance between the arbor and the hole in the blade is very small, and it is possible to cinch the bolt even though the blade is not fully seated.

Even after proper adjustment and with a fresh blade, I do not get as good cut quality as shown in David's photos of ripped poplar, but they are very close.

Another cause, I think, that occurs when I make long rips, e.g. trimming an oak passage door, is that the pivot pin mechanism that joins the base of my TS 55 to the motor/arbor has a slight degree of slop.  Even with the base adjusted so their is no play relative to the guide rails, the motor/arbor can move slightly in or out relative to the rubber strip on the guide rail.  Thus, consistent operator technique in pushing the saw along the guide rail influences the quality of the cut.  If I have to change hand, arm, or body position while making a long cut, I am likely to get some cross-hatching or a slight step in the cut edge where I made the transition.  But even this irregularity is slight and not hard to sand or scrape away.

I have spoken with Festool USA about my TS 55 and they consider it normal.  I think they should modify the procedure they use to fit the pivot mechanism to obtain tighter tolerances.

Dave R.

 

[Spike]

Thank you Dave,
I will adjust it later today and look very closely at it. I have many Starrett test tools and even a Starrett granite test plate I can use. I post back later, but right now I am getting a better cut with a worm drive and straight edge. I'll tweak it till' perfect.

 

[Spike]

Pic of TS55 cut

 

[Spike]

another pic

 

[Spike]

final postable pic

 

[gjfunk]

Here are a few shots comparing the TS55 (Top) with a Unisaw and Forrest WWII (Bottom) cutting maple. I highlighted the scratches by lighting at a very shallow angle. The Festool is probably a little rougher but neither of them are bad. I notice that the TS55 groans sometimes going through the wood as if it may be vibrating. You will notice that the scratches are not uniform or consistent throughout the cut. I wasn't really trying to get a smooth cut, if I had pushed it a little slower the cut may have been smoother.

Greg

 

[Spike]

Hello GJfunk,
Thank you for the great pics. On your top photo your TS55 is clearly "healing" which is very easy to adjust or fine tune. Then you might even get a better cut than the Unisaw/Forrest combo.

If you look closely at your Unisaw pics you can see a cross hatch pattern which is good, but on your TS55 photos I can only see a downcut pattern indicating the rear of the blade is healing or dragging..

I know there was some discussion here about the front of the TS55 blade should be "toe in". I disagree whole heartedly. The ONLY time you would ever have something not parallel in a circular type saw application would be a table saws fence like your Unisaw which you would want approximately .002-.004" away from the rear of the blade. This of course is only if your saw blade is DEAD PARALLEL to your miter slots.

On the TS55 the best cut will be obtained if the saw blade is parallel to the guiderail.

One important note on ATB style blades. The best cut is achieved on a slower feed rate, otherwise the grind actually fights itself to track straight. One tooth wants to pull in one direction while the other tooth wants to do the opposite.  But don't feed too slow or blade life will shorten and burning of material will occur.

Thanks for your help and I hope I helped somewhat.

 

[gjfunk]

Thanks Spike,

I tried a little fine tuning but I haven't been able to get a nice crosshatch pattern with the TS55. I'm not too concerned as the level of scratches is quite minor and not normally a problem for me. I normally only cut plywood and the scratches are not a big problem. But thanks for your help.

Greg

 

[Spike]

Hi Underused,
Hang in there. Festool is a phenomenal organization that listens to us, their customer. They rely heavily on our input and they read these forums. Festools products are designed to be maintained and adjusted. In my experiences all high end products perform better with some type of fine tuning or tweaking.

Overall if you look at the Festool "system", it's adaptability, and the company behind the product....you cannot beat them.

Now.....what trouble are you having? Maybe I or someone here can help you.

 

[jo041326]

Hi,
my experience is, when I ease too much, a rattling sound appears and I have visible saw marks. I think it is because the MMC slows down rpm of the saw. When I push too much it has no power and the blade vibrates as well. Anyway the blade must be always sharp.

Josef

PS: I don't have cross pattern as well.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Have you considered calling Festool's service organization and asking them to look at the photos that you posted?  You should be able to email the exact internet address, or you could simply paste the photos into your email.  I have always found them to be very helpful.  Not always exactly the answer I had hoped for, but overall a big help.

Dave R.