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- Jun 24, 2007
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- 10,356
I recently added the cover plate to my TS55. I definetly see an improvement in DC in the following situations- Cutting thin strips, straight line ripping, removing just the kerf with no wood on the right of the blade. Basically any time the saw is close to the right edge of the wood. Also on MDF, the cover plate keeps the fine dust from escaping through the openings.
Now, some of the improvement when just removing a kerf, is that it prevents the dust from being blown out to the right. So even if not much more actually gets picked up, the plate still keeps it in check so that it falls right next to the saw body. Not spraying on everything to the right of were you are working. This can be especially useful working inside a house or if you want to cut down on general shop clean up.
I remove the cover plate and put the splinter guard back on when it really matters. Or the other way round for cutting close to an edge.
You can actually leave the CP (Cover Plate) on for about half of the bevel range, It just needs to be adjusted out away from the saw body to allow the saw to tip. The openings in the blade shroud will not be closed off, but the dust is still prevented from blowing out to the right. I did this just a couple days ago when beveling a board along its edge.
One other thing is that the CP is also a guide to run up against a wall or the like. Say when cutting floor near a wall, or something of that nature. That is why the plate is covered by that brown (phenolic?) material, like on the router bases, along the lower edge.
I used the ATF55 for several years without the plate, and have used the TS55 both ways enough to know that I like using the cover plate for the given situations.
Hi, Here is an update to this review with some more info and pics.
O.K. I took some more pics and did some test cuts. I was not able to get any good pics that would actually show the dust but I will describe the results. I used a piece of MDF and made the same edge and kerf cuts for each saw set up.
First I cut with no CP ( Cover Plate ) and no Tape. A good size cloud of dust was blowing out the front of the saw and all over everything within 2 - 3' to the right. As well as drifting into the air all over the shop.
Second I made the same cuts with tape covering the two openings on the side of the housing as suggested by Eli. This did a good job and kept most of the dust in check. And is worth doing in conjunction with the Splinter Guard.
Third I used the CP. This did a very good job of controling the dust with some blowing out in front of the saw, and none to the right.
I would say that the tape does about 50% - 75% of what the CP does. If you want some improvment without shelling out any money go with the tape. If you are after the most DC you can get then get the CP. Wether or not it is worth the $40 USD is going to be highly subjective. For my use I feel that it has been worth buying. Not being able to use the Splinter Guard is irrelevent for many of the cuts were the CP helps because these are often trim cuts that are either nothing but dust or scrap. To be honest I used the ATF55 (which does not have the splinter guard) for years and had no real splintering problems in most materials anyway.
The additional pics show the saw with tape.
The lower edge gap that the plate covers.
The possible use of the Splinter Guard with the CP as a dust deflector.
Seth
srs
Now, some of the improvement when just removing a kerf, is that it prevents the dust from being blown out to the right. So even if not much more actually gets picked up, the plate still keeps it in check so that it falls right next to the saw body. Not spraying on everything to the right of were you are working. This can be especially useful working inside a house or if you want to cut down on general shop clean up.
I remove the cover plate and put the splinter guard back on when it really matters. Or the other way round for cutting close to an edge.
You can actually leave the CP (Cover Plate) on for about half of the bevel range, It just needs to be adjusted out away from the saw body to allow the saw to tip. The openings in the blade shroud will not be closed off, but the dust is still prevented from blowing out to the right. I did this just a couple days ago when beveling a board along its edge.
One other thing is that the CP is also a guide to run up against a wall or the like. Say when cutting floor near a wall, or something of that nature. That is why the plate is covered by that brown (phenolic?) material, like on the router bases, along the lower edge.
I used the ATF55 for several years without the plate, and have used the TS55 both ways enough to know that I like using the cover plate for the given situations.
Hi, Here is an update to this review with some more info and pics.
O.K. I took some more pics and did some test cuts. I was not able to get any good pics that would actually show the dust but I will describe the results. I used a piece of MDF and made the same edge and kerf cuts for each saw set up.
First I cut with no CP ( Cover Plate ) and no Tape. A good size cloud of dust was blowing out the front of the saw and all over everything within 2 - 3' to the right. As well as drifting into the air all over the shop.
Second I made the same cuts with tape covering the two openings on the side of the housing as suggested by Eli. This did a good job and kept most of the dust in check. And is worth doing in conjunction with the Splinter Guard.
Third I used the CP. This did a very good job of controling the dust with some blowing out in front of the saw, and none to the right.
I would say that the tape does about 50% - 75% of what the CP does. If you want some improvment without shelling out any money go with the tape. If you are after the most DC you can get then get the CP. Wether or not it is worth the $40 USD is going to be highly subjective. For my use I feel that it has been worth buying. Not being able to use the Splinter Guard is irrelevent for many of the cuts were the CP helps because these are often trim cuts that are either nothing but dust or scrap. To be honest I used the ATF55 (which does not have the splinter guard) for years and had no real splintering problems in most materials anyway.
The additional pics show the saw with tape.
The lower edge gap that the plate covers.
The possible use of the Splinter Guard with the CP as a dust deflector.
Seth
srs
