Cross Cutting with the ATF55 Issues

[onocoffee]

Some of you know that I recently got an old ATF 55. Overall, it is in good condition. The owner said he didn't use it much (as they all say). But when I took the housing off to clean it up, it really looked like it hadn't had much through it except for a bit of MDF. While cleaning the ATF 55, I also cleaned the blade - a Festool 48 tooth.

I haven't done much cutting with it save for one 3/4" cross cut and that seemed fine. But today, I thought I'd really give it a go with a cross cut on this 8/4 walnut slab I'm working with.

It started off well enough, but after about two inches, it just bogged down. Not really the motor but it just wasn't cutting well and starting to burn and smoke.

Not really sure what to expect, I stopped the cut and put the ATF 55 aside. Finished the cut with the TS 55 FEQ which sliced through the slab like butter.

I realize that it's an old saw and kerf is wider, but for those of you with experience using the ATF 55, does this sound out of range? Or do cuts on 8/4 just take a long time to cut through? Really just trying to analyze and understand things better.

Thanks!

 

[Cheese]

Whoa...smoking is not a good thing.  [smile]

The last time I remember seeing that is when I was helping my dad saw redwood decking material 45 years ago and he was using a HSS circular saw blade...no carbide teeth because they were too expensive at the time.  [eek]

I'd check the blade for sharpness and also for resin buildup. Just clean the blade thoroughly and try using it again before you pass judgement.

Even though it's an older saw, I don't believe it's an inherent problem with the saw.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I suspect my ATF55 might be older than yours (circa ~1982), but even so it'd definitely whinge putting it through 2" thick timber but would manage to do it.

As Cheese said, sounds like the blade might be worn and/or built up with crud. Pitch is the absolute worst for any tool.

 

[bobtskutter]

What started to "burn and smoke"?  Was it the motor or was it the blade getting pinched in the work piece?

Bob

 

[leakyroof]

I haven't tried to cut anything that thick with my ATF55. And it's definitely in pristine condition, sadly the original owner died without ever using it much at all.  In front of his wife no less while seated across from her at Dinner while home... [sad] [sad]

For 8/4, I'd reach for my 75, no way I'd expect my smaller 55 to get pushed through that.
I look at it this way, the ATF55 is great for sheet stock or up to 1" to 1 3/8" in raw wood. Once you're over that, it's just less stress for me to grab the bigger 75 and get the job done.
Let us know if the Smoke was from your Cut , or the Saw.... [blink] [blink]

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I own the ATF 55 and have since the mid-2000s. It's been a good tool for me, but it's not optimal for thicker material, especially with the 48t blade that's really designed for sheet goods. I learned a long time ago that for deeper cuts, you do them in multiple passes. And yes, if you over-stress it, you might just get a whiff of it's, um...perfume...

As an aside, I did one little enhancement to mine recently by 3D printing an updated dust port for it so that the bayonet end of the Festool hose slips in a round hole instead of having to be manipulated into a sorta rounded rectangular hole. I found the file on one of the "maker" sites, but don't recall which at this point.

 

[Coen]

Yeah, full depth cuts with fine tooth blade in hardwood is just not gonna happen.

 

[onocoffee]

Thank you all. I wanted to check in because the TS55 FEQ with the stock blade cut through the same stock with no bogging down. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

And yes, I should have been clearer: the "burning" was from the friction of the blade in the kerf with the wood and not the motor.

 

[squall_line]

Thank you all. I wanted to check in because the TS55 FEQ with the stock blade cut through the same stock with no bogging down. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

2.2mm kerf 48 tooth blade in the ATF vs 1.8mm 42 tooth in the TS55F, along with newer (likely slightly more powerful, though both rated at 1200W) motor and electronics.

It's pretty amazing how much difference the blade width and tooth count can affect the ease of cut and battery runtime on the TSC models.

 

[Cheese]

Time keeps marching forward and therein lies the rub. Sometimes, somethings that are "updated" work better...and somethings that are "updated" work worse. This is especially the case in machine tools where if the only identifier of "enhanced performance" is the published specification...that may or not be the actual answer.

I purchased a TS 55 and several years later I purchased the brushless TSC 55. That was a 1.5X improvement in performance.
A few years later I purchased the TSC 55 K which is also cordless but comes with a narrower kerf blade. That saw was a 2X improvement over the TSC 55.

You could always try converting the ATF 55 to use the newer 1.8 mm kerf blades...that's something I'd try if I was really in love with the saw.  [smile]

 

[onocoffee]

Since I had shot video of the cut, I did a quick edit so you could see how it progressed - and I got to remember some details along the way.

Like, I did a second attempt but since there was so much resistance and a bit of smoke coming from the kerf, I started to worry if this might spiral into serious issues, maybe fire or (more scary) some kind of uncontrollable kickback. Because of those concerns, I stopped the cut and just decided to switch to the TS55 FEQ. And as you can see, it was a much easier cut.

I was rough cutting parts for a chair that I'm working on, so I wasn't too concerned about the cuts being precise. I thought about using the Trion for the cuts but wanted to see a performance comparison between the ATF and TS - and there definitely was a difference!

But to note re: a previous comment, I did remove and clean the blade when I got the tool. It looked to be in good order, but perhaps it needs to be sharpened as well.