CS70 motor dropped? Can't bevel cut past 40 degrees

[rilliemi]

Hello Everybody

My first post as I normally just read other peoples' posts to pick up useful tips and information about my Festool goods.

I come seeking help from the wise folk here as I've not been able to resolve this problem over the phone to Festool UK as yet, so thought I would try here.

My saw is not very old and has only been lightly used. It has not been dropped or mistreated in anyway and is used at home and not on site. Today I went to make a bevel cut at 45 degrees but could not turn past 40 degrees and something was stopping the blade moving any further.

When I removed the top plate of the table to inspect further, I noticed that the bottom of the blade housing (the plastic section you can open to get into the bottom of the blade housing) is getting stuck against one of the table's cross braces when I try to turn past 40 degrees. I couldn't figure out why until I looked from the side of the table and noticed that the whole motor is not parallel with the top of the table. I've attached a photograph to show this. I've also attached a second photo of the Festool rep's saw to show how it should look.

I've had a good clean out of any dust stuck inside the machine but that has not resolved the issue. There seems to be some play in the motor and I can push it up to level it which then allows me to move to 45 degrees. However the motor will not stay in this position. I am wondering whether something has come loose somewhere but no matter how much I look, I can't see anything.

If anybody has any suggestions, I'd be very grateful for the advice.

Thanks

 

[Phil Beckley]

Hi....and welcome to the forum  [smile]
@Alex has a CS70 I think so may be able to help direct....and can you send some images over of the underside. I am out of the office in London until Monday but will check my CS70 in the training room
rg
Phil

 

[AlexThePalex]

All I can say from the picture provided is that something is seriously wrong. The blade should align straight with the top, and on the picture is looks like it's angled instead. But without additional pictures from the bottom I can't say anything about what might cause it.

Seems to me Festool needs to have a look at it if you can't solve it yourself.

 

[rilliemi]

Thanks for your replies chaps. I will speak to Festool again today and see if they can shed any light. It's quite odd as the saw has hardly been used but it's still under warranty if needs be.

 

[rilliemi]

Here are some more pictures but I'm not sure they're any more enlightening.

 

[Milvus]

Hi Rilliemi.

I have a CS70. I've been checking it and by the first picture you send I completely agree with Alex. The angle between the top and the upper part of the blade housing should be 0.

Where is the housing contacting with the arm? Near the dust shroud? I've checked mine and even set to 47 degrees it has 3 or 4mm spare.

Sorry, I know this is not of much help. I hope you have it fixed soon.

Antonio.

 

[rilliemi]

Thank you Antonio. Yes you are right; it is catching the table on the dust shroud.  It is difficult to see where the motor body is connected as the bolts are concealed but I can only think that one of them must have become loose.  As things stand, it is looking as though I'm going to have to return it to festival which is quite annoying.  I just can't think what could've caused this to happen.

 

[L.N.]

Well, a bit of a embarrassing story, but a while ago my CS70 wouldn't tilt further then 40 degrees. I just has bought it second hand and felt angry for not noticing this. I looked to solve this problem over and over again. In the end I found the problem: one of the plastic parts where you wrap the power cable around (when you store the cable/CS70) was a bit loose and moved in such a way the motor housing with the blade touched it when you tilted the blade. The problem was solved after putting the plastic part back in the original location.

 

[rilliemi]

Thanks for your reply L.N. I was kind of hoping after your reply that I might have made such an oversight. However I've just checked again and it doesn't seem to be that that's causing the problem. I really think the issue is the way that the motor is dropping towards the back of the saw.  Unfortunately I just can't see what might be causing this or where there might be something loose no matter how much I look. I've removed the blade and guard, as well as the full table top for better inspection.  I've attached another picture, this time without the blade or guard to show the drop angle from front to back. It's probably about a 1cm fall.

Thanks again.

 

[rilliemi]

To conclude this post, the saw was returned to Festool where they discovered that the motor had dropped after a fixing bolt had come loose.

How this could have happened was not suggested.

Thanks for your input.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Well, good to hear it's sorted now. Bolts can just come loose over time due to vibrations, it just happens. To bad you didn't find this yourself, seems like an easy fix.

 

[rilliemi]

Yes I agree it sounds like an easy fix but the missing fixings were concealed so the table had to be dismantled more than I would have been comfortable doing myself.

 

[Sinbad1958]

i have same problem with my cs70 although i can get to 45deg. so i decided to strip it down, 1st to get to the carriage rollers you have to take the kerbs off, this would be a lot simpler if it wasn't for one of the bolts on switch side being tucked up between the switch body and the side skirt,  [crying]
once the rollers are exposed you can see they are cams, not all of them mind but the two on the motor frame, switch side of the machine are the ones i need to adjust.
mine had been loose since i bought it obviously and i don't know how long before i bought it but it must of been some time because the alloy housing that the cam locates in has worn so it can't be raised,
new frame wheel carrier £59 not bad i suppose as its quite a large bit of casting

 

[Sinbad1958]

so basically the wheel arrowed red has come loose resulting in alloy casting (green) now knackered

 

[rilliemi]

Fair play for stripping it down and sorting it out yourself. Thankfully mine was still under warranty. I hope you get it sorted.