Cutting flooring with nails

Sean7a

Sean7a

Festool Dealer
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Mar 26, 2009
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No personal experience here and I can't recall discussing this topic with any customers.  Anyone have a tip or two, preference of blades to use (have you tried the aluminum or solid surface blade in this application?), comments, etc?

I have a customer who needs to use his TS 55 to cut through flooring that will have nails and before we dive in and rip apart a few blades I wanted to throw this one up in the air to you guys.  I was thinking the panther blade.  Cheapest way to go if the blades get destroyed and might last the longest against nails.
 
495374 - it's discontinued but I thought you might still have some. When they came out with the new Panther with 2.2 mm kerf, they sort of made a hybrid of the previous Panther and Standard blades.

Tom
 
Is this a t&g floor?  If so, maybe try scoring the cut with the 55, then finishing up with a skill saw, jig saw, or recip, to cut through the remaining wood and nails.
 
Dan Rush said:
Is this a t&g floor?  If so, maybe try scoring the cut with the 55, then finishing up with a skill saw, jig saw, or recip, to cut through the remaining wood and nails.
Click to expand...

Interesting Dan and makes a lot of sense.

Not sure if it's T & G.  I emailed the customer.  He may sign up and post some more info.
 
When I had to do similar, I used the rail's non-cutting side as a reference and regular circular saw with $20 Frued blade to make the cut.  'Why risk ruining Festool blade?' was my thinking at the time.

Bust since the cut edge was going to be covered with a trim, I didn't worry too much about how clean or not clean the cut was.  To my surprise, it was actually fairly clean cut.
 
mparka said:
When I had to do similar, I used the rail's non-cutting side as a reference and regular circular saw with $20 Frued blade to make the cut.  'Why risk ruining Festool blade?' was my thinking at the time.

Bust since the cut edge was going to be covered with a trim, I didn't worry too much about how clean or not clean the cut was.  To my surprise, it was actually fairly clean cut.
Click to expand...

Mparka, I think your method, along with scoring the cut with the TS 55 beforehand might get him a perfectly clean cut.
 
Use a negative pitch blade where you know you will hit nails.  Don't use a rip blade.
Tinker
 
I have only ever owned 1 panther blade. it lasted a whole 4 hours. The floor i was working on has a 12mm chipboard on top that i had to cut out for the stud work. So i shot along it with my saw and hit a nail. Every tooth came off or chipped so half of the tungsten was missing.
 
When I was in construction, i used Milwaukee saw & blades.  I chipped and/or knocked off lots of teeth cutting into nails, boards messed up with cement/concrete.  It is surprising how those blades continued cutting until maybe half the teeth had lost the carbide.  i just kept using the blades until they started to warp.  I figured that was when they started to wear out.  [mad]

I used diamond blades when cutting brick/block & stone.  they were no good for cutting into wood as they would get all clogged with fibers. 

Flooring nails were harder than common nails 30 years ago. I am sure that is still the case. If you don't want to leave slivers of wood along the cut, do a scoring cut first, and then attack with the negative pitch blade.  It will get damaged, but just set it aside when finished. Unless a lot of teeth are ruined, it will be ok for next time, maybe more.  It WILL be ruined for any finish work.
Tinker
 
how about one of those saws you see in diy stores (like b and q etc) they clame to be able to cut steel sheet and nails and wood all in one go. it might be cheaper than ruining 1-2 festool blades.
maybe screw (to the waste side ) some 1/2 " ply ,that should keep the top edge chip free as you cut through both.
 
Deansocial said:
I have only ever owned 1 panther blade. it lasted a whole 4 hours. The floor i was working on has a 12mm chipboard on top that i had to cut out for the stud work. So i shot along it with my saw and hit a nail. Every tooth came off or chipped so half of the tungsten was missing.
Click to expand...

Your Panther blade failed because you abused it, using it for a purpose it was never intended for, arguably the exact opposite purpose.
Read the (English?) instructions next time.
 
william, whats your problem? I was stating that it is not sutible for nails as that was asked. I didnt intend to hit a nail. i would never hit a nail on purpose. I wanted a fast cutting blade for ripping the stuff up. Why areyou such a jerk. Not the first time either, with the pathetic personal messages you have sent me before.
 
Sean Ackerman said:
No personal experience here and I can't recall discussing this topic with any customers.  Anyone have a tip or two, preference of blades to use (have you tried the aluminum or solid surface blade in this application?), comments, etc?
Click to expand...

Forget about using Festool blades for this, get a DeWalt blade. They cut through nails without problem.
 
Panther blades are designed for "ripping" or cutting solid wood "along the grain"
Using said blade on sheet material of any kind (chipboard included) is a wrong application. 
 
William Herrold said:
Panther blades are designed for "ripping" or cutting solid wood "along the grain"
Using said blade on sheet material of any kind (chipboard included) is a wrong application. 
Click to expand...

What do you do? have 10 blades one for every possible application? most people use a couple of blades and don't have the time to swap blades for one or two cuts,,,

John...
 
taken from festool site

160x2,2x20 PW12

Description:
• For all types of wood, building panel, soft plastic
 
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