Cutting Melamine

M

MavDog

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Jun 21, 2010
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I have several sheets of melamine that will need about a dozen cuts each sheet.  What is the best blade to use for the TS55?  Will the melamine dull the blade quickly?
 
In Europe it's called Special Blade HW160x2,2x20 TF48 (496309).
And is meant for laminate floorboards and thicker HPL boards as well.
I use one of these type of blades for my CS 50 Precisio and it works quite well.

13110049630800000000_101328.jpg
 
.... and using a normal blade will indeed dull your blade VERY quickly. Special blade's the way to go.
 
adamdc said:
The 496309 blade you have linked to above doesn't mention melamine in the description. The 495377 may be better for melamine.
Click to expand...

Sorry, the 496309 is the correct blade to use for melamine. Of course you can use any blade, but the solid suface blade will last longer and cut with less chip out as it gets dull.
Tim
 
I am sure you are probably aware of this, but there are 2 broad classifications of products called melamine.  The "cold-fused" product sold in most big box stores is little more than paint and will have tear-out issues with the best of equipment.  "Thermally-fused" product sold at professional plywood distributors is VASTLY better.  Use the cold-fused product only for really cheap projects such as garage shelves.
 
Tim Raleigh said:
adamdc said:
The 496309 blade you have linked to above doesn't mention melamine in the description. The 495377 may be better for melamine.
Click to expand...

Sorry, the 496309 is the correct blade to use for melamine. Of course you can use any blade, but the solid suface blade will last longer and cut with less chip out as it gets dull.
Tim

I think the key words here are "less chip out". I don't think you can expect to get completely chip free surfaces without a scoring blade.

YMMV ;)

Gerry
Click to expand...
 
There's also the TF52 496306. Just to add more confusion. I have this and the TF48 they are essentially the same design of tooth. We always called this type of blade a triple chip as one tooth has a bevel off each side and there are alternate flat teeth like a conventional blade. The tf52 has 4 more teeth and the rake of the tooth is 4deg instead of 5 with the 48. Or vice versa I can't remember.

Anyhow I've used them both and had decent results. I have clamped the rail to the board before and set the depth to 3mm and did a score cut then went all the way through with a second pass. When the blades are brand new sharp I've found them to be perfect but after 30 ft or so they dull slightly, just enough to notice a slight deterioration in the quality of the cut on the side facing up. If your splinter guard on your guide rail is not 100% it would be worth replacing that too.

Alternatively you might find a company that cuts to size. Here in the uk there's a company I use that supply cut and edged mfc boards for about double the cost of the board on its own. That's pretty cost effective.
 
When I was evaluating several brands of pressure beam CNC saws, the consensus was that cheap melamine was an exceptionally difficult material to process at a profit. The demonstration of the Beam CNC saw I bought was done using cheap melamine. Like most beam saws, mine has a scoring unit which can be programed to lead the cut. I always use the scoring unit because doing so prolongs the useful time between sharpening of the main blade.

We have yet to be paid to produce anything from cheap melamine, but we do make some products from top-quality melamine. For this we switch the main blade to one with teeth very much like the recommended Festool blade.
 
This thread has not come at a better time. I recently have been searching for the proper blade for cutting melamine panels. I presently use a sharp 495377 festool blade, on my TS55, with an ATB tooth design which does a good job but I read here that the 496309 with a TC or trapezoildal flat tooth design is better. In doing some research, I see that the Tenyru blade that is recommended for melamine has a HATB ( High Alternate Tooth Design) which differs from the Festool blade 496309 which has a TC tooth design. Can anybody educate me on which one is better for melamine.
Thanks,
JC

 
Forgot to attach a document that I found on the Tenyru web site. It shows you the tooth designs for their blades.
 

Attachments

JCLP said:
This thread has not come at a better time. I recently have been searching for the proper blade for cutting melamine panels. I presently use a sharp 495377 festool blade, on my TS55, with an ATB tooth design which does a good job but I read here that the 496309 with a TC or trapezoildal flat tooth design is better. In doing some research, I see that the Tenyru blade that is recommended for melamine has a HATB ( High Alternate Tooth Design) which differs from the Festool blade 496309 which has a TC tooth design. Can anybody educate me on which one is better for melamine.
Thanks,
JC
Click to expand...

JC,

I think the 2 blades will give you 2 different kinds of better. The triple chip design is good for abrasive material and stands up well. I use a triple chip for cutting melamine on the panel saw but have a scoring blade to insure the bottom of the panel is chip free. The high angle AT blades will give you almost chip free results top and bottom but those small points wear fast and will require changing more often. So if you need very good results but don't mind changing the blade out more often go for the High angle AT if you are more interested in longevity of the blade but don't mind some chipping the triple chip would be the right blade.

My $.02 worth,
Gerry
 
JCLP said:
Can anybody educate me on which one is better for melamine.
Click to expand...

Hi JC:

I have used all (except the ripping blades) Festool blades, the Tenyru HATB and the Freud TC blades (LU96R006M20) to cut cabinet grade melamine.
When I first started to cut melamine I used the Tenyru HATB blade. It's a good blade but when it gets dull, there is a significant tear out and like the Freud blade it is 2.2 mm thick.
If I was going to use a Tenyru blade, I wouldn't use the HATB blade again, but rather I would try 48 tooth PSL-16048D2 TCG blade.
The Freud blade is as good as the Festool blade, takes a fair amount of abuse but as I have noted before it is a 2.2mm thick blade. The only real difference is that the Freud blade has a -5 degree hook and the Festool has a -4 degree hook. For some reason Freud doesn't sell this blade in Canada so I have imported it. If you order several, the delivery and duty makes it about the same price as the Festool blade.
If your saw and rail is set up for the new(er) 2mm thick festool blades the Tenyru Freud blades are both 2.2mm thick and will cut into your splinter guard unless you reset your saw. If you have had your saw a while the swiveling segment may be seated and it's difficult to move the saw over and have it hold in the best position to save your splinter gaurd. Yes I am talking about .1-.2 of a millimeter so it may not make that much of a difference to you.

While more expensive, (I think) than the Tenyru, the 496309 Festool blade is easy to get, makes as good a cut and lasts at least as long as the Tenyru HATB blade. The Festool like the Freud blade seems to cut extremely well initially then falls off a bit and then holds for at least as long as the Tenyru. It's sometime difficult to tell when you should change/sharpen the Festool blade, but if I cannot get at least one side without any chip-out, I know it's getting to the point where I need to sharpen the blade.
When the Tenyru gets dull you know it right away. The quality of the cut falls off precipitously.

I have found that I get the best cuts if I have even support and contact on the sheet, and cut with even pressure (two hands on the saw) with the guide rail cams adjusted so there is no lateral or side to side movement on the rail. If there is any area of the sheet that's not in contact with the support, I get more chip-out on the underside.

When I cut melamine now, I make two passes for each cut, a scoring pass  of about 2-5 mm and then a full pass. It usually makes the top cut cleaner, but if I am reaching and can't get even pressure on the saw the cut deteriorates.

If your toe in is too aggressive, you will get more chip out than usual. It is good to double check your toe in and I have found the factory setting is good, but my saw has been dropped (and broken) so I have had to adjust it.

Tim
 
Tim Raleigh said:
JCLP said:
Can anybody educate me on which one is better for melamine.
Click to expand...

Hi JC:

I have used all (except the ripping blades) Festool blades, the Tenyru HATB and the Freud TC blades (LU96R006M20) to cut cabinet grade melamine.
When I first started to cut melamine I used the Tenyru HATB blade. It's a good blade but when it gets dull, there is a significant tear out and like the Freud blade it is 2.2 mm thick.
If I was going to use a Tenyru blade, I wouldn't use the HATB blade again, but rather I would try 48 tooth PSL-16048D2 TCG blade.
The Freud blade is as good as the Festool blade, takes a fair amount of abuse but as I have noted before it is a 2.2mm thick blade. The only real difference is that the Freud blade has a -5 degree hook and the Festool has a -4 degree hook. For some reason Freud doesn't sell this blade in Canada so I have imported it. If you order several, the delivery and duty makes it about the same price as the Festool blade.
If your saw and rail is set up for the new(er) 2mm thick festool blades the Tenyru Freud blades are both 2.2mm thick and will cut into your splinter guard unless you reset your saw. If you have had your saw a while the swiveling segment may be seated and it's difficult to move the saw over and have it hold in the best position to save your splinter gaurd. Yes I am talking about .1-.2 of a millimeter so it may not make that much of a difference to you.

While more expensive, (I think) than the Tenyru, the 496309 Festool blade is easy to get, makes as good a cut and lasts at least as long as the Tenyru HATB blade. The Festool like the Freud blade seems to cut extremely well initially then falls off a bit and then holds for at least as long as the Tenyru. It's sometime difficult to tell when you should change/sharpen the Festool blade, but if I cannot get at least one side without any chip-out, I know it's getting to the point where I need to sharpen the blade.
When the Tenyru gets dull you know it right away. The quality of the cut falls off precipitously.

I have found that I get the best cuts if I have even support and contact on the sheet, and cut with even pressure (two hands on the saw) with the guide rail cams adjusted so there is no lateral or side to side movement on the rail. If there is any area of the sheet that's not in contact with the support, I get more chip-out on the underside.

When I cut melamine now, I make two passes for each cut, a scoring pass  of about 2-5 mm and then a full pass. It usually makes the top cut cleaner, but if I am reaching and can't get even pressure on the saw the cut deteriorates.

If your toe in is too aggressive, you will get more chip out than usual. It is good to double check your toe in and I have found the factory setting is good, but my saw has been dropped (and broken) so I have had to adjust it.

Tim
Click to expand...

Thanks Tim for sharing your knowledge and expertise with me and the rest of the members. I went out and got the Festool blade today and hope to try it out tomorrow. I'll let you know on the quality of the cut.
Cheers and thanks a bunch,

JC
 
This thread is very timely for me as well.  I've just started to repair some kitchen cabinets that have melamine cases.  Got the Festool blade (496309) and I'm using the scoring method that Tim mentioned and the cuts are excellent.  Thanks for the great advice!
[cool]
 
Just cutup my first sheet of Melamine with the Festool blade 496309 and it works perfectly. Thanks Tim for your advice.
Cheers.
 
What is the life span of the 496309 for cutting melamine?  I have a job coming up with a lot of melamine cutting.  Not sure if I will have to buy multiple blades being I will not have time to wait for sharpening.
 
Tyler Ernsberger said:
What is the life span of the 496309 for cutting melamine?  I have a job coming up with a lot of melamine cutting.  Not sure if I will have to buy multiple blades being I will not have time to wait for sharpening.
Click to expand...

I suspect that it will be hard to answer this.  Melamine is a generic term and the thickness of the hard outside coating will vary greatly.

Peter
 
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