Festool aluminum blade or solid surface blade

[kelauben]

I have some Corian to cut. I have both the solid surface blade 496 308 and the aluminum cutting blade 439 686. The choice is obvious but the Corian blade is no where near as sharp as the freshly sharpened aluminum blade.

Which should I use, given the turn around time of getting the Corian blade sharpened?

Other than tooth count, what’s the difference between the two?

Thanks,
Karl

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I don't know the Festool blades specifically, by item number, mine are mostly Lietz.
In general though, there is little difference between them. The are both going to be a TCG type tooth. The aluminum probably zero-rake and the solid surface should have a negative rake, usually -5 degrees.
Using the opposite one, in a pinch, is not necessarily detrimental. It's not ideal, but these are both the best substitute for each other.

 

[Vtshopdog]

Can you make a test cut with each blade and then decide?

 

[tjbnwi]

Solid surface blade. Unless you need it right away Quinn Saw’s turn around time is 5 days.

Tom

 

[mino]

I don't know the Festool blades specifically, by item number, mine are mostly Lietz.
In general though, there is little difference between them. The are both going to be a TCG type tooth. The aluminum probably zero-rake and the solid surface should have a negative rake, usually -5 degrees.
Using the opposite one, in a pinch, is not necessarily detrimental. It's not ideal, but these are both the best substitute for each other.

The other way round, the alu blades are -5˚ negative rake as aluminum is effectively "uncuttable" so is just chipped away by the blade. Solid surface ones are +4˚ positive rake so actually cut the material, if very gradually.

 

[Cheese]

The other way round, the alu blades are -5˚ negative rake as aluminum is effectively "uncuttable" so is just chipped away by the blade. Solid surface ones are +4˚ positive rake so actually cut the material, if very gradually.

Well that's the way it is with the older thick kerf blades but things have been significantly changed with the introduction of the new thin kerf blades.

With the thick kerf blades, both blades used the same tooth form but the grind angles were different and the tooth count was different.

With the thin kerf blades, both blades use a different tooth form but the grind angles are the same and the tooth count is the same.

Maybe try a test cut in some scrap and check the results.

Thick kerf...
[attachimg=1]

Thin kerf...
[attachimg=2]

 

[mino]

Well that's the way it is with the older thick kerf blades but things have been significantly changed with the introduction of the new thin kerf blades.

With the thick kerf blades, both blades used the same tooth form but the grind angles were different and the tooth count was different.

With the thin kerf blades, both blades use a different tooth form but the grind angles are the same and the tooth count is the same.

Maybe try a test cut in some scrap and check the results.

OP was referring the 2.2 blades, hence my comment. Myself prefer the stability of the 2.2/1.6 blades, so no plans on getting the newer 1.8 saws ...

That said, the 2.2 ALU blades are the more universal ones and are definitely suitable for Corian and stuff as well.
For the 1.8 blades, the Corian blades makes more sense as "one blade to rule them" since the new ALU geometry is not suitable for Corian but the negative rake of the Corian blade makes it now suitable for Aluminum.

I actually use non-Festool blades though all the major brands I know use negative rake for Aluminum because of its sticking properties where "chipping" is preferable to cutting.

I have seen slight negative, zero or slight positive for the solid surface blades but never a positive rake for an aluminum blade. Happy to be proven wrong.

Found it pretty hard to get photos of the new 1.8 blades, so here they go for posterity:

 

[mino]

Thinking about, anyone up for making a sticky with all Festool blades references, including historical, starting with the ATF era stuff?

Cannot find any such anywhere and could be immensely useful.

 

[Cheese]

Thinking about, anyone up for making a sticky with all Festool blades references, including historical, starting with the ATF era stuff?

Cannot find any such anywhere and could be immensely useful.

I'd 2nd that proposal as Festool has also renumbered their TS blades from time to time but yet the specs don't seem to change...just the part number. Kapex blades are kind of a constant.

 

[Jim Metzger]

Regardless of which blade you use and how good you think your dust collection is wear a good mask. Cutting Corian is like an exploding can of talcum powder.