Festool TS55 Bevel Stop

[grbmds]

It should be easier and less touchy than that, but it isn't.

I think we're on the same page--I can let the saw rest against the stop, tighten the back, then the front and I'm square, it's just if you touch the saw while tightening it can deflect.  I almost which there were set screws in the base itself that allowed a rock solid return to zero--I really don't personally care about -1 degree.  But then I'm a noob and I don't know what I don't know.

Well, the set screw method was used on the previous model but, for some reason, this new setup was thought of as an improvement. I have not found anyone at Festool to give me a reason why this was changed. The setscrew method seems very straightforward and easy for the tool owner.

 

[Laminator]

Because of the painstaking process of getting a perfect 90 degree cut on my saws, if I needed to cut a bevel, I think I would buy another saw just for that or simply turn the job down.  Thankfully I never seem to need cut anything with a bevel.

 

[peter halle]

Because of the painstaking process of getting a perfect 90 degree cut on my saws, if I needed to cut a bevel, I think I would buy another saw just for that or simply turn the job down.  Thankfully I never seem to need cut anything with a bevel.

Do you really find it that hard to set the saw for accurate bevels and perpendicular?  I am NOT making fun of you, just asking a question.

Peter

 

[Laminator]

The maybe 3 or 4  times that I can remember, holding the saw at 45 deg. and plunging and pushing was a really uncomfortable experience.  Then, when set back to 90, I learned the hard way that it wasn't quite that simple.  It required a trial and many errors effort to get a true 90 deg. cut.  This was the same with the atf55 and the ts55.  When I say 90 degrees, I don't mean 89.6 or 89.9.  I need 90 degrees absolute, like you get with a pressure beam saw or cnc nesting router.    Thankfully, in my line of work, the need for cutting bevels is rarely needed, but a true 90 is very important.

 

[peter halle]

That you for that.  I might suggest that you look at the parallel guide (not parallel guides).  You can use that in many ways including like a canoe outrigger if you are beveling on a rail.  Really pretty cool and eliminates any wobbles.

 

[sheperd80]

Sorry to drag up this old thread but im confused by this. On my TS55 REQ the only thing stopping the saw at 0° is a small set screw on the spring loaded -1° lever. When tiliting the saw, that screw touches the base, stopping you at 0°. The -1° lever (and the set screw on it) swings out of the way to allow you to go beyond 0°. My saw was cutting out of square when i got it, i turned that screw a few times and now it cuts square as long as i set the knobs carefully.

If youre moving the bevel adjustment bracket as described earlier in this thread, are you eliminating the -1° bevel option? Not that i find that option particularly useful. But it would seem that the bracket is not intended to stop you at 0° because it has to allow you to swing past that to -1°.

If anyone could clarify this for me id apprecite it, thanks.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Frank-Jan]

The setscrew on the lever is the front bevel stop, the first version of the TS55R did not have this lever.

The rear bevel stop (of which the adjustment is described earlier in this thread), should stop the saw at 0°, unless the green round button is pulled outwards to override the stop to bevel to -1°

 

[sheperd80]

I see. I guess i thought the green knob at rear was just to allow the saw to tilt in the other direction, beyond 45. So if i make this adjustment im not relying on that little set screw for squareness? Thanks for clarifying, that makes much more sense.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Kwolsen]

Realize this thread is pretty old. TS55Req with similar issue. Trying to cut piece of 1-1/4” thick MDF glue up, trim one edge that is 8” long. Won’t cut 90degree.  I’ve tried Tom’s suggestion moving adjustment both up and down to no avail. I have the 1800 rail on an MFT3 and the rail is supported with two scrap pieces of MDF that is the same thickness as the piece I’m trying to cut.  Im not clamping the rail, nor do I think it would help. I’m tightening the rear bevel adjustment first, then the front as others have reported.  (They have to be loosened to get to the Torx). I’ve stood to the left and right of the rail during the cut, doesn’t make a difference, still won’t cut thru the 1-1/4 at perfect 90.  Right after I adjust the rear points by partially loosening the two Torx screws, I check with a framing square with blade at 37mm depth and looks spot on 90, though my framing square is not ultra expensive/high quality. Had the TS for 1.5 years so guess I’ll call Festool. Pretty frustrating. Any suggestions?

 

[grbmds]

After talking with Festool Service and getting some responses on the FOG (back when I first noticed the saw was slightly off 90 degrees), I did some experimentation.  I found that when setting the bevel scales in back, then front, the saw is very sensitive to any stress being placed on the saw's frame while tightening the adjustments. Therefore, even after setting the stops to exactly 90, I found that I could accidentally force the saw out of alignment when setting the front and rear bevel scales. I thought Festool had redesigned the saw with a different method of setting stops since I bough mine, but maybe not. I have not had any problems since I reset the stops and then watched how held the saw when tightening the bevel scales adjustments when going back to 90 from another angle.

 

[Welshdog]

I would be curious to know if the current TS55 REQ still has these bevel issues.  Right now I have my old ATF55e and while I do love this saw, it is definitely a pain to get set up either square or 45.  Which is mostly because the scale is very crude and lacks precision.  I pretty much only set it up using a 90 or 45 square - which is super hard to do since the blade cannot be locked in place while extended.

Anyway, I'm considering upgrading to the TS and just want to know it will give me a better and easier experience.  Also wondering if the TS is due for a product improvement update any time soon.

 

[Gregor]

A good trick is to lay the TS on the right hand side of the case (the one with the hole to access the blade screw through) when changing the angle: the base weights near nothing so it's easy to adjust without putting stress on the hinge - while the case with the motor attached is heavy, center of gravity is outside the base plate when set to != 90° so it'll pull from the alignment you try to reach.

 

[peter halle]

I would be curious to know if the current TS55 REQ still has these bevel issues.  Right now I have my old ATF55e and while I do love this saw, it is definitely a pain to get set up either square or 45.  Which is mostly because the scale is very crude and lacks precision.  I pretty much only set it up using a 90 or 45 square - which is super hard to do since the blade cannot be locked in place while extended.

Anyway, I'm considering upgrading to the TS and just want to know it will give me a better and easier experience.  Also wondering if the TS is due for a product improvement update any time soon.

Festool is very close lipped about their marketing and new products in the pipeline.  If you are needing the TS75 then don't wait.

Peter

 

[ear3]

[member=9753]Welshdog[/member]  Festool did an update around two years ago where they added a positive stop to the front of the saw, which has taken care of the 90/0 degree problem (provided you are able to confirm that the saw cuts 90 out of the box, or do the adjustment yourself, which is now quite simple to do).  It was actually kind of funny how it all went down -- there was a lot of flack on the FOG about the issue, and I remember myself talking to Festool service raising the problem, which they steadfastly denied was even an issue.  But sure enough, one day they announced that henceforth all TS55 models would now be sold with a positive zero stop.

The 45 degree cut can still be a challenge, as it doesn't lock in the front at 45, since they need to allow for the 47 setting.  When I need to have 45 degree cuts on the money (not 45.2 or 44.8), I make sure to do test cuts before hand in scrap to confirm that I have the angle correct, and adjust accordingly.

I would be curious to know if the current TS55 REQ still has these bevel issues.  Right now I have my old ATF55e and while I do love this saw, it is definitely a pain to get set up either square or 45.  Which is mostly because the scale is very crude and lacks precision.  I pretty much only set it up using a 90 or 45 square - which is super hard to do since the blade cannot be locked in place while extended.

Anyway, I'm considering upgrading to the TS and just want to know it will give me a better and easier experience.  Also wondering if the TS is due for a product improvement update any time soon.

 

[Welshdog]

Thanks for all the good info everyone.

 

[android]

So, I'm glad I found this thread because my saw was twisting because I was tightening the front first and and my scale and pointer were off and I wasn't cutting 90 degrees.

I put the track on flat melamine board and took the blade cover off the side of the saw. Then I plopped the saw on the track and used a 3" machinist's square to check square and it was off a bit. I loosed the front and back and adjusted the back stop per Tom's instruction and photos. Once I got that reset to 90 degrees, I tightened up the back end, then I put the front indicator on zero and tightened the front knob too. After that I adjusted the front -1 stop screw until it just kissed the base.

I checked it, ran it back and forth a few times, checked it again and was satisfied it square. I put the side cover back on and that's it.

 

[Seysaw carpentry]

A very old thread but helped with my REBQ that was not cutting 90. Adjusted the crude stamped metal plate thing and got it pretty close to perfect 90. Annoyed that the 45 stop is now actually 46 or 47. No way of adjusting that. If I manually set the pointer to 45 mark its pretty good.
I have a 36v makita track saw also with bluetooth and its adjustable in every way but I love the quality feel of my old TS55.

Shame its so "agricultural" rather than precision in this area.

Does the newer FEBQ solve this issue too?