HK85 for cuts up to 60 degrees - what are the alternate solutions for cabinetry?

[mino]

I don’t know what exactly the project is, but I have hk85 and don’t find it accurate enough for 45 degree bevel cuts along the grain in season solid oak. I have tried it with brand new blades (18t,24t and 48t) and the blades deflect. It is good enough for carpentry, but not for joinery in my opinion.

What types of blades did you use ?

The Festool-sold blades are indeed carpentry blades and do deflect. But that is a saw blade issue, not a saw limitation. The HK 85 can handle pretty much any blade ... not just the Festool ones. If it can handle the groove units ...

For fine work with the HK 85, I would check stuff like below or equivalent from other makers. Just stay away from thin carpentry blades.https://www.leitz.org/de/produktfinder/produkt-details/980773https://www.leitz.org/de/produktfinder/produkt-details/982354

I just got a Protool CSP 145E which, from factory, used 380 mm 24T 3.2/1.8 mm blades optimized for carpentry. These were sure very fast to cut but /I would expect them to/ deflect a lot.

The previous owner put a 108T 3.5/2.6 mm Leitz formatting saw blade that is way stiffer and does not deflect at all. The resulting cut the saw makes is better than my TSC with a new blade. And that at 130mm depth ...

 

[petar73]

HK85 is a very good saw and I don’t regret buying it, but the blades deflect more ripping a 45 degree angle on 20mm oak than ts55 with 2.2mm blade.
I have used festool blades only with hk85 so far (18t ripping blade, 24t and 48t), but I have been thinking about getting stiffer blades so thank you for the links.

 

[kifi]

Perhaps I should stay away from the HK85 then.

Some responses here seem odd, and are even condescending in my opinion. But maybe that is just me. Seems like people are always trying too hard to prove themselves.

 

[tjbnwi]

I had to create a ridge "cover" for a 6/12 pitch roof. The rips needed to be ~54º from the horizontial plane.

This was easily accomplished with the TS-55 some clamps and a couple of MFT's.

The material needs to be held vertically, this can be done with just about any vertical surface. I was in the field so MFT's it was. I wanted to preserve the width of the board so the rail is set back from the edge the blade thickness.

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The TS-55 set on the rail, bevel set to desired angle.

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The sacrificial piece between the MFT and keep piece shows a slight kerf. The ripped piece drops into the space due to gap left by the blade.

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Waste piece.

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Rips completed.

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"Cover" installed.

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Words of caution;

Check the blade depth, you can pad out the piece to be cut if you want to cut all the way through (as shown above) or set the blade to "leave a little".

Make sure the vertical pieces are on plane with the bench top. I clamped the rail hanging over the edge and butted the pieces to the anti-splinter strip. Reset the rail to the proper cut postion once you're done clamping the vertical pieces in place.

This set up does end grain and compound cuts equally as easily.

If I have thicker material top cut, I use the TS-75.

Tom

 

[kifi]

Thanks Tom, that's the solution I will go with. Appreciate the response.

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks Tom, that's the solution I will go with. Appreciate the response.

Do a couple pratice setups and cuts, make sure you're within your comfort level.

You're welcome.

Tom