Metal cutting blade for TS 55?

[fritter63]

Are there any aftermarket blades for the TS 55 for cutting metal?

Festool doesn't seem to offer one, is there a reason? Didn't see anything conclusive in several other threads.

I just need to cut some metal barn siding and want it as straight as possible (and that ain't happening with my angle grinder!).

Thanks.

 

[tbellemare]

There's an Aluminum Blade for the TS 55. I assume your siding is steel?

That's a reason to have the TS 75 because there's a Steel Blade for the TS 75.

Tom

 

[fritter63]

There's an Aluminum Blade for the TS 55. I assume your siding is steel?

That's a reason to have the TS 75 because there's a Steel Blade for the TS 75.

Tom

Yes, should have clarified it as a steel cutting blade.

Why none for the TS 55?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Why none for the TS 55?

Probably because of the lack of a slip clutch on the TS 55, which would make it a less safe operation than on the TS 75 which has one.

 

[fritter63]

Interesting.

Maybe I'll just run my Bosch jigsaw against the back side of the track and hope for the best.

 

[Alan m]

clamp a wooden or steel straight edge to teh metal and lightly score the steel with the angle grinder disk. go gently over and back and eventually you will cut through. iv done this loads of times even with curves. works great with a mini grinder

 

[fritter63]

clamp a wooden or steel straight edge to teh metal and lightly score the steel with the angle grinder disk. go gently over and back and eventually you will cut through. iv done this loads of times even with curves. works great with a mini grinder

cutting it's not the issue, I was doing it all week with the grinder. Don't even have to go back and forth.

But I want a nice straight edge to I can use it for flashing and then run a caulk line at the joint where it meets the vertical siding of the same profile.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The Evolution metal cutting portable circular saws have a 20 mm arbor and there are a variety of blade choices. Unfortunately the smallest blade they make is 7" so you'd have to use it on a bigger saw but even the old ATF 65 has a 30 mm arbor.

Some (if not all) Panasonic cordless saws have a 20 mm arbor and they make blades for cutting thin steel. The blades are small in diameter, around 5", but that's still more than enough for cutting flat stuff or small angle etc.

I used one of the Panasonic blades on my ATF 55 to rip a strip of 1/8 x 2" mild steel and learned that even metal can have internal tension and the riving knife if helpful for steel too. The strip closed up on the blade as the cut progressed making an awful racket even worse. Once I clamped the cut ends down the cut improved greatly.

Here is one.

At 5-3/8" it might not cut through corrugated siding so at less than $100 you want to just buy one of these.

Don't forget the full face mask, gloves, and hearing protection. You can make an old school guide rail with plywood.

 

[greenMonster]

I feel like I've read people using the metal blade and scoring the material by running it backwards on the track a few times...

don't quote me on that...or do it due to my questionable memory

 

[paul_david_thomas]

I just sat down at the computer, I've got fuzzy eyes and could not figure out why someone would want a meat cutting blade. Are their some really fancy Abattoir's around - a Doh moment I think. Does Lady GaGa have a green fetish who knows - AND I've not been drinking !

 

[rxe]

Meat blades certainly exist:

http://www.atkinson-walker-saws.co.uk/food_processing_saw_blades.html

Back OT

Do you have access to a plasma cutter?  Clamp a bit of angle iron in the right place and run the torch down it.  Clean cut, dead straight. 

 

[fritter63]

I just sat down at the computer, I've got fuzzy eyes and could not figure out why someone would want a meat cutting blade. Are their some really fancy Abattoir's around - a Doh moment I think. Does Lady GaGa have a green fetish who knows - AND I've not been drinking !

I won't bore you with the geeky details of how I lost 2 hours last week debugging a piece of software where I mis-spelled "metadata" as "meatdata"....

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I just sat down at the computer, I've got fuzzy eyes and could not figure out why someone would want a meat cutting blade. Are their some really fancy Abattoir's around - a Doh moment I think. Does Lady GaGa have a green fetish who knows - AND I've not been drinking !

I won't bore you with the geeky details of how I lost 2 hours last week debugging a piece of software where I mis-spelled "metadata" as "meatdata"....

I guess even the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker need websites.  [big grin]

 

[mjozefow]

Using the TS55 to cut corrugated barn siding would be like using using a Ferrari to drive in mud.

For a straight line in corrugated metal, get yourself a nice 7 1/4" saw, make sure the shoe is parallel and put a Freud Steel Demon on it. Clamp a piece of 2" square extruded aluminum/steel stock onto the sheet and cut away. If you are diligent  with your technique you won't deviate more than 1/64th, maybe better.

Cutting Some Steel