NEW! Festool HK/HKC 55 Saws, DWC 18 Screw Gun & SysLite DUO - Preorder Now!

[Cheese]

Oh [member=4632]jimbo51[/member]...look at the bright side, it does have an imperial scale mounted on it so that should more than compensate for any other shortcomings.  [scratch chin]

 

[GhostFist]

In all honesty, how often are you doing 45 degree levels in framing? Particularly in a cross cut?

 

[tjbnwi]

In all honesty, how often are you doing 45 degree levels in framing? Particularly in a cross cut?

Often, valley and hip rafters are almost always +40º. Stringers with mitered risers.

Tom

 

[Mort]

That 162mm blade that Shane mentioned might be the answer. Might be a good idea for Festool to do some engineering tests and bring out some of their own.

 

[GhostFist]

Hip and valley rafters are rarely if ever 45 degrees. It's besides the point however as these cuts are rarely made for most general construction. There are competitors saws in various sizes and ability, some are capable of 60 degree bevels, if it's a must for you.

 

[tjbnwi]

Hip and valley rafters are rarely if ever 45 degrees. It's besides the point however as these cuts are rarely made for most general construction. There are competitors saws in various sizes and ability, some are capable of 60 degree bevels, if it's a must for you.

The plumb cut may not be 45º but the cheek (bevel) cut will be. Can't have it any other way.

The cheek cut is what this "framing/construction saw" cannot accomplish.

Roof framing is not part of general construction? Mitered stringer/risers are not part of general construction? What are they part of?

I own a worm drive capable of 53º.

Tom

 

[pettyconstruction]

I agree
Festool seems to have missed on a very important part of what this saw was designed for.
I was/ am thinking of getting one,but now I may re-think my choice of companies.
PS I did mess with this saw at the roadshow ,and liked the saw.
Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[tjbnwi]

I'll make my decision on this purchase at Connect. All of my responses of the saw not making the cut are based on comments in this thread. Specs say it should work, we'll see.

Tom

 

[awil66]

Hip and valley rafters are rarely if ever 45 degrees. It's besides the point however as these cuts are rarely made for most general construction. There are competitors saws in various sizes and ability, some are capable of 60 degree bevels, if it's a must for you.

Hips and valleys are always 45, unless it is a hexagon or some other shape. The pitch may vary but hip or valley rafters always need a 45. You will not pass a framing inspection otherwise.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I'll make my decision on this purchase at Connect. All of my responses of the saw not making the cut are based on comments in this thread. Specs say it should work, we'll see.

Tom

These comments are getting to the point of being much ado of nothing. I went down to the workshop and made a 45 degree cut in a 2x4 with the HKC55. It made the cut just fine, but left a small pointed sliver behind on the one side of the cut. The other side of the cut is completely through.

It's not exactly the type of saw I would expect someone to use for cutting hip rafters, when they historically slash a pencil line and cut it within +/- 1/8"

 

[tjbnwi]

I'll make my decision on this purchase at Connect. All of my responses of the saw not making the cut are based on comments in this thread. Specs say it should work, we'll see.

Tom

These comments are getting to the point of being much ado of nothing. I went down to the workshop and made a 45 degree cut in a 2x4 with the HKC55. It made the cut just fine, but left a small pointed sliver behind on the one side of the cut. The other side of the cut is completely through.

It's not exactly the type of saw I would expect someone to use for cutting hip rafters, when they historically slash a pencil line and cut it within +/- 1/8"

Maybe if you would have bothered to post earlier of your results some of the comments could have been avoid. According to Shane he had it on "good authority" the HC/HKC 55 would not cut through a 2x framing member at 45º. Seems that you must not be a "good authority".

Tyler also had plenty of time to comment and set the record straight.

I posted a video of Sedge cutting a bevel that I felt was somewhere around 45º. Shane again debunked that the saw could make the cut.

Why is it "much ado about nothing" if the saw does not cut cleanly and throughly through the framing member?

Why not, the easy of use and accuracy while preforming construction tasks is exactly what Festool is marketing this saw for. Never in my life cut to +/- 1/8" on any framing member. Would have fired any crew member who felt that was an acceptable tolerance.

As I stated in the post you quoted, a decision I'll make when I get to handle the saw and make some cuts. 

Tom

 

[awil66]

So its not for carpenters cutting a roof? Or carpenters framing interior walls in a lofted ceiling of a pitch 10/12 or greater? Or carpenters framing a deck where they need to cut a 45 in the joists? It would be ideal if it could only make that cut. This is a big oversight. Please just make a larger blade.

 

[jimbo51]

This may be a case of where the Festool specifications are a bit conservative. The Kapex should not be able to cut through a 4x4 because by spec it would be about 1 mm short. However, I have cut through a 4x4 with my Kapex.
Maybe the HK/HKC 55 has an extra mm or so which would make the 45 degree cut just possible like Rick said.

I may order the Mafell 162 mm blade just in case if Shane reports back that there is sufficient clearance all the way around.

 

[tjbnwi]

Again, the specs say it should work. Shows 1-5/8" @ 45º and 1-1/2" @ 50º, specs do not state on or off the rail.

Tom

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Maybe if you would have bothered to post earlier of your results some of the comments could have been avoid. According to Shane he had it on "good authority" the HC/HKC 55 would not cut through a 2x framing member at 45º. Seems that you must not be a "good authority".

Ummmm, cuz it's not my job.  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

Actually, Shane shot me an email right after my posting. I was having a late lunch, but I've wiped the grease from my fingers and went down to the shop to take a picture of the cut.

I didn't do anything fancy or special with the cut. As a matter of fact, I had never even used the saw yet. I simply made the cut to find out how bad all the hype really was, and had no intention of taking pictures. But at Shane's request, I did.

The picture below shows both the offcut side (top) and the workpiece side (bottom--flipped over). As you can see, the blade did go all the way through the material at about the centerline of the kerf. It is only the inward bevel side that is a little shy of going all the way through.

[attachimg=1]

 

[tjbnwi]

Maybe if you would have bothered to post earlier of your results some of the comments could have been avoid. According to Shane he had it on "good authority" the HC/HKC 55 would not cut through a 2x framing member at 45º. Seems that you must not be a "good authority".

Ummmm, cuz it's not my job.  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

Actually, Shane shot me an email right after my posting. I was having a late lunch, but I've wiped the grease from my fingers and went down to the shop to take a picture of the cut.

I didn't do anything fancy or special with the cut. As a matter of fact, I had never even used the saw yet. I simply made the cut to find out how bad all the hype really was, and had no intention of taking pictures. But at Shane's request, I did.

The picture below shows both the offcut side (top) and the workpiece side (bottom--flipped over). As you can see, the blade did go all the way through the material at about the centerline of the kerf. It is only the inward bevel side that is a little shy of going all the way through.

[attachimg=1]

Also not your's to try and disparage someone for posting. Especially when I was clear we need to use the saw, to get a definitive answer.

So the saw does not cut all the way through. Thanks for the clarification. Turns out to be much ado about something. That cut is not acceptable. The "sliver" appears to be 2 mm? It would never make it threw a treated framing member as wet and swollen most are.

I feel (my opinion) this is a major oversight with this saw with the way it was toted.

Thank you for taking the time to post the picture.

Tom

 

[awil66]

Is that on the rail?

 

[peter halle]

Hey guys, let's not get this personal.  Heck, Festool Connect is coming up at the end of the week and my guess is that Tom will see first hand if the saw will make the cut on the rail.  I know that I will.

Peter

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

With saw on the rail I was not able to cut a 45 degree bevel with the blade all the way down.  I thought I was doing something wrong.  Why would a construction saw not be able to cut a 45 degree bevel on 2x material.  Because of this I will not be purchasing this saw.  I was very excited about it until I tried it and it had this limitation. 

 

[tjbnwi]

Hey guys, let's not get this personal.  Heck, Festool Connect is coming up at the end of the week and my guess is that Tom will see first hand if the saw will make the cut on the rail.  I know that I will.

Peter

Never personal for me Peter, thanks for the reminder though.

Tom