New TS55 burning maple/overheating?

[lasttoleave]

I have a new TS55 that leave a great edge on MDF and Ply so far, but I was squaing the ends of som 1" thick maple boards and it seems to struggle more than I was expecting.

It's the stock blade and brand new. But I found after cutting some MDF and Ply that the sides of the teeth have some brown material on them that flaked off when scratched with a fingernail, is this normal? I have little experience with circular saw blades so I'm not sure if this is to be expected?

After cutting a few of these maple boards It was obvious the blade was getting too hot as it left nasty burn marks on both sides of the cut so I stopped to see what's what!

It doesn't seem to be binding, but I did think the saw was a little slower than expected when cutting through some 18mm Ply, does that sound about right from the stock blade?

Thanks

 

[G3Trim]

The stock 48 tooth blade is a bit fine for cross cutting hardwoods, its best suited for cutting sheet goods. I would suggest using the 28 tooth for nice clean cut or if your just trying to rough cut you could use the 14 tooth.  Also Welcome to the FOG, this is a great place for help or sparking a new idea.

 

[tjbnwi]

Clean the blade. Life will be good.

You should have an extra 48 tooth blade, a 28 tooth blade and the Panther rip blade. There will come a time when the supplied blade needs to be sharpened or the job dictates a coarser blade.

Tom

 

[Tinker]

I have a TS 55 with the stock blade (x2) and coarser (or is it stock plus finer?) (x2). I do switch back and forth but sometimes, if i think I am going to run into trouble, or actually start to burn a cut, usually with Maple, i will just make a shallow cut and then lower the blade setting to a little deeper cut.  In that way, i don't have to take the time to change blade.  With Maple, if i am working with anything over 1", I automatically use the two or three cut method.  It is easier on the saw and the wood. 

BTW: When using the 2 or 3 cut method, if the blade is out of square to the wood, you will notice a shingling effect in the cut. The unevenness is a notice that the blade is not square.  Take time to true it.
Tinker

 

[lasttoleave]

Thanks guys! I will be sure to look into the different blades and end up with a small collection I dare say.

I just tried cutting in two to three passes and with a guide clamp securing the rail it came out really well! I'll still get a 28T blade ordered though to save the 48T for sheet goods.

Clean the blade. Life will be good.

Do you need to routinely clean the teeth of the blade from this flakey brown build up?

Any tips on cleaning it quickly without the risk of dulling the teeth?

 

[roblg3]

[welcome]
"Pitch", as the build up is called, is common on any saw blade that cuts wood.  It is completely normal and yes a clean blade makes nicer cuts and it adds to the life of a saw blade.  Theres a nice product called PG2000 sold by woodcraft(maybe others too) that i use on all sorts of tool surfaces.  It slows pitch accumulation, is a lubricant, prevents rust and static attraction.  I've even sprayed it on wood and had no discoloration from the application.  Mild soapy water is usually all that's necessary to clean a saw blade.  If it's necessary to agitate to remove the pitch i just use nylon bristle brushes to scrub with.  MDF and plywood have lots of glue in them and tend to cause build up quickly.  Everytime I'm about to make a cut that "matters" I check to make sure my saw is fit to the rail with no slop, the proper blade is installed and that it's clean.  Developing good work habits saves from getting stuck having a deadline and needing to make a rush special order sheet of bamboo-lacewood-purpleheart...etc you get the point.  ALWAYS keep your mind on what that tool in your hand is doing and NEVER let your mind wander when using power tools especially.  Those words hardly ever need to be used but they apply in that advice that was given to me many years ago. 

 

[lasttoleave]

[welcome]
"Pitch", as the build up is called, is common on any saw blade that cuts wood.  It is completely normal and yes a clean blade makes nicer cuts and it adds to the life of a saw blade.  Theres a nice product called PG2000 sold by woodcraft(maybe others too) that i use on all sorts of tool surfaces.  It slows pitch accumulation, is a lubricant, prevents rust and static attraction.  I've even sprayed it on wood and had no discoloration from the application.  Mild soapy water is usually all that's necessary to clean a saw blade.  If it's necessary to agitate to remove the pitch i just use nylon bristle brushes to scrub with.  MDF and plywood have lots of glue in them and tend to cause build up quickly.  Everytime I'm about to make a cut that "matters" I check to make sure my saw is fit to the rail with no slop, the proper blade is installed and that it's clean.  Developing good work habits saves from getting stuck having a deadline and needing to make a rush special order sheet of bamboo-lacewood-purpleheart...etc you get the point.  ALWAYS keep your mind on what that tool in your hand is doing and NEVER let your mind wander when using power tools especially.  Those words hardly ever need to be used but they apply in that advice that was given to me many years ago.

Thank you. Sounds like I'm on the right path, just good to confirm that what I'm noticing is "the norm"

It's a brilliant tool, I have no room for a table saw so I think I picked a good tool to compromise for the time being.

Thanks again!

 

[mike_aa]

lasttoleave,
For cleaning saw blades, I've heard good things about this product.  You could probably do better on the price, but I'm in the states so I don't know where the deals are on your side of the pond.

Oh, and Welcome to the FOG!!

Good Luck, Mike A.

 

[semenza]

Thank you. Sounds like I'm on the right path, just good to confirm that what I'm noticing is "the norm"

It's a brilliant tool, I have no room for a table saw so I think I picked a good tool to compromise for the time being.

Thanks again!

      Hi, welcome to the forum!  [smile]

  Yes, build up on saw blade teeth from pitch and other residues from sheet goods is a normal result from cutting those materials.

    That build up on the sides of the teeth is rubbing against the material being cut out side the kerf the blade is creating. In a dense wood that burns easily it becomes very apparent.

Seth

 

[lasttoleave]

Brilliant, thanks for all the tips.

The only thing which I forgot to mention, which would be great if someone could confirm for me, is that when the saw is starting up and the blade starts rotating I can see the green and yellow rings printed on the blade do not spin in an accurate circular motion, they seem out of true. Obviously once the saw is up to ful speed this is imposible to measure/observe.

But this would indicate that the blade is not spinning perfectly true and that the spindle bore may not be centered perfectly in the blade. I would say it is more likely that the printed rings are not printed perfectly centered to the blade, but if someone could take a quick look at theirs and see if they observe the same or not that would be great!

 

[AlexThePalex]

lasttoleave, you can rest assured the blade is perfectly centered.

If it were not, you would not find out by looking at it, but you'd get a terrible vibration that would make working with the blade impossible.

 

[grbmds]

Simple Green works well for blade cleaning and is environmentally friendly. Just let it soak for 5 - 10 minutes (possibly a little longer if the build up is significant).

For what it's worth I've had good success cross-cutting oak with the stock 48-tooth blade but nothing 1" thick (up to 7/8" though) without burning. The burning tends to occur more on the off-cut side for me in these situations. Maple is harder though and 1" is substantial, especially if the board is wide also.