Pre-sale Circular Saw Questions

[Greg_R]

I have started a very large built-in project which uses ~20 sheets of 3/4" walnut ply.  I will need to break down these sheets into a lot of pieces (shelves, etc.).  I figure if the Festool 55 saw prevents me from screwing up 1 sheet then it will have paid for itself.  Here's my questions:

1) Does anyone use the guide rail clamps?  How confident would you be sawing 12" off the edge (making a finished cut) of a 8' long walnut sheet w/o clamps?
2) I'm thinking that the 55 is all I'll need... has anyone thought this and then wished that they got the larger 75 saw?  What made you change your mind?  As of now I'm only thinking about using this for sheet goods.
3) Are the only differences between the 2 saws the blade size and motor power?
4) I'm thinking about just getting another 55" rail and connecting them together (with the Festool extension kit) vs. buying a separate 8'+ rail.  Has anyone done this?  How has this affected the bow/flex of the guide rail (vs. using a single piece guide rail)?
5) Does Festool sell any clamps with a super-low profile?  I typically use a 1" thick solid foam sheet and saw on top of that (so the clamp would have to be an edge clamp with at most 1" of height).  I've seen these types of clamps on other sheet-sawing jigs.

Thanks in advance for any help that you can provide! 

 

[Lou Miller]

1) I use the clamps from time to time, but not really all that often. The guide rails stick to most materials very well. Most of the time when I'm using the clamps its because I"m doing repetitive narrow cuts. I clamp a board to the underside of the rail and it acts as a fence. That way I don't have to measure each piece and I'm guaranteed to have them all the same width. For sheet goods, I don't think I've ever used the clamps.

2) I have the 55. The only thing that would cause me to want the 75 is if I worked with 2-1/4" exterior doors. I don't, so the 55 has been all I ever need.

3) Depth of cut, power, weight, larger saw (takes up more room on the guide rail).

4) I have an assortment of rails and use them all. Most here will tell you to not get another 55" rail, but to get a 75" instead. I don't really buy into that though. I started out with 2- 55" rails and never had any concerns. As to joining rails, again, no problems at all here.

5) I don't use foam, so I can't help you on that one. Someone else will though...

 

[Dan Lyke]

I've less experience than some at this, but I'll take a shot at the questions I've got a clue on:

1) Does anyone use the guide rail clamps?  How confident would you be sawing 12" off the edge (making a finished cut) of a 8' long walnut sheet w/o clamps?

If I were working with materials that were $180/sheet (what a quick search gives me, may be less than actual), I think I'd clamp. With some practice I'm pretty confident in my ability to not knock the rail, but clamping would slow me down and make me double-check things, and it'd save me from that time when someone interrupted me, or my attention was elsewhere, or...

4) I'm thinking about just getting another 55" rail and connecting them together (with the Festool extension kit) vs. buying a separate 8'+ rail.  Has anyone done this?  How has this affected the bow/flex of the guide rail (vs. using a single piece guide rail)?

The joiners are pretty hefty solid pieces, so the rails are actually less likely to flex at the joint. And I haven't put a super accurate straight-edge on my joined rails, but they seem about as straight as I can measure over 8 feet when they're solidly joined.

5) Does Festool sell any clamps with a super-low profile?  I typically use a 1" thick solid foam sheet and saw on top of that (so the clamp would have to be an edge clamp with at most 1" of height).  I've seen these types of clamps on other sheet-sawing jigs.

I'm not aware of any that would work with 1" of clearance. Given that the clamps mate with the rail on the bottom (the top of the rail is totally clean), I'm not sure how you'd make a thickness-adjustable clamp that worked that way.

You might want to build a lattice and do this on the lattice on sawhorses at waist height rather than on the ground.

Gotta leave the 55 vs 75 queries to others, seems I've read some stuff claiming better dust collection from the 75, but I'm pretty darned happy with my 55.

 

[bruegf]

I've got the 55 and so far haven't found a reason to wish I bought the 75.  I use clamps when I need to make a dimensionally accurate cut (as opposed to a cut that just needs to be straight) just to make sure, but the guide rail does not slip easily.

I like the quick clamps for the ease of use, but none of the clamps I'm aware of will edge clamp.

Personally I'd get a long rail if I was routinely cutting 8' panels.  Two shorter rails are easy enough to join together, but you need to align them with a straight edge if you want a perfectly accurate straight cut, as there is a tiny bit of play in the rail joiners. 

I'd also look at getting a 1080 MFT for doing all the cross cuts.  I much prefer it to my table saw.  Plus the table is invaluable for clamping during sanding and assembly.

Fred

 

[Corwin]

Hey, looks like you've been given some great advice!  In regard to purchasing another Guide Rail, the 118", 75" or another 55" will all work -- I have these sizes and find the 118" perfect for 8' cuts.  Connecting two (or more) rails works perfectly fine if you take the appropriate care.  The one advantage of purchasing the 75" over the 55" is that the longer rail works better on 4' cuts, and also offers the ability to cut down 5'x5' sheet goods.

If you elect to clamp the rail, you might want to set up a cutting table.  Simple works.  Look at some examples here, or simply place some 2x's across two saw horses and cover with a scrap sheet of ply and then foam.  You can omit the scrap ply if you want, but it does make for a good way when you do use the clamps.

Another item you might like for this task would be a pair of stops that come with the hole drilling kit.  These stops can be purchased separately and, when attached to the guide rail, allow one to easily make repetitive 'parallel' cuts.

Corwin

 

[Dan Clark]

I use foam to cut sheet goods.  I don't cut that much, so I just throw a couple of foam sheets on the floor, flop down the sheet goods, lay down my connected guide rails, set my TS55 on the rail, and cut.  No problem; great cuts!  That said...

If I were you and was cutting expensive 20 sheets of walnut ply, I would RUN (not walk) and get a long (118" or 130") guide rail.  You've got large sheets of expensive wood.  The long rail is worth it.

Also, setting up a simple cutting table would be well worth it too.  It makes cutting lots of sheets a bit easier, which reduces the effort, and reduces errors. 

Regarding clamps, you should buy some Festool clamps anyway.  They are not super expensive.  With a cutting table, it should be easier to clamp the rail to the sheet.

Good luck,

Dan.

 

[Overtime]

That is a very large project.

I also have the 55 and got it for sheet goods. No want at all for more power or depth of cut. Great saw. The saw's great results are based on the use in conjunction with the rail.  While the rails have darn good rubber strips along the bottom that grip well, there are times when it can slip, creep or move. All instances would be an operator error.  :'(  Too much dust on the sheet (slippery), Too much lateral pressure during cut pushing more on the rail sideways rather than directly down and along the cut line, and the bump. And then there's the ..   Oooo  did the rail just move? while you are cutting.
 I have the FS/2  3000/2 rail. It's 118" long, giving a nice overhang on both ends of the sheet for rip cuts. If the sheet is flat and stable and the surface is clear of dust then going without the clamps is no problem.  But I still use the clamps. It is a fast and easy way to insure accuracy.

 If I were about to rip up 20 sheets of furniture grade walnut ply I would be using them  - period.  The rail clamp heads mount to the underside of the rail in a dedicated slot. Each clamp is slid into the slot at each end of the rail. They do not need to be removed after each cut. They just need to be loosened up a bit then slid back some. Then they just hang there till the rail is repositioned. So think about setting up a temporary cutting station as mentioned.

And if you had even the slightest thoughts on the MFT. This is THE project for IT as well.

Happy Cutting !  
 
   
 

 

[semenza]

Hi,

      The TS55 will easily do what you want and more. 

        The guide rails do stick well , but if I can clamp with pricey stuff I do. As others have suggested a cutting table is a great way to go.

        You can reliably join two rails for the long cuts. But having the 118" rail will save you a bunch of time. If you use two joined rails you will either have to make all long or short cuts first, thus handling the material twice. Or keep joining and seperating the rails to switch between cut lengths. Unless you have three short rails, but then you might as well get one long and one short. Yes, you can make short cuts with the long rail  but all that extra sticking out can be a real pain to work around.  The 55" rail is long enough for a 48" cut, just. I like using the 75" for crosscutting plywood because it is easier with a little extra at each end. The 106" will do 8' cuts but the 118" gives a little extra there also.

      I do not own the FS Rapid Clamp (#489790) but I am pretty sure that it will give you the low profile clamp that you desire. It can be attached to the bottom of guide rails. The pistol grip clamping trigger rotates to the horizontal position for low profile use.

Seth

 

[Eli]

I don't use the clamps much, I do have connectors and two (3?) rails, but would use a project like yours to justify buying the 8' rail. Doesn't mean you can't do it with two rails, you could easily. I chose the 55 over 75 for the same reasons I think you will. Like Seth said, the rapid clamp would be good to use with an 8'+ rail (you would want the rail longer for saw runout, as Overtime and others said). I think the rapid clamp is a little over 20mm thick. It is rapid to use. It does swivel sideways.

 

[Joe Jensen]

I've only had the TS75 since last fall, but I use the clamps every time.  They are very easy to use, and relatively cheap.  BTW, I chose the TS75 as it was more powerful, but it seems that I am very unlikely to use it for more than breaking down sheet goods.  I'd probably trade for a newish TS55...joe

 

[Frans]

I'd go for the longer rail. I sometimes join my 55" and 31" rails, but the saw doesn't slide smoothly across the joint. This is probably because the 31" rail is quite old (from the Festo age), perhaps two newer rails would not have this problem.

As for clamping, I have both the FS Rapid clamps and the 'normal' clamps but never use them. The rail doesn't slide unless you do really weird things.

Frans

 

[Tinker]

With my first introduction to the slippery slope, I ordered the ATF 75.  I then studied the catalogue a little more thoroughly and realised the 55 was probably quite adequate for my use.  Since i still owned an old Milwaukee that could be used for 2x's, I changed my order and got the 55 instead.  My main point of apprehension was the weight of the 75.  It did not seem that it would be a very enjoyable piece of machinery to be lifting and moving all day.  With somewhere around 40 years of masonry and a dozen years of farm life behind me, i did not feel the need for more heavy lifting.  And, guess what, I have not found the need to pull the old Milwaukee out of its tin box more than a couple of times since.  The ATF 55 has done everything i have asked of it.

As for the clamps, for expensive wood, I would certainly use the clamps.  I use them most of the time, especially when ripping dimensioned lumber of any length.  I have all 3 sizes of Festool clamps and they get used nearly every time i am in the shop.  I use for sawing, routing and assembly.  My longest guide is a 55" (two of them) and several shorter of both old and new style.  I find there is no problem in joining two or three together.
Tinker

 

[CharlesWilson]

I have the TS75, mainly because of its greater depth of cut. The only difficulty I have had with it is when doing 45 degree cuts. It is heavy, and you have to apply downward force tomake sure that it stays flat on the rail. I checked out the TS55 at a local dealer, and found that at 45 degrees it is very well balanced, and has no tendency to tip.

I would recommend the TS55 for your application.

Charles

 

[Greg_R]

Thanks for the tips everyone.  It looks like Festool is throwing in the Panther blade as an incentive up through 11/30/07 (so now seems like a good time to buy).

 

[Hoover]

If I remember correctly, I think some have said that the panther blade wears the rubber  on the guides more than the normal blade.  Someone will chime in to confirm.

 

[mr_hockey]

Greg,

I too am building some book cases/cabinets and had to cut 16 12"x96" pieces of plywood.

I build a very simple jig to automate the cutting & it worked great.

Here is a link http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1491.0

Also, I first tried connecting 2 rails together, but I found they would go out of alignment way too easy so I got the 110" rail and it was smooth sailing.

 

[woodshopdemos]

Thanks for the tips everyone.  It looks like Festool is throwing in the Panther blade as an incentive up through 11/30/07 (so now seems like a good time to buy).

The Panther is a nice blade but NOT for your pane work. What you want is t he Fine Tooth Saw Blade 491 952. I find that I have this blade on most of the time, but I do panel cutting ,mostly. The Panther is great for ripping non-panel wood.

Here is the Festool sub-menu on my site. If  you haven't visited, you might find any number of stories of interest.  http://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm

Beth starting panel cut...

 

[Corwin]

Hey John, you might need to fix the above link to your great site. 

 

[woodshopdemos]

Hey John, you might need to fix the above link to your great site. 

Fixed and thanks for heads up.

 

[Greg_R]

To clarify: the saw still comes with the cabinet makers blade (which I'll use on the plywood) but Festool is also throwing in a Panther blade as a promo (which I'll use for ripping on later projects).

I made the big purchase yesterday and will be giving the equipment it's first spin tonight.