Questions on CMS OF/TS/PS

[Jesus Aleman]

I am considering buying a few of the CMS modules on an upcoming trip to the UK.  However, I would appreciate feedback from users on the following issues:
1) I would expect that the TS would need recalibration every time it is mounted on the CMS plate.  I probably will leave the TS mounted on the plate most of the time.  Should I expect to have to recalibrate the saw every time I mount the plate to the CMS base?
2) Is the accuracy of the CMS TS (once tuned) up to par to a contractor saw (or I'm better off getting a separate table saw)?
Can you cross cut with CMS/TS easily without the sliding table?  I can see that you can with the Precisio, but it is not clear if you can use the angle stop for this in the CMS TS and maintain accuracy.
3) How well (or bad) does the OF1400 perform in the CMS?
4) Do you know if the CARVEX can be mounted on the CMS PS plate.  The CARVEX brochure has a picture of the jig saw mounted on the CMS, but the website doesn't list only the PS200 and 300 for the CMS PS?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mattfc]

It have the TS55, OF1400 and PS300 modules, all great.
Re points 1. I have never had to calibrate my TS 55 when I put it in the plate, all accurate enough from the word go, even when changing it in an out.
Re point 2, well the TS55 has been good enough for me not to need a table saw!
The OF1400 has been great, never needed more power even with some large diameter bits. I also fitted a Wixey digital readout which works great

Re the Carvex, I think you need to get this adapter (about $15USD)

see page 11 of this guide http://www.festool.co.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Catalog/Kat_2005/portal_multimedia_download/gb/p2010_carvex_gb.pdf

 

[nachtwacht]

I am in the same process as you are, doing my investigation as to what I want to buy (but I will hook everything up to an MFT) so here are my answers, not from experience, but from talking to dealers and actualy visiting the Festool headquarters.

2) Is the accuracy of the CMS TS (once tuned) up to par to a contractor saw (or I'm better off getting a separate table saw)?

I have been told it's not. It started with a big Festool dealer that told me that the TS75 (I want the TS75 but I can only imagine it will be the same for the TS55) will very likely give some problems when sawing at degrees. When you do 90 degrees, there will not be a (big) problem, but he told me that if I planned to do 45 degree cuts, I would very likely get problems because it will just not be 45 degrees every time... it can easily be half a degree off... When feeling the blade of the saw, if you try to "move" it, I did feel some "wiggle" room wich you do not feel with the precisio. So I was very suprised with that and contacted the Festool headquarters. First guy told me, on the phone, that he had not realy heard about it and thought that I would very likely be fine with the TS75. Since he could not realy give me a an "OK" I however desided to visit the headquarters to have some demo's. The guy doing the demo's indeed confirmed that the saws (TS75 and Precisio) are just not the same and small "errors" could indeed occure with the TS75. (he unfortunatly did not have a TS75 there so we could not actualy make cuts to see how it would realy be) Since I do want my saw to be 200% accurate at 45degrees I desided to go for the Precisio 70.

Can you cross cut with CMS/TS easily without the sliding table?  I can see that you can with the Precisio, but it is not clear if you can use the angle stop for this in the CMS TS and maintain accuracy.

The precisio is also a pull saw and therefore you can just mount the angle stop on the rail and pull the saw through the workpiece. This is not possible with the CMS. Its static and you will have to push the workpiece through the saw. Therefore you will need a sliding table.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Its static and you will have to push the workpiece through the saw. Therefore you will need a sliding table.

You don't necessarily need a sliding table for cross cuts. The top of the CMS isn't made out of sandpaper, it's smooth enough for the workpiece to glide over it with ease. The CMS is very small though. The extra space you get from the sliding table is very welcome in supporting longer pieces. And "longer" starts with a foot and up already, so that's not much. I wouldn't want to have a CMS without the sliding table.

 

[Rob-GB]

Jesus, I have the CMS unit and both the router plate and the saw plate.
Make sure you get the latest router plate that will accomodate the OF1010, OF1400 and the OF2200 I was told they used to be different units for each router!
I use mine with the OF2200 for all sorts of jobs, the sliding table makes the router table even more versatile and is worth having for that reason alone, IMHO.

I have the TS55 table (I wanted the TS75 in a table, but at the time I needed a table saw set up funds would not stretch) set up time is mere minutes now and does not need re-calibrating each time I use it. When laying the blade over to cut angles I always set up to a sliding bevel set from a protractor, partly from habit of working in many not so well maintained worshops and partly because it is hard to see the angle scale on the saw when in the CMS.
The sliding table has been useful at least once so far with the saw setup, roughing out the rebates on some stormproof sashes, most of my cross cutting is done on the Kapex. I think the pics in my thread on making doors and windows may be of interest.

Rob.

 

[mattfc]

I have been told it's not. It started with a big Festool dealer that told me that the TS75 (I want the TS75 but I can only imagine it will be the same for the TS55) will very likely give some problems when sawing at degrees. When you do 90 degrees, there will not be a (big) problem, but he told me that if I planned to do 45 degree cuts, I would very likely get problems because it will just not be 45 degrees every time

Fair enough, you can't acheive the same angle setting accuracy that you might have with a traditional table saw buy using the built in indicators, however all I do is use a digital angle finder box, place it on the table, then on the blade and adjust using the angle finder to get it spot on. I make sure the blade depth is set to the max (e.g. as much of the blade showing as possible) so that I can get the angle box on the side of the blade and not half on tooth, half on side of the blade.

I use this same method for the KPEX too, that said the angle setting with the twist control makes it easier.

I also have the sliding table, whilst you could cross cut without it make life much easier with larger items.

 

[Nigel]

      My response is this.

    1.You don't need to re-calibrate saw and module at all.The saw is as accurate as a ts saw clamped to a large thick section of rail which is what it is.Keep the module mounts clean and there's no problem.
    2.It's as accurate as any contractor type saw I've ever used.
    3.The of1400 does very well in the cms and is easy to take out [in seconds]I used to have 2 spare routers for freehand but now I just take out the of1400 cos I like it so much.
    4.Don't know  [big grin]

In addition I think the sliding table is a neccessity for cross cuts and is excellent imho.Personally I wouldn't advise crosscutting on any tablesaw without some form of guide.
One other thing is the table is a bit small so an extension comes in handy.As mentioned above it's the portabilty/versatility/accuracy that males the cms a winner.That's my  [2cents] ,hope it helps.

 

[Coen]

You can use the CMS table saw for a lot of things without the sliding table. But it adds a whole world of possibilities. But you might also want to look into the CS50 (check if the table is flat before you buy!!!).

The table of the CMS and CS50 (identical size) is quite small. The MFT 3 / VL also accepts CMS modules, but is longer. But it needs to be mounted to a MFT...

3) That would depend on what types of bits you use with what type of material. The OF 2200 exists for a reason..