Received TS55 back from service, cut always skewed / angled across the piece.

[Hollatime]

Sent in my TS55 to service, issue seems to be worse as at least before sending it in I was able to cut a straight line. I originally noticed the saw cutting a slight bevel, so a thick straight edge wouldn't rock/it appear straight,but during assembly or checking square with thinner combosquare blades eventually figured it out.

Still having issues with this tool. The cut seems to toe in, regardless of method of locating the rail I'm getting the same error. To ensure I am describing the issue properly, the cut is wider at the start of the cut than the end of the cut. The saw/cut line is going towards 11 on a clock I suppose.

I took the side cover off and noticed the blade isn't at 90. I'm not sure if this is by design or there is a mechanical issue causing it to wobble/shift out after being reset. This was a concern I had originally since I have spent god knows how much time and effort trying to calibrate this thing, but always seemed to be off. I have checked it with a wixy and a quality machinist square, ensuring it's not touching a tooth etc.

I tried locating the rail with a TSO rail square, with TSO dogs and rail clips, with rail dogs. I tried both my FS1900 and FS1400 rails.  The rail is clamped, the work piece is against dogs and clamped. I could probably win gold in the track saw Olympics as far as my form goes. Stay directly behind the saw, don't alter pressure, blade is at speed and fully plunged before entering the work piece and continued throughout the entirety of the cut.

Pretty demoralized, figured I'd give it this evening to try to resolve it before once again sending it back into service. Also is there a way to send rails back in as well? I didn't see the option listed with initiating my repair again.

Thanks

 

[peter halle]

I don't know how extreme your toe in is, but it is normal to have some toe in.  The trainers used to recommend that the back of the blade should be adjusted outwards by about the thickness of a thick business card.  I don't know if that recommendation has changed.

Peter

 

[Svar]

[member=72532]Hollatime[/member] You can adjust (or get rid of) toe in yourself. No need to send it in. Follow the supplemental Manual, page 22:https://service.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Festool-TS55REQ-Supplemental-Manual.pdf
I think toe in is not necessary and only causes trouble. I setup blade strictly parallel.

 

[Hollatime]

[member=15585]Svar[/member] [member=1674]Peter Halle[/member]

Thanks for the info. I remember the toe in with the buisness card from Parf's video, but this seems to be more severe/I described it poorly. Added a very technical diagram to help illustrate.

A straight edge taps against the cut edge, which I imagine exceeds/not the intended benefit of toeing in the blade for cutting preformance.

Little Wixy gauge had the blade reading around 89.6, using a machinist square the gap is at the bottom of the square. I would imagine they set the blade properly at service, but unsure if there's a mechanical issues causing the blade to lose it's alignment (as I set the blade myself properly I feel) or some other issues I've overlooked.

I'm not sure how much testing they do, was thinking if it's a mechanical issues maybe they just plopped it in their little setup block, calibrated it and sent it back my way.

I also noticed the outrigger splinter guard (Green consumable) was sitting on the splinterguard and not the workpiece. This seemed off, but thought maybe I was always wrong/way it was supposed to be since assume it was sent back properly set.

I installed a fresh splinter strip on my FS1900 rail and trimmed it, brand new green outrigger one when I first got the saw back. Looking through the supplemental manual, green outrigger splinterguard touches the workpiece...so yea seems that's an area to investigate. 

Thanks again

 

[Hollatime]

Did two test cuts again just now.

I checked the rail alignment procedure from page 22 in the supplemental manual, and it was pretty much dead on for the rail. Front tooth flush with the work piece, slight scrape on a .006 feeler gauge in the back. TSO rail square, everything clamped etc. Same result, cut is skewed, straight edge taps on the last bit of the cut.

Though maybe the end of the cut didnt have enough support for the rail, slid everything back and clamped an additional spacer under the rail, same result .

I really don't know what could be causing this issue. Only thing that seems off to me potentially is the rail itself does not naturally lay flat, but all of my rails do this and assume it is either the design or the fact I have clamps/rail squares on one side of the rail in the T-slot. Slight pressure flattens it to the work piece, but remember when reading about Mafell's system a perk was that the rails were much thinner/flatter.

 

[semenza]

I don't think Hollatime is talking about the actual toe in setting of the saw on the saw base. What I am gathering is that the cut from one end to the other is skewed, basically angled.  [member=72532]Hollatime[/member] am I right about this?

How much is it off over a given distance?

Seth

 

[Hollatime]

I don't think Hollatime is talking about the actual toe in setting of the saw on the saw base. What I am gathering is that the cut from one end to the other is skewed, basically angled.  [member=72532]Hollatime[/member] am I right about this?

How much is it off over a given distance?

Seth

Correct, I will check now. I exaggerated in the mspaint for visual clarity, but again a straight edge taps on it so it's not splitting hairs.

 

[semenza]

I don't think Hollatime is talking about the actual toe in setting of the saw on the saw base. What I am gathering is that the cut from one end to the other is skewed, basically angled.  [member=72532]Hollatime[/member] am I right about this?

How much is it off over a given distance?

Seth

Correct, I will check now. I exaggerated in the mspaint for visual clarity, but again a straight edge taps on it so it's not splitting hairs.

Also is the skew itself straight / even? Or does it curve , or start to angle part way across the cut, or  just the last bit?

Seth

 

[Hollatime]

I don't think Hollatime is talking about the actual toe in setting of the saw on the saw base. What I am gathering is that the cut from one end to the other is skewed, basically angled.  [member=72532]Hollatime[/member] am I right about this?

How much is it off over a given distance?

Seth

Correct, I will check now. I exaggerated in the mspaint for visual clarity, but again a straight edge taps on it so it's not splitting hairs.

Also is the skew itself straight / even? Or does it curve , or start to angle part way across the cut, or  just the last bit?

Seth

I believe it gradual worsens through the cut. I'm a noob for sure, so tried to ensure I wasn't sliding the feeler gauge in via force. Substrate is 18mm MDF, 23.1875 inches/589mm length of cut. Using a half inch steel straight edge from Lee Valley that is pretty damn straight.

About 1/4 into the cut I can get a .003 feeler gauge in .008 about 60-70% through the cut, end of cut seems around .011 to .012.

 

[Hollatime]

@srsmenza @svar @peter Halle

Have done a pretty extensive amount of test cuts the day few days. I had pretty high confidence in Festool service, and in general usually assume operator error. It gets a bit taxing though. I’ve had this thing roughly a year, every accessory, every post or YouTube video and here I am trying to cut a straight line lol. We haven’t even gotten to a square cut yet! Just non stop test cuts and alignment over and over.

I believe I’ve isolated the error to some extent, but obviously consistency is an issue at large with my struggles. I believe the start of the cut, first inch or so is getting cut about 4-5 thou more than the remainder of the cut.

I honestly have zero clue what could have been going on with my initial assessment. The outrigger guard wouldn’t even clear the splinter strip, all my cuts seemed horrific. Gave it another go as just seemed impossible service made such a gross error, and it sucks to lose the saw for another 2-3 weeks with turnaround time. I think a section of my FS1900 rail is screwed, so perhaps I was using that section of the rail.

Check the align to rail procedure, pretty dead on though I can get .008-.009 in the back. Did the bevel unlock, lock back, hands off saw snug front lock.

Doing the 4 cut method ended up with a .002 error ratio, which yea seems pretty great but dunno, just straight edge tapping seems wrong, and nightmares of nothing ever being square or ever being able to assemble anything.

Workpiece and rail are secured, thought maybe the rail dogs were bulging the track or twisting it and tried dogs and rail clips. Track is entirely supported and aside from the little tilt in the splinter strip seems fine. I even put a backing board style piece of mdf before my cut and started the cut there.

Tom’s lost about relaxing through the cut echoes in my mind, do the fingers on sole plate/rail.

Just no clue really, and blows my mind how people just plop parallel guides, don’t even clamp shit and just boom dead square.

I’m going to try my ridge carbide blade and see if maybe it’s just my current blade.
A little scared to try to do any adjustments, always think of the part in the kapex manual about “you may calibrate your saw worse than it already is” haha.

Really don’t think it’s the rails, slide them around a bit, very low chance exact same error etc, and prior to sending it to service it cut straight, just could never get the bevel dialed in. Tempted to send everything to festool and beg, or maybe just buy new kit/Mafell and assume I’ve done irreparable damage to something in the current set/sedge cursed my saw.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hollatime]

Seems my blade from Ridge Carbide no longer fits. I imagine Festool would give the standard unable to support 3rd party accessories etc, just another one of those things that make me curious about the setup.

Festool 48t blade was noticeably more difficult to get in than before as well, maybe side plate just screwed down too tight idk.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Svar]

What do you mean blade no longer fits or difficult to get in? Hole does not fit over arbor?
Forget the recommended toe-in, it's nothing but trouble. Adjust the blade strictly parallel to the rail and try that.

 

[Hollatime]

What do you mean blade no longer fits or difficult to get in? Hole does not fit over arbor?

The teeth on the blade won’t clear the arbor. So when you go to slide the blade up into the housing, the teeth jam against the arbor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hollatime]

Quick video. If you go under the riving knife it gets further up into the housing, over the knife seems way too tight.

Might take the side plate off and try to mount it directly/see clearances later on.
https://imgur.com/EYx6Y6H

These are the times I just feel like a stone idiot. how 2 insert blade???

 

[Hollatime]

Feel like I'm constantly in bizzaro world. Maybe buy less accurate instruments idk.

Did a test now with 2 panels (24x40"). One edge ripped with TS55, other one ripped using a known straight edge panel as a guide on table saw. Ripped both the other edges on table saw, both appear to be the same size.

Hoping my main issue in all other failures was the slight bevel, thus my dominos were going in at wacky angles/why assembly always was screwed up. We'll see by end of tonight I suppose.

 

[semenza]

What do you mean blade no longer fits or difficult to get in? Hole does not fit over arbor?
Forget the recommended toe-in, it's nothing but trouble. Adjust the blade strictly parallel to the rail and try that.

This is not about the toe in setting ..................  see up thread.

Seth

 

[Hollatime]

Two additional photos from cuts.

I went ahead and ripped the remaining 4 panels with the TS55 and then cut the other edge on my table saw and all seem to be pretty dead on. Went back with guiderail square and TS55. Same error at start of cut. The second cut isn’t square from the opposite edge. Going to test my 18 and 24” blades but seemed to have issues with them in the 12” anvils from Starrett and PEC, so maybe they need to be in the larger anvils idk.

Maybe since I’m using stock guides/table saw its compensating for the error there? I really wouldn’t care if randomly it chipped in the middle but just seems this plays into my issue with nothing ever ending up square.
https://imgur.com/a/GvmuFuJ

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DerickC]

[member=72532]Hollatime[/member] please message me your contact and tool info so we can have someone from the service team reach out.

Sent in my TS55 to service, issue seems to be worse as at least before sending it in I was able to cut a straight line. I originally noticed the saw cutting a slight bevel, so a thick straight edge wouldn't rock/it appear straight,but during assembly or checking square with thinner combosquare blades eventually figured it out.

Still having issues with this tool. The cut seems to toe in, regardless of method of locating the rail I'm getting the same error. To ensure I am describing the issue properly, the cut is wider at the start of the cut than the end of the cut. The saw/cut line is going towards 11 on a clock I suppose.

I took the side cover off and noticed the blade isn't at 90. I'm not sure if this is by design or there is a mechanical issue causing it to wobble/shift out after being reset. This was a concern I had originally since I have spent god knows how much time and effort trying to calibrate this thing, but always seemed to be off. I have checked it with a wixy and a quality machinist square, ensuring it's not touching a tooth etc.

I tried locating the rail with a TSO rail square, with TSO dogs and rail clips, with rail dogs. I tried both my FS1900 and FS1400 rails.  The rail is clamped, the work piece is against dogs and clamped. I could probably win gold in the track saw Olympics as far as my form goes. Stay directly behind the saw, don't alter pressure, blade is at speed and fully plunged before entering the work piece and continued throughout the entirety of the cut.

Pretty demoralized, figured I'd give it this evening to try to resolve it before once again sending it back into service. Also is there a way to send rails back in as well? I didn't see the option listed with initiating my repair again.

Thanks

 

[xedos]

I'd just send it back to Lebanon and let them sort it. 

Ask them to verify the setting with a cut before returning it.