After the quick video from Peter, and the suggestions from various members about blade drift, I retried the test to cut 28mm Beech with out a rail to run along.
So I simply drew a line across the grain on the same board with a ball pen to have a nice clear line to follow.
I think I can say I cut a fairly good straight line now after some years of practice, so Im not really worried about my ability to do this.
I found a new Metabo blade 23 654 like the ones I used the first time and which burnt out. So I was happy as this would give me a fair go at a retrial.
I set up the blade guard on the 420 yes I think I have got an understanding of how to do it now. Fully tighten on the blade and then a third turn back to release it.
I set the line so the foot of the base was on the edge of the board. I decided to give both saws the maximum chance to cut so the Festool was set to Automatic.
The start of the cut was smooth and then about 5 cm in the blade wanted to wander.
So I corrected the saw to continue cutting straight and the back of the base was hanging over the board by about 1 cm.
I continued the cut to the end and checked for squareness. I was happy to see this time the cut was square at the beginning and only a little bit out in the middle and at the end.
So I then tried my old Metabo I just took the blade out of the Festool. Same set up, outside of the foot on the edge of the board. I set the speed to 6 - full power. The cut was slower BUT the base stayed straight to the edge of the board so I didn't need to correct for blade drift. It did a better job of staying in a straight line.
Checking the cut for square at the start dead Square at the end a little bit less off than the festool.
I found an unused Bosch T301CD "Clean Cut" blade and decided to try the test again with an alternative probably better blade.
Set up the Festool didn't need adjustment as same width.
This time the cut went much smoother and the saw stayed more in line with the edge, it did try to wander a minute amount, nothing compared to the other blade.
Testing for square the cut was much cleaner, spot on at the start and off by a nats t** by the end. So a real improvement.
The metabo also made an improved cut, It was easier to move the saw through the wood and the cut was really straight.
When checked for square it was spot on at the beginning , middle and the end. A super clean cut as the blade promised.
I think the Festool Carvex 420 still has an issue with cutting a straight line. This can be improved by using the "RIGHT" blade.
I would like to see clearer Info for the carvex blades made available on line ( at least thats the case on the german mother site). When you put in spare parts for Carvex 420 they are showing a limited specification page, it would be better if it was the same as the existing 2011-12 catalogue. Or better.
I really like the american Festool site cos the info is more detailed and clearer and in bigger print.
e.g. German site
S75/4 FS5 Beschreibung:
• Universalblatt für alle Holzarten und Holzwerkstoffe
• konisch geschliffene Blätter für sauberen, winkelgerechten Schnitt
USA site
Thicker than any other jigsaw blade, the Festool TRION is the standard by which other blades are measured. When combined with the Festool jigsaw, the S 75/4 FS TRION is capable of making perpendicular cuts in hard to cut materials up to 2 1/8 inches thick with speed and ease. The cross-set tooth design is ideally suited for making very fast cuts in softwoods, hardwoods, melamine, veneered plywood, and chipboard, among many others Festool jigsaw blades are engineered for cutting efficiency, long life, and superior cutting results, with a universal T-shank design that fits most professional jigsaws. Festool has the right blade for any application or type of material, ensuring precise and consistent results. In order to select the right jigsaw blade for your application, think first about the type of material you want to cut, since there are blades available for wood, plastics, non-ferrous metals, steel, and special materials like fiberglass, foam, and other materials. Next decide what kind of cut you need: fine, fast, scroll, clean. This will help to decide which blade is right for you. All Festool jigsaw blades are from high-quality materials for the best possible cutting results. Pack of 5 jigsaw blades.
Pip
