TS 55 not making straight bevel cuts

[rubber_ducky]

Hi all,  looking to help from the collective wisdom of the group to try to troubleshoot an issue I’m experiencing with my TS 55 when making bevel (45*) cuts.

What is happening is that the saw doesn’t cut to the splinter guard at the beginning and end of the cut. I get a curved cut where the curve is more pronounced at the end of the cut.

I’m the attached pics, I made a pencil lone using an inexpensive carpenters square, aligned the splinter guard on my track to the line and made the cut.

Despite the fact that my carpenters square isn’t top quality, the splinter guard of my track aligns well with the pencil line.

I then make the cut in the conventional way: saw overhanging the material, motor up to speed before plunging, fingers on the base to prevent tipping, etc.

As you can see in the photos below, the cut line drifts from my pencil line/splinter guard at both the front and back of the cut.

-I’m using the standard blade that comes with the TS 55
-I’m cutting my 18mm BB ply over ~21”
-I’m tightening the rear angle-adjust knob prior tightening the front knob
-I’ve tried this with two different tracks (both 55”)
-I don’t see the same behavior when making 90* cuts (the saw cuts to the splinter guard along the entire length of the cut).

Any idea as to what might be causing this?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mrboult]

I clamp the rail to the sheet, and put a full hand/pressure down on the exposed base plate area to keep the saw level.

I think this should help. I feel like I initially experienced the same issue 10yrs ago when I got the TS55. Doesn’t happen these days with the above method. .

 

[ChuckM]

Double check that there's no play between the saw and the track.

Clamping down the track as mrB suggested is what I always did when I operated the TS75 I used to own. It takes only a negligible amount of time to clamp. The track had never moved on me.

 

[Michael Kellough]

At the beginning and end of the cut you don't apply pressure to the saw the same way as when gliding through the middle.

Add stock to the both sides of the ply and use a longer rail so the saw is "settled" by the time you get to the good stuff and it continues past the end.

 

[ear3]

This is definitely the way forward.  Note that the way your cut deviates from the line at the front and back end tracks exactly with the natural balance of the saw entering and leaving the rail.  Whenever I make bevel cuts I now make sure the rail is supported by scrap at both ends. 

At the beginning and end of the cut you don't apply pressure to the saw the same way as when gliding through the middle.

Add stock to the both sides of the ply and use a longer rail so the saw is "settled" by the time you get to the good stuff and it continues past the end.