TS 55 Problem

[tryan]

I am having trouble cutting 1 1/4 inch soft maple without burning the wood. I am using the blade that came with the saw. Is the problem the blade (and if so what blade should I get) or isn't the saw really capable of cutting this size maple?
Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve Jones]

The saw is certainly capable, but your blade may not be ideal.

If you are crosscutting the maple (across the grain) the standard blade should handle it ok unless it's due for sharpening.

If you need to rip cut (cuttting with the grain) you need a different blade, Tenryu makes a great blade for the purpose (Festool also makes rip blade but I've not been impressed with it).

Steve

 

[nickao]

This is exactly why I went to a TS75. The TS 55 even with a dedicated rip blade burns some lumber. I believe because it bogs down and does not spin the blade fast enough causing heat between the wood and blade. The TS 55 will thick Hard Maple  with no burning, but as suggested you need a rip blade and anything else that would help an underpowered saw.

With the TS 75 I have used the stock blade since I purchased last year and I sail through 2" hard Maple and much harder woods with  no burning. No need for a ripping blade.

To me its simple, the 55 is for plywood and the 75 for hardwoods. The 55 has some cross over potential for the thick hardwoods but there will be need for a little more effort and time spent to get good results. I do have some woods that just can not be cut with the 55 period, 2 1/2" Ipe and a few others. The cuts just would not come out good enough or I would stop trying before I got through an 8 foot rip.

 

[tbellemare]

Have you tried the Universal Blade or slowing the speed setting on the saw?

The feed/speed rate can have an effect on burning. The MMC electronics are designed to maintain constant saw blade speed no matter what the load is. The TS 75 comes standard with the Universal Blade.

Tom

 

[Bob Marino]

 
All good advice here. My first thought, as Tom mentioned, would be to increase cutting speed and adjust feed rate. If not ok, then try the Universal blade.

Bob

 

[nickao]

Well actually the MMC increases power to TRY to keep the same rate.

In my use you could actually see the blade going slower, especially if the hardwood started pinching. The saw would actually turn off in its effort to maintain the same speed, but before that shut down you could see a noticable reduction of speed of the blade. If you get through the piece before the saw shuts down you are fine, albeit with a burned edge.

The TS 55 just does not have enough power to fight some hard woods.

In my opinion if you must buy a universal blade for the TS 55 why not just get the TS 75 in the first place. The universal should be included with the TS 55 if  you need it to cut hardwood. The added expense of purchasing a universal blade with the TS 55 is putting you awfully close to the same price as a TS 75. That is part of the price increase of the TS 75 right there. So to me saving money is not a reason the get the TS55, I guess the weight may be an issue. I personally see weight having no effect on me when using a track saw. I guess I am so used to an old Skill 77 weighing a ton that even the TS 75 feels light to me, plus I use it on the track.

Tom I totally do not suggest anyone use a Festool TS saw upside down, ever.

In my opinion unless these saws are on a track they are not safe. Does Festool even suggest or condone using this saw without the track let alone upside down?

Sometimes you can not increase the cutting speed. I am sure most people always cut as fast as they feel the saw can. I know at a certain point in many situations the TS 55 stalls and/or shuts down, pops a circuit breaker etc or just kicks back before you can move it fast enough to avoid burning.

 

[tbellemare]

I agree with you, Nick. I wouldn't use it upside down without the track. I screwed the guide rail to the soffit with flat head screws and ran the saw down the guide rail.

I previously tried it with a traditional circular saw and so much crap came out (all over me) that it prompted me to get the TS 55 and CT out. It was amazing how clean the process was and how much safer... Not to mention, how perfectly clean and straight the cut was.

'Talk about a time and money saver. I was able to install soffit venting without taking down the soffit.

Tom

 

[JayStPeter]

The Universal blade will do the job.  The blade that comes with the 55 isn't ideal for material much over 3/4", although it's been OK for some 1" BB ply.  I use the Universal blade for all solid wood.  The Universal is good for 5/4 and 6/4 with no burning.  The 55 has power to rip hard Maple to it's maximum depth with the Universal blade, but there will be a little burning.  I haven't tried any of the other ripping blades, but my guess is they would be even better for max depth cuts.  When I've had to deal with 10/4 and 12/4, I use the saw down one side at max depth, then flip and saw from the other side to max depth.  I get burning in that case, but it goes off the jointer afterward anyway.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

Tom I totally do not suggest anyone use a Festool TS saw upside down, ever.

In my opinion unless these saws are on a track they are not safe. Does Festool even suggest or condone using this saw without the track let alone upside down?

I'm not sure of the context of this, as you aren't quoting anyone, and I can't find who said that the saw could be run upside down, but not only do Festool suggest and condone it, they positively encourage it and sell the bits! (Although not in the USA)

When the TS55 and TS75 are mounted in the CMS, they are hung upside down from a TS saw module, and the CMS can then be used as a table saw. A few Australian and European FOG members use the TS55 and TS75 like this, and the photo below shows the CMS-TS 55 EBQ-Plus-Set GB, and you can just see the TS55 mounted below the table:

In the same way, the routers can be hung upside down in the CMS so that it can be a router table, and the jigsaw has its own module which can be mounted upside down with the blade sticking upwards through the table surface.

Forrest

 

[nickao]

Tom I totally do not suggest anyone use a Festool TS saw upside down, ever.

In my opinion unless these saws are on a track they are not safe. Does Festool even suggest or condone using this saw without the track let alone upside down?

I'm not sure of the context of this, as you aren't quoting anyone, and I can't find who said that the saw could be run upside down, but not only do Festool suggest and condone it, they positively encourage it and sell the bits! (Although not in the USA)

When the TS55 and TS75 are mounted in the CMS, they are hung upside down from a TS saw module, and the CMS can then be used as a table saw. A few Australian and European FOG members use the TS55 and TS75 like this, and the photo below shows the CMS-TS 55 EBQ-Plus-Set GB, and you can just see the TS55 mounted below the table:

In the same way, the routers can be hung upside down in the CMS so that it can be a router table, and the jigsaw has its own module which can be mounted upside down with the blade sticking upwards through the table surface.

Forrest

Wait a minute that is not free hand and not what we were talking about at all. We were talking about cutting a soffit upside down and I though Tom was doing it free hand. But he has stated he attached a guide so I guess that is doable.

I get it Tom with the track I do not see a problem, possibly some extra set up time using a rail upside down.

 

[tryan]

Thanks to everyone. Problem is solved. I got the correct blade and it cuts the maple like butter.

 

[Tinker]

I have just replied to burning problem in the discussion about the 188" guide bar problem.

you seem to have solved your problem, but the responce I just forwarde to that discussion might help forfuture solutions.
Tinker

 

[Dave Ronyak]

My purchase of a TS 55 about 3 years ago was motivated due to need to install three new interior doors in existing frames.  The door frames were red oak, 1 3/8" thick.  I had no problem trimming them to exact size using the standard 48T blade, and experienced very little evidence of burning.  Yes, the feed rate was rather slow, and you have to listen to your saw to determine what is the maximum feed rate without overloading and bogging down the saw.    Recently I ripped a lot of 1" thick red oak and 3/4" oak plywood when making my Entertainment Center with the same blade.  Before that, I ripped a lot of 5/4 mahogany to make trim and moldings.  And recently, some quantities of 4/4 and 5/4 poplar which is pretty soft and perhaps similar in cutting properties to the soft maple.  The key for me was to reset the toe-in/heel out setting of my TS 55 which was incorrectly reversely set from Festool.  But for other projects, e.g. making shop cabinets from cheap 3/4 birch ply from HD and Lowe's, I use the 28T General Purpose blade.  And I recently purchased a pair of Tenyru rip blades since they have the same kerf width as the Festool 48T and 28T blades.  I have never popped a breaker, with the TS 55 plugged into the CT 22 or Fein Turbo II vacuum, but almost all circuits in my house are rated 20 A.

Dave R.