TS 55 Saw Marks

[Evergreen]

Hello All,

I'm sure this has been asked many times, but I'm not 100% sure what needs to be done.  My 55 shows saw marks on the cut edge of material.  Just slightly, but enough to concern.  Is this a "toe in, toe out" issue?  Also, occasionally while cutting, bits of the splinter strip get cut a bit .  I've used the saw enough that it shouldn't still be doing this.  It causes slight waviness in the strip, which causes a bit of concern when lining up to my pencil marks.  How do you guys compensate for the slight waviness in the splinter strip when lining up to your marks?  Thanks!

 

[Evergreen]

Thanks for the reply!  I notice these marks most often when I'm cutting down cvg fir screen doors to fit into existing openings.  I'm both ripping and crosscutting, and still see the saw marks mostly on the crosscut not the rip.  The doors are 5/4".  Would you guys change blades for the rip and cross?  Or use the universal for both?  I only own the blade that came with the saw and will purchase additional.  Does the universal cut clean on both rips and crosscuts?  Thanks!

 

[Warrior]

Evergreen,

You can try all the things on Rick's list but most likely you will still have some saw marks on the cut. Its a circular saw not a Unisaw.

Eiji

 

[Dan Lyke]

My 55 shows saw marks on the cut edge of material.  Just slightly, but enough to concern.

I treat that as my "dude, you've waited way too long between sharpenings" cue. After a few of those, at the first hint of saw mark I send the blade out for sharpening and switch to my other blade.

 

[Evergreen]

My 55 shows saw marks on the cut edge of material.  Just slightly, but enough to concern.

I treat that as my "dude, you've waited way too long between sharpenings" cue. After a few of those, at the first hint of saw mark I send the blade out for sharpening and switch to my other blade.

It's a brand new blade, so I doubt that's the cause.

 

[Dan Clermont]

Evergreen

Do you have another blade for the TS 55? Try it.

You want your saw to cut with the "toe in" . To test this make a cut with the blade depth set at maximum and stop half way through the cut. Take a business card and try to slide it between the blade and guide rail on the back of the blade. If you can't fit card between the guide and the blade you will need to adjust the saw.

I suspect you have either a loose blade, warped blade or you are pushing through the cut too quickly and the blade is deflecting ever so slightly

Dan Clermont

 

[Sam Murdoch]

    All the things to check have been mentioned but I thought I'd share this bit of "how do I do" with you. I decided a while back that it was more dependable to measure to the non cut side of the rail. If the measurement at both ends are exact your cut will be straight. All kinds of ways to set up for that measure. I learned from woodshopdemos.com to use a pair of aluminum rules cut short by precisely the width of the guide rail and then clamped to the work at the exact same reading. But I have come to prefer using just one aluminum rule NOT CUT and just add a pair of framing square stops as used in stair building, clamped squarely to the 2" rule. I don't mind walking the 8 feet to check my dimensions. As I always clamp my rail at both ends I find it to be just as easy to walk along the length of my sheet with one ruler. This has proven to be a very dependable way to get repeat parallel rips when milling out plywood  cabinet parts. Plan your rips (crosscuts too) so that all similarly sized parts are being sized with the rule on the one setting. On most short cuts with my 42" rail, or one off cuts, I just measure with a good steel tape measure.
      OH, and I never go off a plywood factory edge for these measured cuts. Do a rip first that you can depend on then work both sides of that rip for your straight plywood parts. Likewise when you are trying to get good square parts, work off the straight edge that you establish.
      Maybe on the same website I saw a suggestion to set a razor blade on your line at both ends then move your guide rail (the cutting edge in this case, of course) into position against the razor blades. Probably best on lumber where the grain might obscure the pencil mark. I have not tried that, although I do intend to fashion a couple of flat sided straight pins for the same purpose. I think that would work well for plywood and lumber. Sharp blades, tight gibs and clamped guide. Happy woodworking.

Sam