TS55 blade
- Thread starter MichaelG
- Start date
Bob Marino
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- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,263
The "Standard" blade for the TS 55 is a 48 tooth "Fine saw blade"
And is the one you'd want to use for crosscutting that ply.
Bob
And is the one you'd want to use for crosscutting that ply.
Bob
Hi Michael,
Welcome to the FOG! [smile]
That blade is designed for the task [thumbs up]
Seth
Welcome to the FOG! [smile]
That blade is designed for the task [thumbs up]
Seth
MichaelG said:
Yes, you are. Which sander? Did you also get a vac?
Seth
ccarrolladams
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- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
- Messages
- 1,451
MichaelG said:
First of all a great big [welcome] to The FOG, Michael G!!!
As shipped from Festool USA to dealers, the TS55 is equipped with their Fine Tooth Saw Blade cat 495 377.
To be technical, unlike solid lumber, the grain structure of nearly all plywood is the same in both directions. In the 66 years I have been working with a wide variety of plywood sheet goods I have never had a reason to use one type of blade to cut with the veneer and a different style to cut across the apparent grain of the veneer.
Maple veneer plywood is the basic material of custom cabinets. Although in my shop we do use a CNC pressure beam saw for the majority of plywood cutting to finished size, we do us guide rails and TS55 when plywood parts need miters other than right angles and/or a bevel is required. CNC Beam Saws are very accurate and rapid, but they only create right angles all the way around.
Cutting plywood up to 37mm thick with TS55, I almost always use the cat 495 377 Fine Tooth Blade. There are some types of wood-like sheet materials for which the Festool Aluminum/Plastic Saw Blade cat 469 307 makes more top quality cuts between sharpenings than does the cat 495 377. All those are the TS55 blades.
I have personally given fair trials to many non-Festool blades which fit on the TS55 since 2006. I have yet to find another brand that for my use provides me with a superior cut quality in top quality plywood or better return on investment. I continue to use the same bit and blade sharpening service for over 40 years. They have state-of-the-art CNC grinding machines. Festool saw blades are made to their specs by Leitz, which offers sharpening services in the USA from several locations. Festool blades are not identical to other brands, so they are best sharpened on sophisticated equipment. Festool says to expect 5 re-sharpenings per blade. My experience is that I get many more re-sharpenings, but I keep my blades very clean and I send them for sharpening before they no longer make top quality cuts.
