TS55 Cut Not Flush w/ Splinterguard

[JYip]

I am new the forums and have done all the searching I can, but can't seem to find an answer. So here goes:

I am having problems with the cuts off the TS55 track saw. I acquired the saw about two months ago and have been using it pretty regularly and have not noticed this problem until last night after making a cut. After the cuts, the saw leaves about 1/64" of material from the splinterguard. In other words, my cuts aren't perfectly flush with the edge of the splinterguard. The material that is left outboard of the splinterguard is consistent in thickness. The saw appears to be having some sort of offset issue. Before anyone suggests it, I have already checked all of the adjustments, including adjusting the cams to make sure there is no play.

The only change that I can of that may have caused this is, I tried to make a beveled cut a few days ago, which was also unsuccessful. As soon as I tried to plunge the saw, I noticed it chewed a bit of the splinter guard off and stopped immediately. To be fair, things weren't clamped down and as secure as it should have been so I think the deflection from things moving probably caused that. In any case, I set the saw back up for 90 degree cuts and am now having this problem. I'm not sure if this is what caused the issue I'm having now but I am including it as a scenario.

I have two 55" track saws which I've attached together to cut sheet goods and one 32" track. This problem is consistent across all the tracks. I do not believe this is a technique issue b/c I tried repeat the cut many times using various different ways of holding the saw. It still did not cut the material completely flush with the splinter guard. No matter how I push or hold, the problem is consistently there.

If anyone has encountered this problem or have any suggestions, any help would be greatly appreciated. I am disappointingly lost on this one ..

 

[bryan1982]

Have you used a different blade in th saw maybe it was a different thickness?

 

[rst]

Keep in mind that as you are cutting material, it is not just the blade cutting up through the splinter guard, the material is also shooting up through and abrading the plastic.  The guard is going to wear, just like a zero clearance table saw insert enlarges at the entry point of the teeth, again from the material abrading the insert.  If your cut is critical, measure off the rail edge and not the plastic guard. I adjusted both my 55 and 75 to cut exactly 3mm from the rail edge and not from the splinter guard edge. 

 

[ear3]

Have you recut/reset the splinterguard, and then tried to see if you were still having this problem?

It could also be that there's a slight difference between the angle at the front and back of the saw, which happened when you reset the saw to zero.  This is an unfortunate issue with the TS55 due to it's lack of a positive stop at the front (which Festool finally fixed by adding the green stop like they have on the TSC55).  When you reset the angle make sure you have it on a flat surface and lock the back first, then the front.