TS55, have it but...

[DzordanoBruno]

Hi Guys,
I'm new here and happy to be here with you. I'm from Czech Republic and today i bought TS55 + babi domino (DF500) and lot of accesories.

I have few questions for you.

1. Angle guide isnt paraler. Arow is under 0°. IS this problem? I take a photo.

2. Can i cut a LDTD - laminate desk with universal blade?

My first cut with this saw was excelent, easy and beautiful cut.

Thank You for answers. Georege (Jirka)
And sorry,  my english is terrible.

 

[sancho57]

Hi  and  [welcome] [welcome] to the FOG, your English is great no worries. I wouldnt worry about the indicator being off a little. best way is take a square to see if the blade is at a true 90.
Thats what i do

 

[semenza]

Hi Guys,
I'm new here and happy to be here with you. I'm from Czech Republic and today i bought TS55 + babi domino (DF500) and lot of accesories.

I have few questions for you.

1. Angle guide isnt paraler. Arow is under 0°. IS this problem? I take a photo.

2. Can i cut a LDTD - laminate desk with universal blade?

My first cut with this saw was excelent, easy and beautiful cut.

Thank You for answers. Georege (Jirka)
And sorry,  my english is terrible.

Hi,

  Welcome to the forum!  Your English is much , much, better than my Czech  [big grin]

      You shouldn't have any trouble cutting the laminate desk with the Universal blade. Is the LDTD wood and plastic?

Seth

 

 

[ear3]

This is the major flaw with the saw, the fact that it doesn't have a positive stop at the front.  I have the exact same issue when I lock down the back  - so after I lock the back knob I just raise the front slightly so that the angle pointer is at zero.  I'm still not confident that it's at true zero though.  The answer is that for most operations you will be close enough -- with a square on 3/4 stock you probably won't be able to tell by sight, but a digital bevel gauge may find a deflection of .2 or .3 degrees or so.  This is not a problem if you're doing edges.  But say you're cutting the bottoms of legs for a chair, stool or table.  Over the course of 2-3 feet, that .3 starts to add up.  Not cool for a $600+ saw.

There are many threads on the FOG about the issue, along with suggestions for how to do a fix yourself.  When I take a breather from building, I'm probably going to send in my saw for a factory calibration just to be sure.

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/my-ts55req-bevel-stop-fix/msg357012/#msg357012

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/ts55-req-angle-gauge/

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/the-best-way-to-adjust-saw-blade-to-true-zero-for-ts-55-rebq-(req)/

 

[Tinker]

Welcome

to check, take a scrap piece of wood, make a cut.  It doesn't matter whether rip or cross cut.  Cross cu is probably easier.  When you finish the cut, you will have two pieces .  Put the two cut edges against each other.  You will not have a gap between the two edges.  Flp one of the pieces so both cut edges are still together.  Slide the two cut edges together again.  you should see no gap again.

If there is a gap (top or bottom of the cut) you need to adjust the saw. 
Tinker

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Thanks for your answers. Tomorow a try cut some plywood.
I'm very dissapointed of this saw. 
But this saw have terrible panty on the desk. And more like this.

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Hi Guys,
So i cut desk and this is result.
Nothing fancy. Neee i calibrate the saw?

 

[ear3]

Assuming the gap is consistent all the way through, then yes, you probably do need to calibrate the angle closer to true 90.  When you lock down the saw before making the cut, make sure to lock the back knob first, then the front.

 

[semenza]

      Have the pieces shown in the picture been flipped so that the bottom side of one is matched to the top side of the next? Or are they in the original position with the correct mating faces up?

    Also, do you have the Fine blade  for the saw?  It will give you a cleaner cut in that laminate than the universal.

Seth

   

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Edward: Thank You for this tip. I try it. Today i set saw on very fine zero. Tomorow i try another another set of cuts. I set zero with manual up.

Seth: Yes, i have blade 491952 48.  And Yes, I cut 4 same pieces and they dont fit

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Today I cut 12 cuts on plywood and the 90° isnt perfect. Have You aby idea how set dead 90°?

 

[fshanno]

I set mine with a square, just like I set my tablesaw blade.  Plunge and lock as if you are going to change the blade.  Then test with a small square.  And I do that every time I bring it back to 90 after a bevel cut.

I've had the saw for years and I've never paid any attention to that little gauge thingy.  I remember noticing it when trying out the saw at my dealer I instantly assumed it was marketing fluff.  A little gauge like that with no vernier?  Fluff.

 

[Tinker]

I set mine with a square, just like I set my tablesaw blade.  Plunge and lock as if you are going to change the blade.  Then test with a small square.  And I do that every time I bring it back to 90 after a bevel cut.

I've had the saw for years and I've never paid any attention to that little gauge thingy.  I remember noticing it when trying out the saw at my dealer I instantly assumed it was marketing fluff.  A little gauge like that with no vernier?  Fluff.

I do the same thing.  It depends on the angle you look at that wide pointed arrow.  Festoy sort of tells us that anyhow.  I found out early on that that arrow can seem to jump all over the place as you move your head.

With my ATF 55, the only way I could set the saw to perfect 90º was to get close visually and them ale a cut in a 2x4 and check by flipping one of the pieces. I still do it that way with the TS 55R.  It seems clumsy to me to hold the saw, small square and make adjustments all at the same time.  The saw does need to be checked at any bevel angle.  It just seems to be the nature of the beast.

I have sometimes wondered that the Festoy people set the saw from the right side and that is where they got the idea to glance from the side while setting the angle.  I always work from the left side of the saw.  That is a habit from using regular circular saws for 39 years.  Old habits are tough to leave us.
Tinker

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Fshanno: So, i ckecked the saw with little angel and seems to be square.  But this method isnt 100° perfekt.

Tinker: I dont understand, what do you mean. I muss cut 2x4inch(cca 50x80mm), than check the cut a set saw. TS55 has 55 mm plunge cut. 2x4 are bigger than plunge cut on TS55. Please,  write more about this setup.

 

[rvieceli]

2x4 is nominal after prep the size is 1.5 x 3.5 or 38mm by 89mm

 

[fshanno]

Fshanno: So, i ckecked the saw with little angel and seems to be square.  But this method isnt 100° perfekt.

Tinker: I dont understand, what do you mean. I muss cut 2x4inch(cca 50x80mm), than check the cut a set saw. TS55 has 55 mm plunge cut. 2x4 are bigger than plunge cut on TS55. Please,  write more about this setup.

Why not?  If the blade is perpendicular to the base and the base is riding on the track and the track is parallel with top surface the work piece then the cut will be square to the top surface.

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Yes, you have right[emoji106]
But when i cut the desk (with rail), than flip cuts and take together, they dont fit. I have little gap, very small,  but is there -> so i think,  this method isnt dead on setting.

 

[Tinker]

Yes, you have right[emoji106]
But when i cut the desk (with rail), than flip cuts and take together, they dont fit. I have little gap, very small,  but is there -> so i think,  this method isnt dead on setting.

When you make the cut and flip one piece, if cut is square, you will have no space.  If the cut is not square, you will have a space.

If you have a space, you need to guess how much adjustment to make.  Cut again.  If the space is wider when you flip, you adjusted either the wrong way or too much.  Keep trying until you can eliminate the space.

My camera is a cheapie and the lens does not show an accurate pic of what I mean.  I hope you understand.  Once you get it right, and tighten properly, the back end first and then the front, and set tight, the saw, at least my saw, will stay set for a long time.

Tinker

 

[DzordanoBruno]

Ooo, yes. I try it. But today i make square setting. I put off the blade cover (saw was unpluged) and than set the saw on rail (flat service and on right angle with flat service), adjust the blade with square and the stainless steel screw. I have space between blade and square 0.3mm-0.007inch.
And now I try cut plywood.

And in this thread i showed the stainless steel screw.http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=36561.0

 

[DzordanoBruno]

So,
yeasterday i tried cut some plywood and this settings works wery well.  This adjusting needs some time,  but the final result is much better than factory setup. 

I had classic children triangel. Digital angle meter is for this measurment better choice.