TS55 Not Cutting Straight

[RonJ103]

Hello everyone.  I am having some problems with my TS55 track saw.  I am not getting straight cuts.  I am finding that a precision straight edge (50" veritas aluminum straight edge) will rock on the cut edge (the middle of the cut is proud).  It seemed like the track was the problem because the straight edge rocked on the track as well.  Festool sent out a replacement 55" track, and I am having the same issue with the new track.  Has anyone else experienced similar problems?  Any idea of what the problem could be?

 

[peter halle]

Sorry to hear about your issue.  I certainly haven't had that issue.  In asking some questions please take them as getting some info as to your situation - not as an implication that you don't know what you are doing.  Others may read this thread in the future with the same issues.

Have you checked the new rail with the straight edge?

Is your saw adjusted to the rail so that there isn't any play?

Are you stopping the cut mid-way or changing hands or perhaps doing something to influence the cut at a particular point that might be creating the "hump"?

Have you checked to make sure your straight edge is straight?  If not, try laying on a long board and draw a line longest it edge with a very sharp pencil.  Then reverse the straight edge and line of the ends with your line and draw another line.  The lines, if parallel or overlapping will indicate a straight edge.  Do the same for your guiderail along the metal edge.

The answers to those questions might allow us to help out more.

Peter

 

[Cort]

Start with the easy stuff: you might want to verify that the saw blade is at an accurate right angle to the sole of the saw.

 

[tjbnwi]

Avoid any side thrust. It will bow the rail in the center of the cut. Relax as you make your cut.

Tom

 

[RonJ103]

Sorry to hear about your issue.  I certainly haven't had that issue.  In asking some questions please take them as getting some info as to your situation - not as an implication that you don't know what you are doing.  Others may read this thread in the future with the same issues.

Have you checked the new rail with the straight edge?

Is your saw adjusted to the rail so that there isn't any play?

Are you stopping the cut mid-way or changing hands or perhaps doing something to influence the cut at a particular point that might be creating the "hump"?

Have you checked to make sure your straight edge is straight?  If not, try laying on a long board and draw a line longest it edge with a very sharp pencil.  Then reverse the straight edge and line of the ends with your line and draw another line.  The lines, if parallel or overlapping will indicate a straight edge.  Do the same for your guiderail along the metal edge.

The answers to those questions might allow us to help out more.

Peter

I have checked the new rail.  The lip that the saw registers against is not perfectly straight, but it is close.  My cut edge seems to be worse than the lip on the guide rail.

I have adjusted the saw to the rail so that there is no play.  I even tried making it so tight that it was hard to push the saw and I got the same results.

I am not stopping mid way or changing hands mid way or anything like that.

I have verified that my straight edge is straight.  It sits flush against cast iron surfaces and boards off of my jointer.

What surface should I be measuring on the guide rail to determine if it is straight?  The splinter guard?

 

[RonJ103]

Start with the easy stuff: you might want to verify that the saw blade is at an accurate right angle to the sole of the saw.

I will check that.  It seems that would just result in a bevel cut and should not affect the straightness of the cut.

 

[RonJ103]

Avoid any side thrust. It will bow the rail in the center of the cut. Relax as you make your cut.

Tom

I do wonder if this is part of the problem.  I am trying to avoid any side thrust, but it is hard to tell how good of a job I am doing.

 

[bkharman]

Do you have the rail clamped down?

If so what kind of clamps are you using?  If you have a lot of force trying to hold the rail, then it may be part of the problem.

 

[RonJ103]

Do you have the rail clamped down?

If so what kind of clamps are you using?  If you have a lot of force trying to hold the rail, then it may be part of the problem.

I have the festool quick clamps.  I have tried using them and using the saw without them with similar results.

 

[SWIG46]

I have four different rails and two of them are not straight when compared to a straight edge.

 

[Caly]

is the material being cut supported  and perfectly flat i.e. not bowing in any direction.

 

[RonJ103]

I have four different rails and two of them are not straight when compared to a straight edge.

What length rails do you have and which ones are not straight?  Do you have any use for the rails that aren't straight?

 

[RonJ103]

is the material being cut supported  and perfectly flat i.e. not bowing in any direction.

Yes, the material is supported by foam insulation on top of my tablesaw.  I have done test cuts on MDF to ensure that the stock is flat and that internal stress in solid wood isn't playing a role in my cuts and I have gotten the same bad results.

 

[bkharman]

is the material being cut supported  and perfectly flat i.e. not bowing in any direction.

Yes, the material is supported by foam insulation on top of my tablesaw.  I have done test cuts on MDF to ensure that the stock is flat and that internal stress in solid wood isn't playing a role in my cuts and I have gotten the same bad results.

Well this stinks!  I was hoping that collectively we would have helped you by now.

If you have a dealer nearby, I would bring the items to them to see if they can mix their equivalent items into the mix. (Their rail + your saw, vice versa) I would of course call them first to confirm they would do it but worth a shot!

Also, I can't recall if it was this thread but Shane had offered to have one of his reps come take a look. Might want to take advantage of that. Even as a hobbyist, I would need my saw dead on...  I would fully take advantage of the folks most closely related to Festool.

Good luck and let us know the outcome.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[tjbnwi]

is the material being cut supported  and perfectly flat i.e. not bowing in any direction.

Yes, the material is supported by foam insulation on top of my tablesaw.  I have done test cuts on MDF to ensure that the stock is flat and that internal stress in solid wood isn't playing a role in my cuts and I have gotten the same bad results.

Ron, where are you located, (United States covers a lot of area)? If you're near the Chicagoland area I'm more than willing to run your saw on my rails to test it and mine on yours.

Tom

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Tom, he's not anywhere close to Chicago.

Ron, did you try what Peter suggested to check your rail and straight edge for accuracy?

You have said that it's not straight, but you didn't say how un-straight it is. Are we talking thousands of an inch, 1/2" or what?

Shane

 

[tjbnwi]

I see he edited his location. Offer still stands if he is willing to travel.

Then again he could just stop at Festool sand save a few miles.

Tom

 

[RonJ103]

I checked my straight edge by drawing a line, flipping the straight edge 180deg and redrawing the line.  The lines are right on top of each other.  I did the same thing with the guide rail.  I traced along the splinter guard, and it is very close to being straight.  The error is about the thickness of a pencil line which should be around 0.5mm in this case.  I was surprised that the track is as straight as it is given the cuts that I am getting.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I checked my straight edge by drawing a line, flipping the straight edge 180deg and redrawing the line.  The lines are right on top of each other.  I did the same thing with the guide rail.  I traced along the splinter guard, and it is very close to being straight.  The error is about the thickness of a pencil line which should be around 0.5mm in this case.  I was surprised that the track is as straight as it is given the cuts that I am getting.

The problem with tracing the splinter guard is it assumes the saw is cutting exactly on the splinter guard.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

The problem with tracing the splinter guard is it assumes the saw is cutting exactly on the splinter guard.

Yes, but it's impossible to trace the spline that the saw rides along on the track. It's very unlikely that the saw and splinterguard don't match.

Ron, I still don't see where you describe how much of a variance you are getting across the length of your cut (and the cut length). Is it possible that you are introducing lateral movement while going down the rail with the saw? Is the rail clamped or just sat on the material being cut?

Shane