TS55 question - first time use in hardwood

[JGlover]

I have been ripping some 4/4 and 8/4 QS white oak. It's really the first 4/4 hardwood i have attempted with the TS55, outside of some simple cross cuts. I have used it often on mdf, plywood, 3/4 stock, and softwood stock (fir, pine, etc).

I have 2 related questions:

1) how can i reduce the burn marks i am getting on the wood - is it something counterintuitive? I have tried raising AND lowering the 'speed dial'...and speeding up and slowing down my 'push rate'...
2) i have flipped the 15amp circuit breaker several times while sawing the 8/4 in particular. No big deal, but again, it makes me think i am doing something wrong.

Any suggestions?

 

[Gotoh]

What blade are you using and is it the exact same blade that you used to cut all that pine?

 

[Theshipstore]

Sound like the wrong blade for ripping. The stock blade is great for cross cuts but not rips. Try the Panther a Blade for ripping and you will see a big difference in the cutting for sure.
You are putting to big of a load on the cutting with the original TS 55 blade

 

[JGlover]

The blade is clean, re: the pine question.

It is the blade that the saw came with - stock blade.

I can see how that might be the issue...i hadn't considered it, since the darn thing has worked so well for everything i've ever done with it.

 

[mouppe]

Get the panther blade full stop. It will make your life so much easier and extend the life of your current blade. Otherwise make your cut in two or three passes, remembering to clamp the guide rail so it doesn't move at all.

But the panther blade is your best bet.

 

[semenza]

The blade is clean, re: the pine question.

It is the blade that the saw came with - stock blade.

I can see how that might be the issue...i hadn't considered it, since the darn thing has worked so well for everything i've ever done with it.

How did you make out with this?

It is definitely the blade. The blade that comes with the TS55 is for cross cuts  and sheet goods. For ripping hard wood it just isn't going to do it well at all.

Seth

 

[Ajax]

Panther blade.

BTW this happens on table saws too.  You need the right blade for the job. On the table saw  I use  Forrest Woodworker 2 thin kerf 20 tooth blade for all ripping.  I switch back to a standard WW 2 blade (I think 60 teeth?) for cross cutting on a mitre express sled

 

[waho6o9]

http://www.bobmarinosbesttools.com/panther-standard-saw-blades/p/496305/
[attachthumb=#]

Love me some Panther blades.

[big grin]

 

[Birdhunter]

OK, for us dummies, what is the right TS55 blade for ripping. I prefer Forrester blades. Is there a rip blade from Forrester fot the TS55?

 

[peter halle]

For ripping hardwoods and also most woods I would use the Panther.  (Note:  there have been three versions of this blade.  Make sure you are getting the most recent one (496305) because its kerf matches the rest of the Festool line of TS-55 blades)  If the wood is softer or if you are using the saw to rip for an outside I edge that will be visible later I will try the universal blade (28 tooth for the TS-55) 496304.  I slow down my feed rate to give the blade some time to clear out the gullets.

Peter

 

[JGlover]

During this first post - i was making my wife a farmhouse table out of QS white oak.

She is an interior decorator by trade, and is very...discerning...about what makes it into the house. She was so pleased with the outcome she asked me to make a bench to match. Since I'm proud...and I know you'll ask...here's a few pics of the table. (By the way, i was going to use screws on this table, and fast caps to hide the holes...but the Domino sale got me off my butt and I really fell in love with this machine...it's really unbelievable)

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So back to business. To rip the legs of the X bench I decided to get the Panther blade as suggested here. These were 7/4 white oak...I used the spacer method laid out by Tom (TJBsomething) and the panther blade went through like nothing. No burn marks, no smokey smell, no whining motor...what was i thinking trying this with the universal blade! Here's a couple of pics of the setup and the resulting legs (2), you can see they are parallel, flush, etc.

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Just to document the process - I stood the mitre rail up tallways - made a spacer that would leave me with desired length - used double sided tape to hold it down and flush to mitre rail - and just laid the guide rail flush against the mitre rail. I also used a qwas dog to keep the "cut board" from sliding forward during sawing.

Thanks again FOG for the advice.

 

[wow]

That table looks like it could be a hundred years old. Nicely done!