TS55 sawblades

[fsg]

I was looking through the festool '07 catalogue and could not find a blade that would cut masonry products. I am looking for a blade that would cut cemititous backer backer board. I guess I could use a regular blade and just toss when I was finished. You don't think the slight sparks would ignite the wood dust particles in my CT22?

 

[brandon.nickel]

I ruined a DeWalt 40T 12" miter saw blade on the first cut because I thought Hardi-board was a composite.  Only when the sparks started to fly did I realize my error.  It wouldn't even cut pine after that.  So, I don't think you'll get very far with the regular blade.  I looked up the manufacturer and here's their recommendation:

*Use a straight edge as a guide to score the sheet?s face with a carbide-tipped scoring knife or utility knife and snap upward along the score line. The use of shears (manual, electric or pneumatic) is also acceptable.
*NEVER use high-speed power tools (e.g. saws, grinders, etc.) to cut James Hardie? products indoors as they may generate excessive silica dust.

So, it sounds like you may be out of luck using the Festool...

 

[Loren Hedahl]

I have an old Craftsman that I use for such uses. 

It also would be my loaner.

Just don't mess with my TS55 or my pickup!

Got it?

Loren

 

[Eli]

The AXT-50 (naina?) would be the tool to use for this. Please be really careful about using power tools to cut this stuff, silica dust is one of the most dangerous things we would encounter. Even cutting with a carbide tipped scoring knife, it's best done outside and not on a windy day, but that's always been my choice, to score and snap by hand.

 

[Hoover]

For james hardie style backer board, use fiber cement shears.  If your talking about durock or the like, then get a cheap circ and use masonry blades (cheap or diamond, depending on how often you cut it)

The shears I have are snapper shears by pacific tools, they are the same that you can use for the hardie siding products. http://www.pactool.us/snappershear/

I would not think of using a TS for that, framing, etc. 

 

[Bill]

About a month ago I spoke with Festool about this very thing for a customer of ours.

Hardi-Board makes a blade specifically to cut their product.

As I understand it, any good saw shop can take a Hardi blade and cut a 20mm hole in it to fit your Festool arbor.  Just get one that has an outer diameter such as will fit your TS 55.

Also, make sure you get the Festool spark arrestor for your CT extractors anytime you generate sparks, part #484 733.

Bill

 

[grgrant2]

I cut 15" sections of Hardibacker from 8 foot panels with a carbide coated blade in a jigsaw on a slow speed while holding a strong shopvac with HEPA filter in front of the blade.  The cut was supported by 2X4s placed close to the cut line underneath which also contained the backside dust quite well which I would vacuum up afterwards.  If you had one of the Festool Jigsaws with an R54G blade, railguide, rail and CT, I'll bet this method would work even better.