TS55 struggles

[HowardH]

I needed to rip some 8/4 white oak this weekend and my little BT3100 TS wasn't up to the task so I decided to use my 55 instead.  I had planed the stock down to a thickness that allowed the blade to cut all the way through but it really struggled to cut through it.  In fact, I had to stop using it because the guiderail was moving due to the amount of force I needed to use to push the saw through the stock.  I am using the original blade.  Would a panther blade help in this situation or is this saw not designed to handle such a big task?  I'm wondering if a 75 model would have been a better choice.  I was actually afraid I was going to burn up the motor.  It was getting a bit warm towards the end of the cut.  I'll get a new blade if need be. 

 

[pteubel]

A panther blade with make a WORLD of difference when ripping stock. But the going will still be slow. The TS55 is a great saw, but it's a SMALL saw.

 

[honeydoman]

the ts75 is better equipt to handle larger loads.  a blade with fewer teeth would also work better and  don't force it. let it do the work.  it will take time.  especially that thick of stock.

even a table saw you would need a 3 hp or 5 with a great blade to rip it down.

 

[Michael Kellough]

...a blade with fewer teeth would also work better and  don't force it. let it do the work.  it will take time.  especially that thick of stock.

Ripping heavier stock is what the Panther blade was designed for, although the cuts I get from mine are so rough I won't use it anymore. I'd suggest the Universal blade (28 teeth) as a good compromise between cut quality and feed rate. I think the gullets between teeth on the Standard (12 tooth) and Panther (14 tooth) are too deep and flexible so the tooth can be deflected latterally excessively roughening the cut.

The same advice about ripping blades applies to the table saw but for ripping solid wood you'd be better off using the Festool system since real wood often has unequal internal stress and will likely bend after ripping. When that happens, just pull the two pieces of wood back together and adjust the guide rail so you'll cut enough off of each piece so they both come out straight. If it bowed a lot you might need more passes but unless you have a very long axillary fence on the table saw you won't be able to straighten a bowed board so you might as well do the whole operation with the Festool setup.

 

[ebrandt]

I had considerable with my TS55 trouble crosscutting a 16" wide piece of 1" thick hard maple this morning. Considerable burning, motor bogging down to almost a stop, etc.

I called festool support, said "what's the deal?" and he said your base plate is probably out of alignment. Do this:

1. Saw through something, but don't move the guiderail.
2. Turn the saw off, back it up along the rail, and extend the blade.
3. The rear of the blade should be 0.2mm from the wood you just cut, and the front of the blade of course should be just touching.
4. If this is not the case, loosen the two T-20 torx screws on the plastic piece on the rear that holds the bevel adjustment knob. This alows the base of the saw to move relative to the blade.
5. Adjust things so that condition described in step 3 is met. Tighten torx screws
6. Try cutting again.

Hope this description is clear enough, and hope it helps...
-E.

 

[Brice Burrell]

........I was actually afraid I was going to burn up the motor.  It was getting a bit warm towards the end of the cut........

Howard one more thing to add, the TS55 has MMC Electronics in the motor, this helps to protect it from over heating and keeps the saw running at speed while under load. This should, in theory, prevent you from burning up your saw.

 

[HowardH]

I'll take a look at my setup. I think the saw is ok since it has no trouble going through 4/4 material.   Either the 75 is the answer or a 3 hp cabinet saw. The 55 tries hard but it is over matched for 8/4 hardwood.  It simply wasn't designed for this purpose, IMO

 

[Dixon Peer]

I'll take a look at my setup. I think the saw is ok since it has no trouble going through 4/4 material.  Either the 75 is the answer or a 3 hp cabinet saw. The 55 tries hard but it is over matched for 8/4 hardwood.  It simply wasn't designed for this purpose, IMO

You're on the right track here.  The 55 wasn't designed with 8/4 white oak ripping in mind.

 

[Spike]

Hi Howard,
Even my worm drive skil saw is working it when I try 8/4 hardwoods. Plus you mentioned you were using the blade that came with the TS55 which should be the Z=48 ATB with approx 10 degrees positive hook. NOT a good ripping blade. Buy a Panther, it has Z=14 PLUS what looks to be at least 20 degree hook angle which is great for ripping. I can personally guarantee you will have better luck ripping, feed slow...but not too slow or you will burn up the blade. Listen to the saw, they say quite a lot while cutting.

 

[Daviddubya]

I'll take a look at my setup. I think the saw is ok since it has no trouble going through 4/4 material.   Either the 75 is the answer or a 3 hp cabinet saw. The 55 tries hard but it is over matched for 8/4 hardwood.  It simply wasn't designed for this purpose, IMO

I suspect your saw is set up just fine.  It's the blade.  You simply cannot rip 8/4 hardwood with the Fine Tooth blade that came with your TS55.  You would have the same problem on a 3HP cabinet saw if you used a blade with a high tooth count.  Use the Panther or the Standard blade.  If you plan to be ripping material that is so thick that you need to plane it first to get within the TS55 depth of cut, then yes, you should have the TS75.  I suspect your Fine Tooth blade might need to be resharpened now as well.

 

[toobiloo]

Why not set the depth stop, and rip twice? Save the saw some work. (And change the blade)

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  The MMC electronics WILL save the saw. I have actually had it shut me down until it cooled enough.  I was cutting a lamination of 3/4" ply - 1/2" particle board- 3/4" ply.  I was using the Fine blade because I had to have a finished smooth cut. 
  I have used the Panther blade, it should rip the 8/4 Oak with out much trouble. If it still doesn't do it then clamp the rail so that it won't move at all, and do what toobiloo said (good idea).

Seth

 

[chughes]

  I bought the TS 75 and I love it.  When I picked it up I had a battery of questions for the sales tech, one of which was regarding deep cuts in dense materials.  His advice was to make multiple passes.  Makes sense to me.  The first piece that I had to use this technique on was a hard maple butcher block counter top.  On a 6/4 piece I made three passes and had a little stepping because of the multiple passes so i adjusted the rail about 1/32 toward the piece and cleaned it up.  If the piece was not 10' long and have a 45 miter I might of done something different, but the cuts mated well and this process was quick enough.     

 

[HowardH]

great idea on the multiple passes.  Wouldn't have thought of that one.  I have some more ripping to do on the 8/4 so I'll get the panther blade and give it a go.  I can always use the RO 150 to clean up the edges if need be if the panther leaves a rougher cut.  On a related note, would having the hard pad for the RO make a noticeable difference on not having a tendency to round the edges when used on the 2" edge of the board I would have just sawn?

 

[chughes]

  In a pinch I would use a sander to clean up my swirlies.  I prefer a joiner or a planer.  I have a ro 125 with a hard pad but I believe there is no way to not break those edges.  So I guess the next step in your process would determine if that edge is required.  For the use I mentioned previous I needed sharp corners to join.     

 

[Frank-Jan]

great idea on the multiple passes.  Wouldn't have thought of that one.  I have some more ripping to do on the 8/4 so I'll get the panther blade and give it a go.  I can always use the RO 150 to clean up the edges if need be if the panther leaves a rougher cut.  On a related note, would having the hard pad for the RO make a noticeable difference on not having a tendency to round the edges when used on the 2" edge of the board I would have just sawn?

Just a reminder: the panther blade has a slightly wider kerf, so after using the panther blade, the rubber edge will be a bit off when using the fine toothed blade again.
About the hard pad: I don't have a rotex, but (edge)sanding while not rounding edges is what it is meant for and most festool products do what it says on the box.

 

[Tinker]

I have been making small coaster trays as Christmas presents (2007 which means i am as close to uptodate as historically possible  :)

The first batch was made from a piece of 3/4 maple with a very interresting grain pattern.  Those were no trouble. 

I found a piece of 2" x 7" red oak that is long enough that I can make six of the coasters if i split it edgewise (resaw).  i tried running it thru my 16" Reliant piece of junk BS but the saw just bogged down after cutting in about 1-1/2" from the end.  That inch and a half had taken forever so i am figuring it is about time to change the blade.  Even with new blades, that saw doesn't cut more than 4" or 5" for  even tho it advertised to cut 12". I didn't know much about BS's and so i fell for the BS on that sale.  "Cheap saw ain't cheap) I decided it was time to give my ATF 55 w/standard blade a workout.  I have cut 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4 hardwoods such as red oak, white oak and sugar (hard maple) maple in both cross cutting and ripping.  I do get into trouble beveling the white oak and hard maple in thicker pieces, but making two passes or more has worked ok for those cuts except for the tipping problem.  that is a fight.

I clamped the 4/4 red oak to the side of my MFT 800.  I placed a piece of 3/4" A/B plywood on table top so the oak could line up level with that.  I was going to try making two passes from each side (edge) of the oak, but decided to give a try at cutting full depth and one pass each side.  The oak piece was about 18" in length and the AFT went thru with only a little bogging down.  As the saw seemed to slow down, i held back a little bit.  Once thru side #1, i flipped the piece over (end over end so same side was to MFT frame) and sliced thru from th opposite side.  the cuts did not meet in center, leaving +2" or so uncut.  They would not have made it all the way, even with the TS 65 or my old Table saw, either.  I then took the whole piece to the BS and finished the cut.  Next stop>>> thickness planer.  Once i had completed the cut with the BS, I found no burning from the ATF blade, even tho i had cut to max depth with one pass from each side of the oak.

I would not try with one cut full depth with hard maple or white oak.  that would be a bit of a stretch.  i have not tried more than 4/4 with Cherry but i do have some pieces of 12/4 cherry that i have earmarked for a small project in future. The simple thing to do is to put a new blade on my BS, but i now know I vcan make a full depth resaw rip type cut in red oak with the ATF 55.  John Lucas has one of his demos where he has resawed a 6" piece of something (I forget what wood it was) with his TS 75.
Tinker

 

[semenza]

Hi,

    Tinker, when you say the "standard" blade - do you mean the one (Fine) that comes withthe saw or the actual Standard  (487377) blade?

Seth

 

[Dave Ronyak]

My vote is for the 28 tooth general purpose blade.  I ripped some oak interior doors (1 3/8" thick) with the 48 tooth blade supplied with my TS 55.  Worked OK but fairly slow going.  I did not have to push hard against the saw, though, my equipment was new.  I also ripped and X-cut some unplaned 8/4 mahogany, again without any problems.  Based on what I read on FOG I purchased a Panther blade but have yet to use it.  That is because at the same time I purchased a 28 tooth blade.  I am very pleased with its performance overall, and leave it on the saw most of the time, even when cutting birch plywood.  The cut edge is not as good as with the 48 tooth blade, but any markings are easily sanded out.  The only time I plan to use the Panther is if I am going to rip a quantity of thick lumber, not just a couple of 8 footers..

Dave R.

 

[Tinker]

Hi,

    Tinker, when you say the "standard" blade - do you mean the one (Fine) that comes withthe saw or the actual Standard  (487377) blade?

Seth

I have the older ATF 55.  My blade is the 28 tooth that came with that saw. 
Tinker