Mechanical arm still goes to an electric switch. Leave the riving knife as is and mount a button, lever, sensor, whatever, almost anywhere on the saw base. Something small, like a flip foot that electric planers have. Probably a little more modification and wiring than what Festool did. They might not even have changed base casting, but motor casting is new for sure.mino said:
Updated TS-55 machines, sans riving knife.....
- Thread starter Tom the Remodeler
- Start date
Well, I received my TSC 55 that I've been waiting for since February. I was told it'd be the K model, but it's the current one still listed on the Festool USA site. I'm not sure that I should really care either way, but I'll still check with the vendor.
mino
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That will not work - the saw may not be always on the rails and the material below may not be even etc. Once they decided on a mechanical detection of a saw position, the current approach was set. The only other (practical) way is an accelerometer like Maffel uses which may also be patented and has some limitations too ref. safety.Svar said:
It would work because functionally what I mentioned is no different from what Festool implemented. Namely, a mechanical sensor placed behind and 5-10 mm to the left of the blade. What I'm saying is that it did not have to be a large arm wrapped around the arbor that leaves no room for riving knife.mino said:
More interesting information on the TSC 55 and TSC 55K. I downloaded the TSC 55 manual from Festool US and the TSC 55K from Festool International for comparison purposes.
If the manuals are accurate, the TSC 55K will no longer accept battery packs less than 18V. It still has the option of running with one battery in the lower slot. Also, and this is a strange one, the TSC 55K now goes to 12 on the variable speed control, whereas the TSC 55 goes to 10. Just make it 11. Looking at the recommended cutting speeds, they're the same for both.
If the manuals are accurate, the TSC 55K will no longer accept battery packs less than 18V. It still has the option of running with one battery in the lower slot. Also, and this is a strange one, the TSC 55K now goes to 12 on the variable speed control, whereas the TSC 55 goes to 10. Just make it 11. Looking at the recommended cutting speeds, they're the same for both.
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DeformedTree
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Packard said:
CMS doesn't exist anymore, and the zombie version in N.A. has never had the saw module. So doesn't matter.
What would be curious is if Festool added any feature on the saw the prohibits the new model from mounting in the Saw modules.
Hi,
As a person who completed the CMS modules set just as it was being taken off the market (grrr), the question above "What would be curious is if Festool added any feature on the saw the prohibits the new model from mounting in the Saw modules." is pretty important to me.
I've spent some time looking at detailed photos of both the TS 55 REBQ and the new FEBQ, and the only difference I can see is that in the new one the riving knife does not have the hole to screw in / attach the bigger riving knife that comes with the CMS TS module. Everything else seems to be there: the hole in the blade cover where the riving knife screw goes in; the hole on the bottom plate where the CMS TS depth adjuster is screwed in; the base plate ends seem to have the same shape, indicating that the saw as a whole could be mounted.
So, you could drill and tap a hole in the riving knife, or potentially, swap the riving knife with the one in your TS 55 that is not mounted in the CMS, or get the older one on ekat.
Ultimately though, to be sure, someone here with a CMS TS module and the TS 55 F would need to confirm, or I would need to do a careful review of the EKAT technical drawings, which on a Friday afternoon I'm pretty much loathe to do ;-)
As a person who completed the CMS modules set just as it was being taken off the market (grrr), the question above "What would be curious is if Festool added any feature on the saw the prohibits the new model from mounting in the Saw modules." is pretty important to me.
I've spent some time looking at detailed photos of both the TS 55 REBQ and the new FEBQ, and the only difference I can see is that in the new one the riving knife does not have the hole to screw in / attach the bigger riving knife that comes with the CMS TS module. Everything else seems to be there: the hole in the blade cover where the riving knife screw goes in; the hole on the bottom plate where the CMS TS depth adjuster is screwed in; the base plate ends seem to have the same shape, indicating that the saw as a whole could be mounted.
So, you could drill and tap a hole in the riving knife, or potentially, swap the riving knife with the one in your TS 55 that is not mounted in the CMS, or get the older one on ekat.
Ultimately though, to be sure, someone here with a CMS TS module and the TS 55 F would need to confirm, or I would need to do a careful review of the EKAT technical drawings, which on a Friday afternoon I'm pretty much loathe to do ;-)
Ok, could not resist eyeballing EKAT...
So the base plate looks exactly the same in the technical diagrams, as do all the parts that fit onto it, although, the part numbers are different between the REBQ and FEBQ plates.
The riving knife is different, *obviously*, as the blade thickness is different too - meaning that I wrote a bunch of bull above regarding the idea of swapping an REBQ knife with a FEBQ knife.
This further leads me to understand that the CMS TS additional riving knife cannot be used as it would be too thick, and thus you cannot use the blade guard on top of it either.
So unless you drill and tap a hole in the FEBQ knife, and make your own thinner CMS knife, the new TS 55 F is a no go for the CMS.
So the base plate looks exactly the same in the technical diagrams, as do all the parts that fit onto it, although, the part numbers are different between the REBQ and FEBQ plates.
The riving knife is different, *obviously*, as the blade thickness is different too - meaning that I wrote a bunch of bull above regarding the idea of swapping an REBQ knife with a FEBQ knife.
This further leads me to understand that the CMS TS additional riving knife cannot be used as it would be too thick, and thus you cannot use the blade guard on top of it either.
So unless you drill and tap a hole in the FEBQ knife, and make your own thinner CMS knife, the new TS 55 F is a no go for the CMS.
mino
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You will also need to file the CMS knife - the new riving knife will be 1.7ish mm thick for 1.8 blades while the old one is 2.1mm for 2.2 blades, same as the CMS knife.digilante said:
Once filed, you can likely use the 2.2 blades even with thinner knife. But either way you will be in "unsupported" territory. Much better just get a used TS55 R once they are no longer for sale.
FestitaMakool
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mino said:
I’d like to share blades with my HKC, so if filing the riving knife is what it takes I’ll do it. (Or likely go to a metal shop to have it done) The TS 55F still has a onboard riving knife wich will be active in the module anyway, the miss out would be the blade/dc guard.
In an emailing I got today from FS Netherlands they are pretty clear about using the thinner blades on the older machines.
Kunnen de zaagbladen met 1,8 mm zaagbreedte op de invalcirkelzagen TS 55 R en TSC 55 gebruikt worden?
Nee, omdat het spouwmes van de TS 55 R en de TSC 55 breder is (2,2 mm dikte) dan de dikte van de nieuwe zaagbladen (1,8 mm dikte).
Kan het spouwmes van de TS 55 R en TSC 55 gewijzigd worden zodat de nieuwe zaagbladen (1,8 mm zaagbreedte) gebruikt kunnen worden?
Dit is om technische veiligheidsredenen niet mogelijk.
Translated: 1st item — thinner blades can not be used on older machines bc riving knife is thicker.
2d item — bc of techn safety reasons the riving knives of the older machines can not be adapted with the intention of using the thinner blades.
Pretty sure you’ll void your warranty if you mess around with the riving knife.
Kunnen de zaagbladen met 1,8 mm zaagbreedte op de invalcirkelzagen TS 55 R en TSC 55 gebruikt worden?
Nee, omdat het spouwmes van de TS 55 R en de TSC 55 breder is (2,2 mm dikte) dan de dikte van de nieuwe zaagbladen (1,8 mm dikte).
Kan het spouwmes van de TS 55 R en TSC 55 gewijzigd worden zodat de nieuwe zaagbladen (1,8 mm zaagbreedte) gebruikt kunnen worden?
Dit is om technische veiligheidsredenen niet mogelijk.
Translated: 1st item — thinner blades can not be used on older machines bc riving knife is thicker.
2d item — bc of techn safety reasons the riving knives of the older machines can not be adapted with the intention of using the thinner blades.
Pretty sure you’ll void your warranty if you mess around with the riving knife.
Cheese
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FestitaMakool said:
Wouldn't that be nice. [big grin]
I'd be able to share blades with my HKC, TSC and MT 55. [cool] I'm wondering if a person couldn't just take a belt sander to the knife ? There only needs to be .006"/.007" of material removed from each side. Even a RAS with some Sapphire P80 could possibly work well.
mino
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What they did not say (likely intentionally) is:Bert Vanderveen said:
3) if they will introduce a retrofit kit which would include replacing the knife with a certified one converting the saw to a 1.8 mm tool.
That is legally and technically doable and IMO Festool should do it. The cost of re-certification would have to be included in the price but I am sure at €100-ish kit price there will still be enough buyers for the certification costs to be recouped by Festool.
Ref. 2) they cannot say anything else, as by regulations ANY safety-related modification is prohibited without a full re-certification fot he tool. Even if it improved safety in practice ...
If someone did such a modification for his private use, in case of an accident it will be investigated if the modification *could* have caused or allowed the accident. Not "did", but "could". If yes, and the injured party was not the same person who modified the tool, then the one who modified will be legally liable for malevolence. In any case an insurance company would refuse to pay and would most likely bring up a suit against the tool owner instead.
In this context, even removing riving knife would be legally "safer" as a removed knife is recognizable while a filed one can be seen as a "purposefully hidden fault" etc. etc.
Michael Kellough
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Cheese said:
Might not be the same on both sides. Depends on how far the tooth projects from the blade disk.
Would probably need to adjust blade/splinter guard distance for the saws that you install different (than original) blades as well.
mino
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The knife "saw" side is aligned/coplanar with the "saw" side of the blade so only the "outer" side of a 1.8 kerf compatible knife will need to have less material.Michael Kellough said:
Either case, if you -need- to use thinner blades, I would advise to rather remove the knife in preference to making it thinner per above legal aspects. Then also other blades - like the affordable CMT 1.7/1.1 contractor ones - come to play. These are great for having the same cut line as the 2.2/1.6 blades from Festool have.
We have a Parkside tracksaw in the shop use for rough work and it does not have a knife and is approved in Germany all the same. There is nothing special with it, would say the Festool plunging spring is even stronger if anything so more safe there.
IMO for tracksaw use with a rail the riving knife is a Good Thing(TM) but not really a must have. For off-rail or free-hand use one actually wants the thicker blades for more stability.
What I have also noticed with my TSC is that the over-current protection will kick-in BEFORE the saw gets pulled out of the cut. So even without a riving knife and without the new sensor at least the TSC should be pretty safe all things considered.
bulubuluplopplop
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Hello,
do you know if it is possible to fit the FEBQ blade and riving knife (1.8 mm) in the older REBQ saw ?
do you know if it is possible to fit the FEBQ blade and riving knife (1.8 mm) in the older REBQ saw ?
notenoughcash
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yep you can, but the RK is an issue, so i just look mine off
or you can get a thiner RK, proabaly from the Ekat?
or you can get a thiner RK, proabaly from the Ekat?
