Poor cut quality from my TS 75

[Eric Garner]

I picked up a TS 75 and CT 33 over the weekend. I was a little surprised at how sparse the owners manual was. I was expecting a bit more, but this is my first Festool purchase. So, maybe this is how they do it.

Anyway, everything was pretty much setup and easy to understand. So, I jumped right in and started to break down a 4'X8' sheet of walnut plywood for a cabinet. I was a little disappointed in the cut quality. From everything I read i was expecting a silky smooth cut, but I ended up with a fairly rough cut. I tried several different cuts with the same result. I lifted the splinter guard, dropped the blade more, raised the blade more, made sure the adjustment knobs were tightened to keep the saw snug on the track.... I also had similar poor results cutting some 3/4" walnut.

Any suggestions? I went with a TS75 for the bigger depth. Does the TS55 have a better cut quality?

Thanks,

Eric

[Chris Padilla]

Eric,

How does the blade look? Does it need cleaned? Is it sharp? What blade (how many teeth?) do you have installed? Does the blade wobble when running? Is the blade installed correctly?

I assume you are getting lots of chip out?

[Jason White]

Sorry if one or more of these questions sounds dumb, but...

1. Are you using the saw with the track? I have to believe you are, but you didn't mention it.

2. Are you using the bright-green anti-splitter device that screws onto the side of the saw? It makes a big difference in preventing tear-out on both sides of the blade. Make sure you slide it down all the way against the stock before you tighten the black thumb screw.

3. Did you tighten the guide rail knobs on the bottom of the saw? These prevent any slop from side to side when running the saw on the track. Sort of like when you adjust the slop out of a miter gauge on a tablesaw.

Jason


I picked up a TS 75 and CT 33 over the weekend. I was a little surprised at how sparse the owners manual was. I was expecting a bit more, but this is my first Festool purchase. So, maybe this is how they do it.

Anyway, everything was pretty much setup and easy to understand. So, I jumped right in and started to break down a 4'X8' sheet of walnut plywood for a cabinet. I was a little disappointed in the cut quality. From everything I read i was expecting a silky smooth cut, but I ended up with a fairly rough cut. I tried several different cuts with the same result. I lifted the splinter guard, dropped the blade more, raised the blade more, made sure the adjustment knobs were tightened to keep the saw snug on the track.... I also had similar poor results cutting some 3/4" walnut.

Any suggestions? I went with a TS75 for the bigger depth. Does the TS55 have a better cut quality?

Thanks,

Eric

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

what blade you are using?

[Eric Garner]

Thanks for the posts.... Here is some more info.

-I've checked that the blade is tightened and there is no play in the arbor. I'm using the 36tooth XE29 blade that came with the saw.

-I'm getting saw tooth markings in the wood. I could understand if it was happening in solid wood, but plywood is pretty stable and my old skill saw using a straight edge resulted in less marks. I'm not getting any noticeable splintering. So, that part of the cut looks good.

- I am using the track, and I have tightened both track adjustment knobs to remove all play. The saw is solid when gliding on the track. I've tried lowering and raising the splinter guard. but neither seem to get rid of the saw marks.

- I noticed that the riving knife does have some side to side play, but all screws are tightened and it looks to be ?normal?

[Matthew Poeller]

Eric,

I bought a used TS55 from a fella hear on the creek and I have no such problems to speak of. This one looks well used too, I believe that it was used pretty roughly by a cabinet maker before it came into my hands.

My suggestion would be to bring the saw and the an example of the cut to the place that you bought it from. If it is the Rockler there in Sandy Springs I would guess that if it is anything like the one here in Buffalo there is a Festool rep there about every other weekend. Maybe they would be able to help you with the issue. It might be quicker and produce less scrap than going through all the suggestions you will get here.

Matt

[Eric Garner]

That's a good idea... I was thinking it might be something I was doing wrong, but the thing seems so fool proof. I bought it new from Woodcraft here in Atlanta. I'll give them a call and see if there is someone who might be able to help me out.

Thanks,

[Matt Wolboldt]

There are also two screws at the front and rear of the saw by the angle adjustment knobs. You can fiddle with these to get adjust the toe in/out of the saw.

[Ed Balaschak]

I had similar issues with my TS55. The blade/arbor was skewed with respect to the base. Sent it in for a repair and it has been fine since. They took care of the shipping charges since it was new.. Great service even though I was disappointed. It is also important to use a ripping blade or the universal if you are ripping... This shouldn't be an issue with Ply...


My only real grief is that the different blades has a different kerf so the ripping blade or the Panther" blade change the black rubber guide strip so it has to be replaced and or moved and reset(new double sided tape) when you go back to the fine blade...This is a pain.....

Ed