Festool TS75 - Can't make a 45 deg cut

[andrew whicker]

Hi,

To the other Festool TS owners... I finally used this saw for what I expected it could do all along: make a waterfall style cut in a countertop. Turns out, the joint is tight when the final combined angle is well over 90 degrees. Bad enough there is no way to use my tracksaw for a waterfall cut.

I'm pretty bummed about this considering the cost of the tool and the already 'under-powered-ness' of the tool.

Has anyone had this same experience? Is this something I need to call Festool for or do other owners have the same experience?

cheers,

[Jamie Buxton]

My TS75 has done exactly that job for me.

If you bevel the saw over as far as you can make it go, does the angle indicator say 45 degrees?

[Jamie Buxton]

I don’t have my TS75 with me to check this, but on the ts55 there is a blade guard near where the blade exits the workpiece. That guard hits the workpiece if you bevel the saw to 45 degrees, and it must be removed. I think the TS75 has the same feature.

[Wes Grass]

I just checked mine. The riving knife/splitter extends normally with it tilted to 45°. I don't see anything else like a blade guard. It appears to have a hard stop for 45°, a small socket set screw in both of the mounts on the base plate. I'm guessing there's a step on the rib that runs through there for them to hit. By the scale, mine looks like it might go a bit beyond 45, but I'm not sure if I've ever even made an angled cut with it.

By 'more than 90°', do you mean the ends are tucked under or never made it 'down' to vertical? I also noticed that if I don't loosen both of the lock knobs enough it binds up before it gets to 45. IOW, I can't just crack them loose a 1/4 turn and move it full travel.

[johnny means]

We do just this all the time. The saw is capable. check the adjustments. Also, clamping the rail too tight can cause it to rotate just a bit. Rathern it cups just a little causing the cut edge to point upwards, away from coplanar with the work piece.

[Dave Sabo]

The festool saws are not “underpowered”, that’s an urban legend / internet conspiracy. The fact is the have less power than some competitors because they draw less wattage. But that is far from underpowered.

Almost all of the problems and complaints stem from user error. I suspect that’s the case again, here.

If your saw has not been or is not adjusted correctly , you’re not going to get square or accurate beveled cuts. If you didn’t trim the piece to length and then tip the saw to 45deg like festool advises , you’ll have issues. If you have a dull blade , you’ll have issues. If you tried to use the included blade for a rip cut - it’s a problem.

[andrew whicker]

The fact is that I, Andy Whicker, can use a tool and find out for myself whether I believe it to be underpowered or not regardless of internet lore, wattage numbers, etc.

I see no way to adjust the 45 stop. I see a way to adjust the 90 with a set screw. I tried the cut twice. I have a brand new million dollar specialized, holy cow it's from Germany blade on it.

Anyway, I'll problem solve again someday and report back. Not the top of my priorities at the moment. I used my TS and got the job done.

[Wes Grass]

I think he's referring to the set screws in the plastic brackets. From the right side of the saw, inline with the rib on top of the cast guides.

https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/f...-wrong-normal/

[Tony Shea]

Wow Andrew, you're being very critical over something that actually does work for the intended job and then take no time to listen to the advise on the forum. I'm not sure I even understand the reason for you posting this if you don't care what tips and tricks are out there to do exactly what you're trying to do.

I also disagree that the saw is under powered. Just because you can't drive the saw through the material as fast as you can push the saw. If you take your time with the cut the saw actually adjusts the speed of the blade so it maintains the same throughout the cut. I have the TS55 and it has become one of my favorite tools. I'm a hand tool oriented woodworker and still love my TS55.

I've seen hundreds of projects with a waterfall edge created by the TS75 and TS55 with stunning results. IMO the issue is user error and not the tool. Do a little research and be willing to take advise if you decide to post the issue on a forum.

[roger wiegand]

In fairness to Andrew, if a $700 saw can't cut as fast as you can reasonably expect to push it through the material, it's underpowered. The $29 B&D saw I had 40 years ago could do that. If you have to wait for the saw, or any other power tool to climb back up to speed while doing the task it's designed to do, it's underpowered. My Festool track saw (which I dearly love!) is the only tool in my shop that routinely bogs down while being used in a normal fashion, ie the way you would use any other circular saw.

Festool does not do themselves any favors by including a very fine tooth blade as the default blade, a blade with lower tooth count and bigger gullets cuts nearly as well and is hard to get to bog down. I foolishly assumed they provided a blade appropriate for typical carpentry tasks and really struggled with it for a long time. When I finally realized that it had come with a specialty blade intended for thin plywood and swapped it out things got much better.

[Mel Fulks]

Everybody has had that experience and it sells a lot of stuff. I get better joints with a coarser saw and a piece of blue masking tape where
the cut will be. Remember ,when your are sawing an angle ,one side of the blade is cutting with the grain while the other side is cutting
against the grain.

[Mel Fulks]

Roger, Nothing gets traction here in just one telling. Thanks for your good work. We now have Op on right path !

[Wes Grass]

Also consider the effective cut depth at 45° is 40% more than at 90. So your feed rate, or expectations of what you should get, likely need to be adjusted for that.

I ripped a fair bit of 2" cherry with mine. The only issues I recall were the stability of the rail on the crowned surface, compounded by the clamps being offset well to the other side. I think that, and trying to feed too fast, resulted in some less than vertical cuts. Whether the feed rate, or the extra pressure bending the rail down were to blame, I don't know.

[Dave Sabo]

Andy - you still haven’t said what you’re cutting, what blade your using , other than it’s a holy cow German blade, or whether you’re making a rip or cross cut. All of these things make a difference.

Roger , sorry but your good ol 7 1/4” B&D ain’t gonna rip through 8/4 or thicker hardwood with a 40+ tooth blade on it as fast as you can push. Especially on a 45. No way. Saws and blades have to be matched to their purpose. I have a 5hp bandsaw and it’s not going to resaw worth a darn with a 1/4” 13 t.p.i blade on it. My 1.5hp craftsman will out saw it (with the correct The festool saws have circuitry that keeps the speed constant.

Andy - did you check and adjust your saw for 90 & 45 when you got it ?

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[roger wiegand]

Roger , sorry but your good ol 7 1/4” B&D ain’t gonna rip through 8/4 or thicker hardwood with a 40+ tooth blade on it as fast as you can push.

I'm sure it wouldn't nor would I expect it to. As I recall my first saw came with something like a 16 tooth blade (hate to think of how dull it was, this was before carbide blades) and did just fine ripping 2x SPF lumber, a task the festool basically won't do as sold-- but does OK on with a more appropriate blade. I do enjoy the cut quality, dust collection, and the track a whole lot, so am training myself to be patient with it, as I said I love the saw. I do wish they'd have put a beefier motor in it.