Applications

The TS 55 is capable of performing a wide variety of tasks. The following sections provide information on some of these tasks. This is intended to be an introduction to the capabilities of the saw, but should not be considered as a comprehensive list of its capabilities.

Straight-Lining Rough Lumber

Purchasing lumber directly from a saw mill is significantly less expensive than buying from a home center. However, part of the reason why the lumber is less expensive is because it frequently has not been straight-line ripped.

Sawmills have special straight-line ripping tablesaws, but they charge an extra fee for the service, and straight-lining on a regular tablesaw is complicated.

The TS 55 can quickly and easily straight-line rough lumber using the guide rail. Additionally, if the grain of the wood is diagonal with the cut edge, the TS 55 can be used to re-cut the lumber on a diagonal to match the natural wood grain direction or to avoid defects.

Tips for Successful Straight-Lining

Use the correct blade for the cut. The Panther ripping blade will provide the easiest cutting in any hardwood. A coarse combination blade may be used for softwoods, or

for a finer edge, but it will take more effort to rip the wood.

The Panther blade is aggressive enough that you do not need to fully expose the whole gullet as shown on page 13. For cleaner cuts, expose ½ to a full tooth of the blade below the wood. The deeper the setting, the easier the cut will be.

For a less aggressive, combination blade, you may need to set the depth so the full gullet is exposed below the wood.

Choose the orientation of the guide rail to optimize the board usage. This may have several different options:

Align the cut with the natural wood grain orientation.

Align the cut to avoid defects in the wood.

Align the cut to maximize board width, while eliminating curved edges.

Place the board on sawhorses or elevate it from a work table so you do not cut into your work table.

Instruction Manual

17

Page 17
Image 17
Festool TS 55 EQ instruction manual Applications, Straight-Lining Rough Lumber, Tips for Successful Straight-Lining