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Supplemental Owner’s Manual 17
Crosscutting and Trimming
No other saw on the market can outperform a Festool
for splinter-free, ne crosscutting. With other saws, the
problem is two-fold; getting a straight cut, and achiev-
ing a splinter-free cut. The TS55 handles these problems
effortlessly.
Tips for Successful Crosscutting
► Use the correct blade for the cut.
► Crosscutting ne veneered wood should use the ne
crosscut blade. The Alternate-Top-Bevel teeth will slice
the wood bers best, with virtually no chipping.
► Crosscutting soft lumber, or lumber-core veneers should
use the ne crosscut blade or the combination blade.
With fewer teeth than the ne crosscut blade, the
combination blade will be more aggressive for cutting,
yet still provide good chip-free cutting.
► Crosscutting thick hardwood lumber, and difcult to cut
lumber should use the coarse crosscut blade. The coarse
tooth-count of this blade provides very aggressive cut-
ting of difcult material, but won’t provide as smooth of
a nish as the ner blades.
► Cutting plastic-veneer countertops or solid surface
materials should use the ne laminate blade. The Triple-
Chip-Grind of this blade lasts longer in hard materials
and reduces chipping in man-made materials. The
triple-chip-grind will provide good cuts in wood veneers,
but not as good as the alternate-top-bevel ne crosscut
blade.
► For small offcuts, overhang the workpiece from a work
table or saw horses (as shown below). For larger offcuts,
support both the primary piece and the offcut.
► If the offcut is reusable, use the outrigger splinter guard
to prevent chipping.
► Make sure the workpiece is secure. The lightweight door
shown in the example below would slide on the table if not
clamped down.
► Make sure the guide rail is secure if it can move during the
cut. In the example below, starting the cut with the saw
behind the workpiece can cause the guide rail to tip up
and move. (The guide rail clamps are below the guide rail,
and not visible.)
► Don’t start the cut by plunging the saw into the wood, as
this can lead to tearout at the bottom-back of the saw-
blade. Start the cut with the blade down and behind the
workpiece (as described on page 11), and advance the
saw forward into the cut.
► Setting the blade depth too shallow (just barely penetrat-
ing the underside of the workpiece) can cause tearout on
the underside of the cut.
Festool Dust
Extractor
Fine Cross-
cut Blade
Workpiece
Overhangs Table
Workpiece
Clamp
Veneer
Door