Hello,

I recently bought a CSC SYS 50 table saw and must say I’m really pleased. I have a slight issue with the cross cut fence, not in its quality or accuracy but the lack repeat stops. Has anyone made a modification. I am also looking for a wider kerf blade to cut kumiko strips, any thoughts?

To help with this I am making a auxiliary fence and a Fritz and Franz jig for the saw. When finished I’ll make the drawings available.

Incidentally I have been looking for a small, accurate saw to replace my old Jet saw after downsizing my workshop. I will let you know how this goes in a few months!

Regards,
Hal

Thanks Peter!

I'd be interested in see the Fritz and Franz jig on such a small table when you get that worked out.  I'm leaning heavily towards getting the CSC50 myself.

While this particular tool isn't a fit for me, as a sliding table saw owner, I truly appreciate what Festool did with this great machine. It brings a lot of the "why I own a slider" to a smaller, compact form factor that will absolutely kick things up for folks who need/want the size AND the features. If I had to do a serious downsize to a tiny shop, this thing would be on my list for sure. (although I'd prefer to be able to work plugged in rather than on batteries)

I have a slight issue with the cross cut fence, not in its quality or accuracy but the lack repeat stops.

I’ve only owned mine for a couple of days (!), but the mitre fence is my only disappointment so far. I wish it had more clamping / stop options too. It seems like the one afterthought. I had hoped that the attachment points would accept a 2040 with a simple change of the nut, but it’s not compatible unfortunately (unless you slice a bit off the bottom of the 2040 — I’m tempted!).

In the short term, I’ll be using the the rip fence for stops. If you undo the knob, part of the fence slides forward in front of the blade (leaving space behind it) allowing you to use it as a stop, without the risk of material being trapped / getting kickback. Would that work for you? Or am I missing something in your question?

I am also looking for a wider kerf blade to cut kumiko strips, any thoughts?

The manual seems pretty intransigent on blade dimensions — even specifying that the saw plate thickness has to be 1.2mm and the kerf has to be 1.8mm (unlike, for example, the TSC 55K, which allows 1.1-1.4mm for the plate and the HKC 55, which allows up to 2.2mm for the kerf). It doesn’t look like there’s an official solution for that.

To help with this I am making a auxiliary fence and a Fritz and Franz jig for the saw.

Thanks for this The Fritz and Franz jig was news to me, as I’ve never had a sliding table before.

If I were to make one for the CSC SYS 50, I think I would make use of the clamping groove rather than use the mitre fence. It’s effectively a second slot and if both pieces of the jig use both slots — with the forward one clamped in the clamping groove* — it would be very stable and could be made to a very high level of precision/accuracy.

* maybe with a t-bolt and knob, rather than a clamp.

The whole saw is a compromise since the primary goal was to fit it in a systainer. Of course the fence and miter bar are going to be crappy just as they are for all small portable table saws and given it uses a battery there will be blade restrictions and limited run time. the digital height and angle setting features are very nice and the SawStop technology is a requirement if safety is paramount. There have to be big gives as you go smaller on almost anything.

Fitting such a small saw in a systainer is its genius. Ultimate portability.*

The fence and mitre bar are absolutely not crappy. Have you seen the saw? Touched it? In photos / videos, it looks a bit like it might have the build quality of a laserjet (which in itself would be waaay above the build quality the Proxxon FET, for example). But it’s not. The build quality is the best I have ever seen in a Festool — and I have many of the “flagship” products. This isn’t just up there with the best, it’s way better.

The mitre fence is plain and has no points of attachment. But it’s not crappy.

The rip fence is really really solid / square, with ways to attach jigs. The pull out feature is a nice addition.

The mitre locks in place and is rock solid with the slider. And the slider is amazingly solid and square. No play in it whatsoever. Super glidey. It’s a really fine piece of engineering.

Blade choice is indeed restrictive, but you can cut to a height of 50mm, which is enough for me.

I haven’t tested all-day use on the batteries, and likely never will, as I won’t be laying floors with it. But even if they don’t last a full day, just get a couple of spares. Or throw them in the charger while you have lunch. I don’t get battery “range anxiety”, but I know some feel it acutely (and I’m about to find out, because I’m selling my HKC 55 with its charger in the next few days (and it’s my only charger) and the new charger hasn’t arrived yet  )

SawStop would have made it a slam dunk for many, but there just isn’t the room.** I’m sure someone somewhere is working on a smaller design, but clearly it’s not ready yet. Maybe at some point in the future. In the meantime, the riving knife and blade guard are very easy to switch in and out, which means they will get used. No screwdrivers etc needed — just an internal button that you use the allen key to push.

I’m borderline on the fold-up table. It’s a very well executed fold up table, as fold-up tables go, but perhaps the addition of an extra locking mechanism would make it even better. It has a tiny amount of play front/back (around 0.2mm — you can feel and hear it, but hardly see it), but none side/side, and no up/down where the tables join. There’s a slight amount of up/down play at the extremity, but gravity is holding it down and you’re pressing down in use. And the extremity is adjustable if it gets out of flat with the main table.

Throwing in a couple of zero clearance inserts would have been a nice addition. They have a complex geometry and would really need a CNC / Shaper Origin / 3D printer to make new ones.

As I say, I’ve only had it a few days and the mitre fence is the only thing I can really criticise.

Otherwise, it’s very innovative and a major achievement / milestone for Festool — a change from just trying to producing a better jigsaw / track saw etc. to rethinking the whole machine.

*  I also hope it’s the first of many in this form factor. I’m space-constrained (as are many in Europe / in cities) and could use the space. E.g. I’d sell my CMS immediately for a smaller systainer version of a router table — and this saw’s surface area with the table folded out is as already big as a CMS. Developing the idea further: they have the sliding table and a lift mechanism in the saw already. Add a small router spindle like the Shaper Origin’s and drill a couple of holes in the table for a fence and voilà . When can I order? 

** or rather, inside there is a surprising amount of room. Maybe in a future version they will use it all for something.

I don’t know about the US but they did a bit of a UK tour with it earlier this year. I saw it at an Axminster store and even got to do a couple of test cuts with it. It is extremely impressive. I completely agree with ElectricFeet that it exudes build quality. The sliding table is absolutely rock solid with no play whatsoever. Amazingly quiet in operation, and excellent cut quality (one of the demonstrations was on a piece of laminated worktop). Only downside for me was the price!

The Festool reps acknowledged the size restriction but made the fair point that if you are intending to break down sheet goods, they already have other options at your disposal.

I started to remember all of the times when I needed to make dozens of identically-sized strips, or similar repetitive work which needed to be super-accurate - and I also remembered a hundred other things, including the ridiculous amount of time I must have spent over the years making jigs to ensure that strips ripped on a TS55 were all the same width, just for starters.

Yup. My experience too (but without the 34 years as a professional ). Right now I need to cut 6 French cleats in 19mm birch ply, from a piece that is 1300x400mm. That would be a real stretch with my TSC 55K, or my Byrnes tablesaw (no easy and consistent 45 degree option (and it’s just too small)), or the Proxxon FET that I gave away (forget using that for literally anything) or the HKC55 I’m selling. If I had space, I would have bought a SawStop ages ago, but I don’t. The CSC SYS 50 is what I’ve really needed all these years and all roads led to here. Sounds melodramatic, but I’ve been battling with this conundrum — no-space-for-consistent-rip-cuts — for years.

I think you can see where I'm going with this ......

I struggled with the decision — price mainly. Then I found a buyer for the HKC 55 and it became a lot easier.

I can’t imagine that you would cut the strips on a table saw.  I would guess that a band saw would be the saw of choice for that kind of work.

Here’s a vid showing how it’s done on a tablesaw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxG-NbUzMVE?t=548

My setup.

Very good so far, battery life is good too.


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I am relative newbie to european style sliders... but one question came up for me.  How does one do a rip cut with a bevel since the blade tilts towards the fence?

I am relative newbie to european style sliders... but one question came up for me.  How does one do a rip cut with a bevel since the blade tilts towards the fence?

Per to the manual, you:

• Remove the preset profile setting rail [= the mitre gauge]
• Fit the parallel side fence [= the (removable) fence]
• If the saw blade is inclined towards the par­allel side fence [9B] [it always is, unless you're cutting at 0 to -10°]:
• Rotate the stop rail [9-1]  [=the alu profile attached to fence] so that the lower side faces the saw blade so that there is more space for the push stick and the saw blade does not come into contact with the stop rail [=so it's more like a backwards L, rather than a P]
• If there is still insufficient space for the push stick between the protective cover [blade guard] and stop rail, use a push block [not supplied -- a grripper works well]
• In order to prevent jams and workpiece kickbacks [which is what I presume @woodferret is asking about], set the stop rail so that its rear end is at the height of a 45° line leading from the centre of the saw blade
• Set the inclination angle of the saw blade on the control module [the screen]
• Guide the workpiece along the parallel side fence

And the relevant pic, to make it clearer:


I ripped some cleats last weekend and it worked really well, despite my misgivings about the whole setup.

Side note: I wish Festool had used industry standard terminology when translating this manual into English, rather than making up their own. I found myself constantly having to look at the pics to figure out what they were talking about. "Spacer wedge"? -- what's wrong with riving knife or splitter? And -- splutter --  "preset profile setting rail" for mitre gauge? C'mon

(Though I should say that they deserve credit for having written a slightly better and more instructive manual than usual in this case -- terminology excepted.)

My setup.


...

I'm trying to understand the flat blade cover in @dunk 's picture. Festool show how to create one in their quick guide video:



As a newbie table saw user, I cannot figure out when I would want use it.

• If I'm doing a wide rip cut or a cross cut, then -- at least from Festool's point of view -- the supplied blade guard should do the job, shouldn't it? (I know that a lot of woodworkers never use the supplied blade guard, for various reasons.)
• If I'm doing a thin rip cut, then I don't want a blade cover or blade guard at all, as I will generally want to use a push stick or push block, at least at the end -- and this flat cover or the supplied blade guard would interfere with that (and also may interfere with the fence).
• Festool's video says: "For special work (e.g. groove cuts) you have to cover the saw blade. In this video we show you how to make such a cover quickly and easily.". But why would you want to cover the blade for a groove cut? Aren't you using a push block in this scenario?

So why does Festool show us how to build one of these?  The phrase "For special work (e.g. groove cuts) you have to cover the saw blade" sounds like they are citing a legal requirement, but if so, why isn't the cover included with the saw?

Under what circumstances would I want to use this? @dunk 's example -- for partial thin rip cuts -- seems like a situation in which I might want a flat cover, but it's not what Festool is saying.

And a secondary question: Does it help with dust collection in some scenarios?

I'm an experienced track saw user, but I'm new to table saws with the CSC SYS 50. So still finding my way.

Quote from: dunk on June 12, 2023, 08:29 AM

My setup.


...

I'm trying to understand the flat blade cover in @dunk 's picture. Festool show how to create one in their quick guide video:



As a newbie table saw user, I cannot figure out when I would want use it.

• If I'm doing a wide rip cut or a cross cut, then -- at least from Festool's point of view -- the supplied blade guard should do the job, shouldn't it? (I know that a lot of woodworkers never use the supplied blade guard, for various reasons.)
• If I'm doing a thin rip cut, then I don't want a blade cover or blade guard at all, as I will generally want to use a push stick or push block, at least at the end -- and this flat cover or the supplied blade guard would interfere with that (and also may interfere with the fence).
• Festool's video says: "For special work (e.g. groove cuts) you have to cover the saw blade. In this video we show you how to make such a cover quickly and easily.". But why would you want to cover the blade for a groove cut? Aren't you using a push block in this scenario?

So why does Festool show us how to build one of these?  The phrase "For special work (e.g. groove cuts) you have to cover the saw blade" sounds like they are citing a legal requirement, but if so, why isn't the cover included with the saw?

Under what circumstances would I want to use this? @dunk 's example -- for partial thin rip cuts -- seems like a situation in which I might want a flat cover, but it's not what Festool is saying.

And a secondary question: Does it help with dust collection in some scenarios?

I'm an experienced track saw user, but I'm new to table saws with the CSC SYS 50. So still finding my way.

I personally use it for small rebate cuts, I also like to see what I’m doing and use it instead of the crown guard. I think for me it’s just a personal preference.

I’m not a lover of using a table saw without a crown guard for safety reasons and as I said earlier it gives me a little bit more visibility.


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Is it possible to use a CT 26 for dust extraction?

@unknown user, if you mean via bluetooth yes, via 202097. Btw welcome to the fog

@Bencan I noticed your miter fence is black with graduations on it. Did that come with your saw? Mine has a plain silver fence.

@Bencan I noticed your miter fence is black with graduations on it. Did that come with your saw? Mine has a plain silver fence.

That's a Benchdogs fence (logo in the lower right corner)

They make a right-side support fence, which looks to be ideal, and is 13 inches long. https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/fence-systems-1/products/dual-scale-right-hand-side-support-fence-only (available in imperial, metric, and dual-scale)

in @dunk 's photos it looks to have bar of the bottom milled off, I wonder if he can confirm?

Hey, is there an adjustment for leveling the sliding table?  On mine, the table slopes downward, with the outside edge sitting approximately 1mm lower than the level of the fixed table.  This results in mitered cuts being not quite square if the workpiece is sitting flat on the sliding table.

Quote from: Frodebro on September 17, 2023, 10:35 AM

Hey, is there an adjustment for leveling the sliding table?  On mine, the table slopes downward, with the outside edge sitting approximately 1mm lower than the level of the fixed table.  This results in mitered cuts being not quite square if the workpiece is sitting flat on the sliding table.

There is a procedure in the manual for adjusting the sliding table. I've only skimmed that part, since mine seems to be ok.

There are two procedures. One covers horizontal alignment with the blade; the other covers height. The don’t cover sloping down from the blade.

Maybe you could do up/down and add a shim on the far side.

I’m interested in the, because mine slopes slightly too. Not as much as @Frodebro ’s, though.

Does anyone else have this?

I'm looking at replacing my large table saw with this Festool saw due to shop size constraints.  I'm pretty invested in the Festool ecosystem, so my question is what is the height of the table saw when it's set on the stand?  I am assuming that I could use my MFT as additional outfeed support and that the heights would match, but for some reason I'm having a hard time finding the dimensions.

In my world, It would sit folded on the cart tucked away, so if I pull the cart out and set it up next to my MFT I'm hopeful they ensured they line up perfectly and any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Quote from: pixelated on September 17, 2023, 04:05 PM

Quote from: Frodebro on September 17, 2023, 10:35 AM

Hey, is there an adjustment for leveling the sliding table?  On mine, the table slopes downward, with the outside edge sitting approximately 1mm lower than the level of the fixed table.  This results in mitered cuts being not quite square if the workpiece is sitting flat on the sliding table.

There is a procedure in the manual for adjusting the sliding table. I've only skimmed that part, since mine seems to be ok.

There are two procedures. One covers horizontal alignment with the blade; the other covers height. The don’t cover sloping down from the blade.

Maybe you could do up/down and add a shim on the far side.

I’m interested in the, because mine slopes slightly too. Not as much as @Frodebro ’s, though.

Does anyone else have this?

I guess I’ll either have to dig into it a little bit, or else come up with an alternative solution. 

I'm looking at replacing my large table saw with this Festool saw due to shop size constraints.  I'm pretty invested in the Festool ecosystem, so my question is what is the height of the table saw when it's set on the stand?  I am assuming that I could use my MFT as additional outfeed support and that the heights would match, but for some reason I'm having a hard time finding the dimensions.

In my world, It would sit folded on the cart tucked away, so if I pull the cart out and set it up next to my MFT I'm hopeful they ensured they line up perfectly and any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks!

If you’re seriously space constrained, then it’s an idea, but as @JimH2 says, it’s not a replacement for a full-sized saw. Infeed / outfeed support is not as good as having infeed / outfeed on the saw itself.

It depends on the quality / size of your current saw, of course, and the type of work you will be doing.

However, I’d also think hard about whether the Festool table is right for you. It uses a lot of space when open. It’s also a pain to continually get out and put away if you’re in a workshop (great if you’re mobile, of course). You might be better off building your own cart to the right height.

See Peter Millard’s video in which he built a small cart for his. He is in a very constrained space:

Izzy Swan developed an infeed saddle for a few tablesaws. I wonder if that same idea could be applied here.

Izzy Swan Infeed Saddle

A friend and I have developed a flag style flip stop that works with the stock fence (rip fence switched to miter gauge position). The stop will work with the fence in either position. I should have some ready to ship first week of October. Will keep you posted.

Does the Bow Featherboard fit right out of the box? I did not measure but the miter bar looks to have a non-standard width.

Yes it does

Does the Bow Featherboard fit right out of the box? I did not measure but the miter bar looks to have a non-standard width.

Does anyone have the same issue with non alignement between sliding table and saw table ?

I have 0.3° difference. Should I consider as normal? Any adjustment?

Yes, mine’s the same. (Or rather it’s ~0.35 or ~0.25 (can’t remember) and ~0.3 is the nearest 1/10th)

No, I don’t think it should be like this.

Since I noticed, I’m setting the saw angle accordingly, depending on whether I’m using the fence or the table. 

I suppose I should go check mine.
But it might be best to send it in on warranty.