Used Hammer N4400 - Further update;
After trying several blades with variously underwhelming results we ended up getting a Lenox 1" CT Woodmaster blade from a supplier in the Netherlands. We also upgraded the tension spring following instructions from
all I can say is what a difference! - the saw cuts smoothly with no noticeable drift and cuts 10" veneers in oak with 0.1mm tolerances along length.
During the process we also swapped out the original worn euro guides with a new set of ceramic guides. I'm not entirely sure what I think of these - the bottom guide is positioned way below the base of the table and the whole design appears poorly thought out. We improved things by turning the bottom guide upside down and 3d printing a spacer which resulted in pushing the guides nearer to the table base. With this adjustment the thrust guide now runs below the side guides but this doesn't appear to have any negative effect.?
I notice Felder sell 2 versions of the ceramic guides - 1 for saws until year of manufacture 2020 and the other for saws as of year of manufacture 2021. As our saw is a 2016 model we obviously bought the version for older saws. I haven't actually had my hands on the other newer version but the design looks better thought, particularly with regards the bottom guides - it appears the guides would sit higher up in the saw nearer to the table base without all the adjustments that we made. My guess is with a little fettling it wouldn't be too difficult to get the newer version to work with an older saw. I would be annoyed if it actually transpires that the newer version actually fits without adjustment to older saws and would question Felder's motives for not making this clear..
Anyway the bottom line is we now have a saw that works as it should.
It's a shame there isn't a uk supplier of the Lenox blades but the supplier in the Netherlands was very helpful and the price was as cheap as if bought in the US..?
