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Post by dragoonv on Sept 12, 2021 4:29:21 GMT -5
Hey all,
I have recently bought a FC rail square, hoping to get a perfect square cut with my MT55 & the track.
The rail square itself feels very solid and good in hand. However, I have used the 5 cut method on quite a few panels and what I have found is that results are often off by about 0.5mm-1mm between the two ends of the cut. I did managed to get few cuts that were not off but most of the time they were off by 0.5mm. Most of my cuts were about 500-900mm long.
I made sure there is no wiggle when the rail square is dialed in. Rail square is hard against the reference edge, clamped the other side of the track with two clamps. Just to be safe I have also clamped the rail square as well. For some reason it is still off.
Would someone shed some light on why I might be getting the inconsistent cuts? perhaps help me with the correct way of setting the system up?
Thanks!
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Post by alvychippy on Sept 12, 2021 11:26:26 GMT -5
I think your expectations are beyond whats reasonable. x4 500-900 + x4 change overs... with any other method or square you'd end with way more than 1mm
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Post by aas on Sept 12, 2021 13:12:46 GMT -5
I have the FC square and despite things I don't like about his way of doing business (Paypal friends and family, no VAT invoice, etc.); and poor blotchy finish - especially bearing in mind the very high price, it was also poorly packaged and one of the flip out supports was damaged during shipping (he did send a new one of these)... but it does work. Even a 5 cut and you will finish up square.
The fact that you have managed to get a few cuts square and others are off suggests user error - there are no moving parts on the square.
I'm not sure if the fixing methods have changed since I got min, I think I have a MK4 - but you slide the rail on, and tighten up the middle of the excentric allen bolt making sure the outer hex nut stays flat against the side of rail - you don't need to over-do the tightness.
- make sure your saw is correctly snugged up to the rail and has a sharp blade - a blunt blade requires more force and can push the rail to pivot around the furthest right contact point.
- make sure the non slip beads on the rail are clean - cleaning alcohol works fine for this.
- make sure the front edge of the square stays in full contact during all of the cut.
If you do a 5 cut test several times, you should get the same result each time - it should be square, period.
This is what it is designed for and well within the scope of this accessory, I have used mine for 3m + cuts with no problem; I have added a ply extension with handle for easier carrying and holding the square tight on the wood.
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Post by dragoonv on Sept 13, 2021 4:35:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the response. The quality and the packaging are not too bad for mine but I have to admit it is still quite an expensive piece of kit. I was hoping it would give me perfect square cuts as my previous methods were still giving me inconsistent results. Unfortunately it is not easy as I was expected. I had made sure that the front edge is hard against the reference edge and clamped the square to the cut piece as well two clamps on the other end of the rail. Confirmed tonight that the track saw is sitting tightly on the rail. Maybe I should check my blade. I will do some test cut on something that is thinner. I was doing my test cuts on 18mm birch plys. How did you attach your extension onto the rail? I have the FC square and despite things I don't like about his way of doing business (Paypal friends and family, no VAT invoice, etc.); and poor blotchy finish - especially bearing in mind the very high price, it was also poorly packaged and one of the flip out supports was damaged during shipping (he did send a new one of these)... but it does work. Even a 5 cut and you will finish up square. The fact that you have managed to get a few cuts square and others are off suggests user error - there are no moving parts on the square. I'm not sure if the fixing methods have changed since I got min, I think I have a MK4 - but you slide the rail on, and tighten up the middle of the excentric allen bolt making sure the outer hex nut stays flat against the side of rail - you don't need to over-do the tightness. - make sure your saw is correctly snugged up to the rail and has a sharp blade - a blunt blade requires more force and can push the rail to pivot around the furthest right contact point. - make sure the non slip beads on the rail are clean - cleaning alcohol works fine for this. - make sure the front edge of the square stays in full contact during all of the cut. If you do a 5 cut test several times, you should get the same result each time - it should be square, period. This is what it is designed for and well within the scope of this accessory, I have used mine for 3m + cuts with no problem; I have added a ply extension with handle for easier carrying and holding the square tight on the wood.
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Post by dragoonv on Sept 13, 2021 4:38:05 GMT -5
Hmmm, what would the rail square if it is not going to give you a square cut? It is not consistently giving me 0.5mm difference. Sometimes it is 1, sometimes it is 0.5, sometimes it is spot on.... It is quite hard to make a simpe box from that sort of inconsistency. I think your expectations are beyond whats reasonable. x4 500-900 + x4 change overs... with any other method or square you'd end with way more than 1mm
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Post by aas on Sept 13, 2021 7:44:06 GMT -5
Hmmm, what would the rail square if it is not going to give you a square cut? It is not consistently giving me 0.5mm difference. Sometimes it is 1, sometimes it is 0.5, sometimes it is spot on.... It is quite hard to make a simpe box from that sort of inconsistency. I think your expectations are beyond whats reasonable. x4 500-900 + x4 change overs... with any other method or square you'd end with way more than 1mm If the rail and square are well attached and you are pushing the square into the work, the inconsistency is coming from the saw/blade setup, or user error. Try what I suggested - new or sharp blade, well adjusted on the tracks - and redo a 5 cut test.
I drilled and tapped the square to fit the accessories.
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Post by dragoonv on Sept 15, 2021 23:55:05 GMT -5
I gave the rail square another try last night, except this time I used the Festool rail. For some reason I got some square cuts.... I will do a bit more testing over the weekend but it would be pretty annoying if I cannot get square cut because of the Mafell rail... Hmmm, what would the rail square if it is not going to give you a square cut? It is not consistently giving me 0.5mm difference. Sometimes it is 1, sometimes it is 0.5, sometimes it is spot on.... It is quite hard to make a simpe box from that sort of inconsistency. If the rail and square are well attached and you are pushing the square into the work, the inconsistency is coming from the saw/blade setup, or user error. Try what I suggested - new or sharp blade, well adjusted on the tracks - and redo a 5 cut test.
I drilled and tapped the square to fit the accessories.
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Post by aas on Sept 16, 2021 4:46:37 GMT -5
The Mafell rails are as well engineered as the Festool rails. I'm glad you've managed to get square cuts thouhgh... persevere with the Mafell rails, you'll work it out.
I'll try and remember to post an image of my support...
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Post by dragoonv on Sept 19, 2021 17:31:47 GMT -5
I had another few go's the past weekend. The square is indeed giving me square cut with the festool rail. I feel that the mafell for some reason can move slightly when you cut whereas the non-slipping foam for festool does its job. Kind of annoying because I would prefer to use the mafell track.. The Mafell rails are as well engineered as the Festool rails. I'm glad you've managed to get square cuts thouhgh... persevere with the Mafell rails, you'll work it out. I'll try and remember to post an image of my support...
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Post by aas on Sept 20, 2021 3:01:28 GMT -5
The Mafell track does not grip as well as the Festool rail. There are a couple of solutions : as a temporary measure, clean the non-slip strips on the Mafell rail with cleaning alcohol - it does not damage the strips and makes it grip better. Second, you can buy the Festool foam strips, and if slightly stretched when you fit it, it goes into the groove on the base of the Mafell rail - I've done this on one of my Mafell rails and will do the rest when I get time - the difference is worth the cost. Lastly, a support on the square with a handle will help a lot.
If the rails is moving with the square attached, it maybe that the blade is a bit blunt so you are forcing the cut; it maybe that the saw is too tight on the tracks and is requiring too much force to push.
The best thing you can do is get some of the Festool foam strip, you won't regret it.
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