Cutting Precise, Parallel & Repeatable with F Guide Rails
Jan 21, 2015 9:11:42 GMT -5
thedude306 and dbthomas like this
Post by MrToolJunkie on Jan 21, 2015 9:11:42 GMT -5
There has been talk on getting some kind of repeater system for parallel cuts with the F-Rails similar to offerings made for other track systems like Festool. I have and use Festool's version and I have often thought about trying Rip Dogs version or Seneca's version. I have also looked at different solutions for Mafell's F-Guides. I think I posted a version made by another Woodworker in Germany of a version that clips to the top rib of the F-Guide. While these systems work and look cool, in practice I think that they have their short-comings, they are expensive, clunky and repeatable accuracy can be finicky. Festool's versions flop around and you are dealing with a weird U channel that presents its own challenges.
After all this pondering and scheming I have found a system that I think is much less cumbersome, deadly accurate, repeatable and pretty fast. It does not require any fussy attachments to the rail or numerous other parts to buy and store. It relies on using the precision machining on the guide rails and is not costly - and if you have seen some of my You Tube videos, I show it in use and I can get precise, repeatable results to within .001 of each other - plenty good for working wood -- it is using a simple stop rule.
To use, simply make a mark, line up the cut to the rubber edge or if using the jigsaw just measure the offset between the blade and the edge of the rail and then use the stop rule to line up your cut to the guide rail. You can then quickly move the stop at a few places along the edge for ultra precise alignment that will be parallel to the rail. Since we know the rail is straight, your cut will also be straight and parallel. Have numerous cuts to make that are the same? No problem - the stop rule locks down and you can cut the same width all day long using this method. It is fast, simple, cheap and does not take up much space. They also sell stop rules in a couple of different sizes. I have been using the 12 inch that covers 90% of what I need since it gives you a distance of 12 inches plus the width of the guide rail. However, I think that Lee Valley sells one that is 18 inches and that would pretty much cover your sheet goods alignment. If you have not tried this method I encourage you to give it go and see if you get as good of results as I have. I am no longer looking at parallel guides for use with the F-Rails and it is one less thing I need to mess with. It fits in my tool box for any site work and one less thing to carry.
Just wanted to throw this suggestion out there.
After all this pondering and scheming I have found a system that I think is much less cumbersome, deadly accurate, repeatable and pretty fast. It does not require any fussy attachments to the rail or numerous other parts to buy and store. It relies on using the precision machining on the guide rails and is not costly - and if you have seen some of my You Tube videos, I show it in use and I can get precise, repeatable results to within .001 of each other - plenty good for working wood -- it is using a simple stop rule.
To use, simply make a mark, line up the cut to the rubber edge or if using the jigsaw just measure the offset between the blade and the edge of the rail and then use the stop rule to line up your cut to the guide rail. You can then quickly move the stop at a few places along the edge for ultra precise alignment that will be parallel to the rail. Since we know the rail is straight, your cut will also be straight and parallel. Have numerous cuts to make that are the same? No problem - the stop rule locks down and you can cut the same width all day long using this method. It is fast, simple, cheap and does not take up much space. They also sell stop rules in a couple of different sizes. I have been using the 12 inch that covers 90% of what I need since it gives you a distance of 12 inches plus the width of the guide rail. However, I think that Lee Valley sells one that is 18 inches and that would pretty much cover your sheet goods alignment. If you have not tried this method I encourage you to give it go and see if you get as good of results as I have. I am no longer looking at parallel guides for use with the F-Rails and it is one less thing I need to mess with. It fits in my tool box for any site work and one less thing to carry.
Just wanted to throw this suggestion out there.