Hi all. Approx a year and a half ago I purchased a 75" track to use mainly with Baltic birch sheet goods that are 5ft by 5ft. I have multiple tracks and this is probably only the second time I have ever even used this one. It has been stored in a rack laying flat with no stress on it and has no dmamge to it at all. Well, long story short i pull it out today to cut some Baltic birch for a cabinet back only to find it to be wayy off. I guess I didn't notice it when I first bought it but Jesus Christ this thing is 3/8" out in the middle of the 75" and bows back to each end. I could probably get as good results using a 2x4 as a guide. At first I thought sell it and buy another one but I don't want to pass this off on another craftsman. I'm going to email the company and try to hunt up where I purchased it from and see if I can't get it replaced, I could care less if it's out of warranty as I have spent a small fortune on their tools. I know my 8ft guide is much more accurate than this as are my 40" ones. I never thought to check it when I got it as i assumed festool had better quality control in place but plan on checking the next one before I use it. Has anyone else had this problem and what is their advertised accuracy on their longer guide rails?
75" guide rail accuracy
- Thread starter matthew75
- Start date
I would suggest calling Festool versus an email to start out.
I have never seen a claim by Festool as the accuracy tolerances of a rail but what you described would certainly be far out.
Peter
I have never seen a claim by Festool as the accuracy tolerances of a rail but what you described would certainly be far out.
Peter
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 11,163
If it's bowing in the middle, you may be putting lateral pressure on the saw as you go down the rail. Especially if it's clamped, you would potentially get a bow.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 11,163
Lay on something, scribe a line, flip it, scribe it again. Are they on top of each other? Rudimentary way to see if it's straight or not.
When I bought my recon 55 it came with a 1400 track that was out 3mm in the last 24", I have a lot of 8020 that I checked it against. Called Bob who refered me to Indiana and they sent me a new rail. I still have the warped rail meaning to cut it down but still have not gotten around to it. I have the 3000, a 1900, two LS 1400s, 2 regular 1400s ( one warped), a 1080 that came with my MFT, and two 800s. All are straight as an arrow.
Remember the saw the tension mechanism that rides on the ridge ( I am not going to bother to go get documentation as to what their real names are!) For the saw to be cutting that crooked, it seems like the ridge must be messed up --- bent or how about "pinched". Pinching would screw it up. The sides of the rail have nothing to do with straightness. Could the tension mechanism have gotten loose?
