A short FS rail for the TSC55 that fits in the Sys 5.

[Kev]

I'm sure there'll be a stack of people shortening a rail and tucking it in their Sys 5 with a clamp for those odd cut off jobs that don't need a full rail. I can even imagine a short rail with an angle gauge and built in clamp, all snuggled in with the saw [wink] [smile]

 

[dpetrzelka]

I've been thinking about tracking down a damaged rail for the very purpose of cutting it down.

A short rail and a rapid clamp set would make easy work of a number of projects where I don't have a miter saw with me.

 

[tjbnwi]

I've been thinking about tracking down a damaged rail for the very purpose of cutting it down.

A short rail and a rapid clamp set would make easy work of a number of projects where I don't have a miter saw with me.

No need to track down a damaged rail, make your own-----I did. There is such a sense of pride doing things yourself [big grin]

Tom

 

[Benjamin]

how about putting a 2ft rail in a sys maxi?

you could put a ton of clamps and goodies in there as well?

maybe make a clamp sys with foam and a track on top?

 

[wow]

how about putting a 2ft rail in a sys maxi?

you could put a ton of clamps and goodies in there as well?

maybe make a clamp sys with foam and a track on top?

Or just put a 55 incher on the back of your SysRoll or MFTC?

Random neuron firing alert - I wonder if it would be possible to engineer a practical fold-up rail?

 

[RC]

how about putting a 2ft rail in a sys maxi?

you could put a ton of clamps and goodies in there as well?

maybe make a clamp sys with foam and a track on top?

Or just put a 55 incher on the back of your SysRoll or MFTC?

Random neuron firing alert - I wonder if it would be possible to engineer a practical fold-up rail?

I guess if you could manufacture the profiles in such a way that there are piano hinge like loops at the ends of the rail flush with the rail thickness you could make one fold easily enough, but with the ridges on the top side of the rail you can't really fold it the other way. Even folding the bottoms together you probably would need to at least have the non-slip strips offset from each other to be able to close the halves together.

 

[Kev]

how about putting a 2ft rail in a sys maxi?

you could put a ton of clamps and goodies in there as well?

maybe make a clamp sys with foam and a track on top?

Or just put a 55 incher on the back of your SysRoll or MFTC?

Random neuron firing alert - I wonder if it would be possible to engineer a practical fold-up rail?

I guess if you could manufacture the profiles in such a way that there are piano hinge like loops at the ends of the rail flush with the rail thickness you could make one fold easily enough, but with the ridges on the top side of the rail you can't really fold it the other way. Even folding the bottoms together you probably would need to at least have the non-slip strips offset from each other to be able to close the halves together.

Maybe an interlock pattern and a set of filaments running through it to tension the deployed rail. May sacrifice a millimetre in height. At least Festool could create simple elements and allow the user to thread up a rail of any length ... cheaper shipping too!!

 

[mrboult]

What I have thought about doing is chopping a rail up into systainer sized pieces and using a lot of the joining bars to reconnect them into a decent sized rail.  If I could cram a 1400 rail into a sys 1 in pieces then that would be pretty useful to me. 

I realise I would likely be sacrificing some accuracy with a 1400 rail that has 6 joins in it. But I can see it being a convenient option from time to time.

As for folding rails. . . . I wonder if something more like the ruler below would be the easiest design? Quite wide when folded though . . .

 

[bkharman]

Well this is timely!  [wink]

I had sent this through Shane to Festool Engineering in Germany just recently.  I wanted to make a portable rail kit and came up with the FS 350.  It will build out to 1400 mm (and beyond!!), is solid (perhaps too solid) and will fit about 6-8 of them in a Sys-5 for easy transport.

I made it 15mm thick to allow the interlocking but i know that has to change or it has to sprout several holes and cutouts to keep the weight down.  Would love to hear your thoughts on it.  I know it isn't perfect, but I do think it would be a good start.  Also, Shane said that the engineering guys often look in on the FOG for ideas and such...  [wink] [wink]

 

[semenza]

What I have thought about doing is chopping a rail up into systainer sized pieces and using a lot of the joining bars to reconnect them into a decent sized rail.  If I could cram a 1400 rail into a sys 1 in pieces then that would be pretty useful to me. 

I realise I would likely be sacrificing some accuracy with a 1400 rail that has 6 joins in it. But I can see it being a convenient option from time to time.

As for folding rails. . . . I wonder if something more like the ruler below would be the easiest design? Quite wide when folded though . . .

A 1400 in a regular systainer would only need three joints (four sections).  But don't forget the MidiSys that would hold a 1400 in three sections so two joints.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I have never felt that it would be worth the assembly / disassembly compared to just carrying the 1400 rail. If I could get a 2700 into a systainer without a bazillion connections that would be different.

Seth

 

[dpetrzelka]

Ouch! Like most projects, we'd love to see step-by-step process on that

I've been thinking about tracking down a damaged rail for the very purpose of cutting it down.

A short rail and a rapid clamp set would make easy work of a number of projects where I don't have a miter saw with me.

No need to track down a damaged rail, make your own-----I did. There is such a sense of pride doing things yourself [big grin]

Tom

 

[mrboult]

What I have thought about doing is chopping a rail up into systainer sized pieces and using a lot of the joining bars to reconnect them into a decent sized rail.  If I could cram a 1400 rail into a sys 1 in pieces then that would be pretty useful to me. 

I realise I would likely be sacrificing some accuracy with a 1400 rail that has 6 joins in it. But I can see it being a convenient option from time to time.

As for folding rails. . . . I wonder if something more like the ruler below would be the easiest design? Quite wide when folded though . . .

A 1400 in a regular systainer would only need three joints (four sections).  But don't forget the MidiSys that would hold a 1400 in three sections so two joints.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I have never felt that it would be worth the assembly / disassembly compared to just carrying the 1400 rail. If I could get a 2700 into a systainer without a bazillion connections that would be different.

Seth

Thanks Seth,  I hadn't bothered doing the actual maths.  I live in London and sometimes it just works out easier to take the tube to little jobs.  A few systainers on my sys-cart works well for this. I can quickly split it into two halves to tackle a flight flight of stairs or a big tube-platform gap.  A 1400 rail on my back makes this whole thing more of a pain. Therefore a 1400 rail in a sys 1 would be ideal.

 

[bkharman]

I figured I would add some more details...

With my concept, you could fit at least 6 probably 8 rail segments in a Sys-5.  That would give you 2100 mm to 2800 mm in a box.  I don't think accuracy would be lost and in fact since the key would run mostly through the entire rail, I think you would be better off with 6 joints than joining two 1400 rails together right now.

I also mention that I was going after aluminum on this but with today's materials, Delrin or comparable materials might work perfectly fine.

Cheers.  Bryan.

 

[pugilato]

I like the idea of a short rail, maybe 18". Can't count the many times I had to fully assemble the MFT to make a couple of cuts. The Parf dogs are a huge improvement, but if the piece being cut is narrow enough you still have to balance the rail. I like the idea of using it with the angle thingy.

 

[semenza]

What I have thought about doing is chopping a rail up into systainer sized pieces and using a lot of the joining bars to reconnect them into a decent sized rail.  If I could cram a 1400 rail into a sys 1 in pieces then that would be pretty useful to me. 

I realise I would likely be sacrificing some accuracy with a 1400 rail that has 6 joins in it. But I can see it being a convenient option from time to time.

As for folding rails. . . . I wonder if something more like the ruler below would be the easiest design? Quite wide when folded though . . .

A 1400 in a regular systainer would only need three joints (four sections).  But don't forget the MidiSys that would hold a 1400 in three sections so two joints.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I have never felt that it would be worth the assembly / disassembly compared to just carrying the 1400 rail. If I could get a 2700 into a systainer without a bazillion connections that would be different.

Seth

Thanks Seth,  I hadn't bothered doing the actual maths.  I live in London and sometimes it just works out easier to take the tube to little jobs.  A few systainers on my sys-cart works well for this. I can quickly split it into two halves to tackle a flight flight of stairs or a big tube-platform gap.  A 1400 rail on my back makes this whole thing more of a pain. Therefore a 1400 rail in a sys 1 would be ideal.

Ah, well, yeah, that type of transport situation makes quite a difference.

Seth

 

[elfick]

Thanks Seth,  I hadn't bothered doing the actual maths.  I live in London and sometimes it just works out easier to take the tube to little jobs.  A few systainers on my sys-cart works well for this. I can quickly split it into two halves to tackle a flight flight of stairs or a big tube-platform gap.  A 1400 rail on my back makes this whole thing more of a pain. Therefore a 1400 rail in a sys 1 would be ideal.

What about a SysRoll? Doesn't that have space for a rail?

 

[wow]

What about a SysRoll? Doesn't that have space for a rail?

I think I already said that!

[wink]

 

[Alan m]

how about the mafell role up rail.

 

[elfick]

What about a SysRoll? Doesn't that have space for a rail?

I think I already said that!

[wink]

Oh... you stated a rail length in inches instead of the proper metric measurement so I auto-skipped your post...  [wink]

Seriously though... I don't know how I missed your post but apparently I did, so...

Like wow said, how about a rail mounted to a sysroll?  [big grin]

 

[wow]

What about a SysRoll? Doesn't that have space for a rail?

I think I already said that!

[wink]

Oh... you stated a rail length in inches instead of the proper metric measurement so I auto-skipped your post...  [wink]

Yeah, I do that a lot. I am having a hard time getting converted to that new-fangled Metric system - can you tell?

I've spent at least 29 years [wink] thinking in inches and feet, so it's really hard to make the adjustment. I probably need to make a 'religious' conversion - i.e. throw away the imperial measuring devices and go cold turkey. But I just can't bring myself to do that!

Is there a group for the Metric Impaired? If not, I suppose I could always start one...

Or - random neuron firings alert - again - maybe after I get done with the First Aid Systainers I need to put together a systainer with a bunch of measuring devices in it nestled in Kaisen foam trays. Like - say - one or two different Hultafors tapes, a good (woodpeckers?) square, etc. Working with them would force me to think in metric, which is what I need to start doing.

Hmmm...