Angle Unit KS-PS Slippage

[peter halle]

Buried in many threads over the years have been comments regarding the Angle unit - part # 491588 - and the fact that it is very difficult to lock onto the desired angle.  On the plane coming back from the training class in picturesque Lebanon I was thinking over some of the discussions at dinner.  In one of them we had talked about procedures that the Festool tools just made it so much easier to accomplish.  One that I mentioned was using the angle unit to measure the angles of a door when fitting a new door to an existing opening.  I've used it for that successfully, but it is easy to bump the unit out of adjustment.  It got me thinking...

Photo of the angle unit
[attachthumb=#1]

Remove this nut first
[attachthumb=#2]

Take the knob of the other end and there is a rubber washer - it really is round
[attachthumb=#3]

Rubber Washer
[attachthumb=#4]

Cut small pieces of the rubber strips that are used on the bottom of the guide rails that prevent slippage and attach them as neatly as you want to both surfaces
[attachthumb=#5]
[attachthumb=#6]

Put it back together and all that you've used is about 6 inches of foam.
[attachthumb=#7]

I tried this on a lark, and found that it eliminated my issues.  It stays set where you set it if you tighten it down.  Others have used sandpaper, but I didn't want to sand my unit while adjusting it.  Give it a shot, you might find that the angle unit becomes useful to you.

Peter

 

 

[Wonderwino]

Good idea.  Could you just get another rubber washer and stick it to the unit with spray contact adhesive?

 

[score0matic]

Looks like a good fix!  Too bad I Choped mine up to make a crosscut  guide ;D

Craig

 

[Neill]

Peter,

I hate to be be a PIA but I'm gonna do it anyway, certainly not directed towards you.  You have come up with a great solution for a problem that has existed for a long time that, as far as I know, Festool has failed to address.  You detailed the solution very well with your photos.

I bought the guide rail accessory kit a year ago or so.  Don't ask me why.  I heard all the negative comments and ignored them.  I have never used the angle unit because of those negative comments. I think I am not the only one in that boat.

You came up with a fix NOT to make the unit more versatile by developing some novel use for it.  You came up with a fix in order to make the unit work as it was originally intended.  Wasn't that what we paid our $75 or $80 for?

Sorry for the rant.  Good job, Peter.

Neill

 

[peter halle]

Neil,

No offense taken.  If you would like me to mail you some rubber strip to make your unit useable, please PM your address and I'll do it tomorrow.

Thanks for the post.

Peter

 

[Neill]

Neil,

No offense taken.  If you would like me to mail you some rubber strip to make your unit useable, please PM your address and I'll do it tomorrow.

Thanks for the post.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for the offer, but I do have some.  Came in that Guide Rail Accessory kit.  Glad you are OK with this.  If anything, my post was a compliment to your ingenuity.  It was directed to Festool for making the purchasers of this unit resort to a work around to get it to work properly.

Neill

 

[peter halle]

Neil,

I had a roll of the splinter guard - hard rubber- strip in my kit.  I didn't have the soft for under the rail.  Just let me know if I can help.

Peter

 

[Neill]

Neil,

I had a roll of the splinter guard - hard rubber- strip in my kit.  I didn't have the soft for under the rail.  Just let me know if I can help.

Peter

Peter,

Duh?  :-[

I got you now.  I reread your original post.  Not the splinterguard as I was thinking.  Thanks again for the offer.  I will figure something out.

Neill