Connecting guide rails together - How straight

[mylcs143]

Hi All,
First time poster and I have never used the guide rail system.
I am looking to rip some long 1 7/8" mahogany (up to 8' long).  I can invasion that the single 106" long guide rail would be as straight as a laser but my question is if I connect 2 55" guide rails together with the guide rail connector is this really as straight?  Will there be any play or movement at this connection point.  I will be using a TS55 to cut this and I need this to be a clean and straight cut.  It does not have to be a glue line type cut but fairly close to it.

Thanks in advance

John

 

[peter halle]

John,

Welcome to the forum.  This is a common question and you will certainly get many different answers.  I have had no straightness issues when combining rails.  I leave a small gap in between the rails and use a level as a guide when I tighten them up.  I have used a 1400 mm rail and a 2700 mm rail together and I think with care you can work successfully.  That being said, because I don't have transportation issues with transporting a longer rail nor storage issues, I am a supporter of a long rail and short rail ownership scenario.  If you go the route of multiple shorter rails, you might want to consider the 55 inch rail and the 75 inch rail.  More flexible in handling different cutting needs.

Peter

 

[bwiele]

Other, more experienced people will comment or confirm, but at the Festool class I went to in Indiana the recommended process is to put the connectors in the rails, don't butt the ends of the rails together (they are NOT guaranteed to be square cut), bridge the TS55 across the gap between the rails and tighten the tracking knobs.  Then tighten the rail connector screws that you can access from the top, remove the saw and tighten the screws from underneath.  Double check your alignment with a straight edge.

Hope that helps.

 

[Kev]

An accurately aligned folding rail shouldn't be beyond Festool's capability  [smile]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Other, more experienced people will comment or confirm, but at the Festool class I went to in Indiana the recommended process is to put the connectors in the rails, don't butt the ends of the rails together (they are NOT guaranteed to be square cut), bridge the TS55 across the gap between the rails and tighten the tracking knobs.  Then tighten the rail connector screws that you can access from the top, remove the saw and tighten the screws from underneath.  Double check your alignment with a straight edge.

Hope that helps.

I hope that this method is not still being taught in the classes. Back when I was developing the video below, this method was brought to my attention by Christian and Michael at Festool. Word was supposed to be passed down to the trainers that this method is not truly effective. The method of bridging the two rails with the saw is not effective because there are only 2 contact points on the saw, and it takes three points (actually 4, but the connecting bars serve this purpose) to set a straight line between the two rails.

As is shown in the video below, a level, other guide rail, or some other straightedge should be used to set the rails to be parallel. I also disagree with the need for a gap between the rails, even if the ends are not square. That's because the straightedge will override any issue with the ends being out of square.

Even though the ends are not guaranteed to be square, you will probably find that they actually are square. If you verify that your ends are square, then you can simply butt the ends, and be pretty confident that you have parallel rails. If I was joining rails frequently, I would actually take the time to calibrate the ends of my rails to be square. (However, for critical joints, I would still use a straightedge.)

Intro_TS55-TS75.mov

 

[BMH]

John,

you can get a straight line cut with two 55" rails using the following technic Joining The Festool Guide Rails . You have to check your rail every couple of cuts to make sure they are aligning perfectly. I used the TS55 across the gap method and had less then stellar results and started to use a 4 foot level and had good results. That being said if I am cutting expensive wood, I check the alignment between each cut and rarely have to correct the rails if I move them carefully between cuts.  I am debating buying a FS2700 for the peace of mind it brings when you are ripping long sheets.

Bruce

 

[Kev]

I don't have the need to transport stuff, so getting a 3000 when they were at the right price was a quick decision.

The Festool rail joining method isn't ideal. Festool can and should offer something better.

Creative use of lasers for alignment could be cool  [smile]

 

[bwiele]

See, there you go.  An excellent example of someone with more experience than me!

 

[mouppe]

At 1 7/8" it doesn't matter how straight your cut is- that 8' mahogany rip is going to bow no matter what!

[poke]

 

[greenMonster]

Do most people put the strait edge along the zero clearance strip or assume the back of the guide is perfectly parallel?

 

[mouppe]

I use the back and assume it's parallel. If it isn't we're all in trouble!

 

[JSands]

Glad Rick made this point clear about the saw as an alignment tool...no way!
I agree with others, many of us learn the hard way, joining rails sounds like a great idea, but its a "potential" recipe for trouble....and its too bad this information is not spelled out in the rail brochures....

Joining rails offers tremendous flexibility for transport, which of course is Festools Claim to fame.... however, it should be written on the rails with a removable sticker IMO, USE A STRAIGHT EDGE WHEN JOINING RAILS!

Where to put the straight edge?  Another good question.  I have found the inside of the track (hump) is the most logical place, as there is no guarantee the blade cuts right up to the rubber strip.... for many reasons, a blade change using a wider blade, then using a slightly narrower blade is just one example why you might not cut right up to the strip.   I would put more confidence in the guide being straight, and since the saw rides the guide, its the most sensible place to put the straight edge.

Here is what killed me, and why I ended up buying longer single rails... you join the rail with straight edge, leave a tiny gap, cause they edges are not square.... then you think its perfect, and it might be a for a few cuts, but then, you place rail down on edge too hard, and whamo, its no longer perfectly straight.   The smallest shift in the middle can really throw the ends of the cut off, as the error magnifies with distance.    So, re checking with straight edge is time well spent....    I have ruined enough cuts to finally accept all these limitations of the system..... yes it offers versatility, but there is a price for this versatility.... I wish this post existed many years ago when I got started with my rails....

 

[fritter63]

An accurately aligned folding rail shouldn't be beyond Festool's capability  [smile]

Rail sections with perfectly square ends shouldn't be beyond Festool's capability either....

 

[Alan m]

currently i use 3  55" rails. i join 2 for th elong cuts and the other for cross cuts. i hate joining them as  its a pain  and yes they can and do move. luckely iv never been caught out by the rail mooving but some day i will.
i am planing on getting a 3m rail for shop use and leave the 3 for site use. i think joining is the only realistic way for most people on site. you would want a big truck etc to move one of them around safely.

 

[semenza]

At 1 7/8" it doesn't matter how straight your cut is- that 8' mahogany rip is going to bow no matter what!

[poke]

+1

Hi John,

Welcome to the FOG!  [smile]

Rip it a little overwidth so you can do  it again to straight line it.

Personally I prefer the long single piece rail , even thoug it is easy enough to  join two and have them straight.

Seth

 

[Jonhilgen]

John,

you can get a straight line cut with two 55" rails using the following technic Joining The Festool Guide Rails . You have to check your rail every couple of cuts to make sure they are aligning perfectly. I used the TS55 across the gap method and had less then stellar results and started to use a 4 foot level and had good results. That being said if I am cutting expensive wood, I check the alignment between each cut and rarely have to correct the rails if I move them carefully between cuts.  I am debating buying a FS2700 for the peace of mind it brings when you are ripping long sheets.

Bruce

Bruce kind of proved my point (me being the lone dissenter who voted no).  If I have to check my joined rails every few cuts (which I did as well prior to owning a 3000 rail), I'm taking too much time and losing money.  I never felt I could truly trust joined rails...tried many methods, never the bridge method and like I said, the trust (and to some extent, accuracy) was never there.

Two 1400 rails are great for site work and I use them all the time for that.  But when I'm in the shop (aka, the garage) I always use the 3000.

Jon

Jon

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Bruce kind of proved my point (me being the lone dissenter who voted no).  If I have to check my joined rails every few cuts (which I did as well prior to owning a 3000 rail), I'm taking too much time and losing money.

Proved? No.
Expressed? Yes.

When you leave a gap between the rails, you actually increase the likelihood of knocking them out of alignment with handling. That's part of the reason why I disapprove of this method of leaving a gap between the rails. When you have the rails touching, you have at least 3 points of contact: the 2 connecting bars, and the one (or more) points of contact of the aluminum. Metal is not easily compressed, so you really have to whack them to knock them out of alignment. It is a matter of leverage.

 

[Jonhilgen]

Thanks for making the distinction.

Rick, I do tend to butt the rails when I do join them in the field, leaving a gap and havig them "bind" whenI tightening them together was never convincing enough of an argument for me.

I'm guess what I'm trying to say (help me out if I'm not clear enough, or not using proper diction, if any of  you feel the need to), is that I don't feel comfortable enough most of time when I use the joined rails.

P.s I'm trying to insert smiley faces so my writing doesn't come off as being sarcastic.  But my phone is playing hellish tricks on me and not allowing me to choose where I want the cursor damn it!
Jon

 

[BMH]

Rick,

I concur, I am expressing my opinion. I do butt the rails as close to possible to get a straight edge with my four foot level. I will disagree with your statement saying that the connecting bars are a point of contact. In fact the four little screws are the point of contact and they can be loosen up very easily with the vibration of the TS55 and/or manipulation of the rail. It doesn't make much of a difference for some of my projects but for others, with expensive wood I check before I cut, just like I measure twice before important cuts. This is no criticism of Festool system, is just recognizing the limitation of the system when you try to make everything easily mobile.

Bruce

 

[Corwin]

Do most people put the strait edge along the zero clearance strip or assume the back of the guide is perfectly parallel?

The guide rail splinter (zero clearance) strip is not the best place to put your straight edge against to assure that your two guide rails are aligned correctly.  There are a few things that will cause your saw to cut in a little closer to the rail which leaves your splinter strip something less than perfect.  These strips are consumables and need to be relocated or replaced over time.

I use the back and assume it's parallel. If it isn't we're all in trouble!

The back edges are parallel with the raised hat area.  However, there may be slight variations from rail to rail in the distance between the hat and that back edge.  Most of my rails are within less than half a thousands of an inch of having the same distance between hat and back edge, so using a straight edge along the back sides will work just fine to align two rails.  But one of my rails measures about 0.007" different than the others, and while not a lot, using a straight edge along the back side of that rail presents a problem.  So, after using a straight edge to align your rails, check to see that your saw will travel smoothly across where the two rails are joined.  If your rails have a variation, you may want to use feeler gauges between the straight edge and the back of the narrower rail in your alignment process -- that seems easier to me than using the straight edge along the raised hat areas.