marty schlosser
Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2007
- Messages
- 28
Just wanted to share my techniques I've adopted to realign the cursor. As everyone knows, this is one of the most common problems encountered with this joiner.
I first start by measuring the amount and direction the cursor is off. I do this by very precisely making two pieces of 5/8" MDF, each 12" in length and 5" wide. It is absolutely essential that these two pieces be exactly the same size in all dimensions.
I then clamp them together so they're 12" long and 10" wide. Using a marking knife and my most precise square, I "draw" three lines approximately 1" in length and perpendicular to the joint. Those lines are spaced about 3" apart.
Take your Domino and plunge a 5mm X 15mm mortise as precisely as possible into each of the six marked locations. The mortises should be approximately centred in the 5/8 MDF pieces.
Plunk in 3 tenons (Festool calls them biscuits for some weird reason; they're actually a loose, or floating tenon) on one of the boards, then carefully bring the two pieces together. The amount of the offset at the ends of the boards, or at the knife lines you had made, is twice the amount the cursor is off by. You should also be able to figure out for yourself which direction the cursor is mistakenly off, as well.
Take the correct small Torx screwdriver, loosen the two screws and shift the plastic cursor to the correct side and the correct distance, then retighten the screws, a little at a time. Don't over-tighten them or you may crack the cursor. If you're like me and don't have the right sized Torx screwdriver, then simply make a poor man's facsimile out of an old slotted screwdriver. Carefully file the end of the screwdriver into a small enough rectangular to be able to set into the Torx "slot". If you're careful enough it'll fit quite well and enable you do the job with it.
Then, go ahead and do a second test, using the other long edges of the two test pieces you'd made. Before doing this, scribble a dark line across the six original knife marks so that you don't get them mixed up.
Continue in this manner until your test pieces are aligned so well that you cannot feel nor see any difference between the knife marks nor the ends of the boards. Be as fussy as you possibly can be and don't try to rush this.
Hope this helps.
I first start by measuring the amount and direction the cursor is off. I do this by very precisely making two pieces of 5/8" MDF, each 12" in length and 5" wide. It is absolutely essential that these two pieces be exactly the same size in all dimensions.
I then clamp them together so they're 12" long and 10" wide. Using a marking knife and my most precise square, I "draw" three lines approximately 1" in length and perpendicular to the joint. Those lines are spaced about 3" apart.
Take your Domino and plunge a 5mm X 15mm mortise as precisely as possible into each of the six marked locations. The mortises should be approximately centred in the 5/8 MDF pieces.
Plunk in 3 tenons (Festool calls them biscuits for some weird reason; they're actually a loose, or floating tenon) on one of the boards, then carefully bring the two pieces together. The amount of the offset at the ends of the boards, or at the knife lines you had made, is twice the amount the cursor is off by. You should also be able to figure out for yourself which direction the cursor is mistakenly off, as well.
Take the correct small Torx screwdriver, loosen the two screws and shift the plastic cursor to the correct side and the correct distance, then retighten the screws, a little at a time. Don't over-tighten them or you may crack the cursor. If you're like me and don't have the right sized Torx screwdriver, then simply make a poor man's facsimile out of an old slotted screwdriver. Carefully file the end of the screwdriver into a small enough rectangular to be able to set into the Torx "slot". If you're careful enough it'll fit quite well and enable you do the job with it.
Then, go ahead and do a second test, using the other long edges of the two test pieces you'd made. Before doing this, scribble a dark line across the six original knife marks so that you don't get them mixed up.
Continue in this manner until your test pieces are aligned so well that you cannot feel nor see any difference between the knife marks nor the ends of the boards. Be as fussy as you possibly can be and don't try to rush this.
Hope this helps.
