Domino XL 700 Mortise not Cutting Parallel to Fence

[Cjgiombi]

Hi all
Long time lurker, first time poster.  [smile]
I am wondering if there was ever a resolution to this problem. I have the exact same issue as the original poster. In my case I have noticed that there is some "slop" in the vertical travel on the fence. Obviously there would have to be some or the fence wouldn't be able to move at all but as a result of this slop my cuts are all skewed down to the right (from the perspective of the tool user). I figure that probably the left side rests on the adjustable height stop so that side is exactly 15,20,etc mm, but then the right side "sags" down by as much as the "slop" allows. It's a noticeable amount. I tried to take a video of the wiggle factor but it was just too hard to capture with my iPhone, lol.
Should I just call customer service? Probably the answer is yes. I was just so thrilled to find someone with the same issue as me so I had to post.  [tongue]

 

[Birdhunter]

It would be fascinating to see if the problem persists if one were to use the Seneca plate for the 700.

 

[grbmds]

[member=65155]Cjgiombi[/member] If your 700 is less than 30 days old I'd just return it for a new one. No sense in messing with it. If it is older than 30 days, then, for sure, I'd make contact with Festool Service. It's too expensive to be attempting to fix something that should be right on your own.

 

[808]

Just got my domino XL 700 back from repair a couple of days ago. This was the 2nd time I sent it back because the first time they said it was within spec and didn't do any repair on it. So I provided more explanation/information when I sent it back the 2nd time and the problem looks to be fixed as I don't get any noticeable skew anymore!

As background info, it appears they test the machines in some type of jig. So its not as if someone is using the tool manually. That is why when I sent it back the first time they didn't see any issue. However, when I got it back after the first repair request I did some testing. When used normally, the fence apparently had some uneven slop such that the mortise ended up being skewed. However, when I clamped a piece of wood to the fence, stood the machine upright (no pressure on the fence) and then pushed the fence/clamped wood piece straight down, the mortises ended up being straight and pieces were not skewed when joined. So that indicated that it was the fence flexed unevenly when used normally, i.e., fence held firm to workpiece with some weight from the back of the tool exerting downward pressure. So I explained my testing when I sent it back the second time and requested that they use the tool as it would normally be used (by a human on wood) and not tested in some jig or machine.

Fortunately, that seemed to do the trick. I just tested the machine tonight and joining two pieces are no longer skewed.

 

[grbmds]

The only Festool that I ever returned for a new one within the 30-day period was the XL because it wouldn't cut parallel to the fence. To be sure it was the tool, I used a reliable square and found that the fence was slightly bent. No real problem for me, since it was still less than 30 days since purchase. I just returned it to the Woodcraft store I bought it at. They did recheck my testing, but found the same thing. Not sure why that occurred. Have you checked the squareness of the fence to the cut on the tool itself?